Holiday Dinner!

Due to the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving, as well as a dose of technical difficulties, I didn't have the opportunity to snap any photographs of my Thanksgiving spread. But as my guests and I can tell you, it was to-die-for good.

Christmas dinner is just a few days away, so I'd like to share with you my menu I used for Thanksgiving.

Main Course:
Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast

Side Dishes:
Brussels Sprouts Casserole
Glazed Carrots
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Trader Joe's Cornbread Stuffing
Chardonnay-Herb Turkey Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Bowl of black olives

Dessert:
Pumpkin Cheesecake

Drinks:
Le Baron Ranch Late Harvest Riesling 2009
Milk / Water

Glazed Carrots

This is a simple glazed carrot recipe perfect as a side to any roast meat. Don't worry, this isn't an overly sweet carrot recipe, I tried to make it as savory as possible while still maintaining the subtle sweet flavor of the carrots.

Holiday Special: Pumpkin Cheesecake

This cheesecake is ethereal and light due to being made in a blender and using nonfat ingredients. It's extremely guilt-free for the holidays and any other time you want some cheesecake. Remember to have all of your ingredients at room temperature. This will (hopefully) keep the cheesecake from cracking and also make blending the ingredients together easier. This recipe was made for a 10-inch springform pan so if you only have a 9-inch pan, like I do, you have some excess. Fill it as full as you can.

Holiday Side Special: Cranberry Sauce

It's a really fun experience to make your own cranberry sauce instead of just taking it out of a can. With a basic recipe, the variations are endless. In this recipe, you can bump up the orange taste by adding the zest of an orange, if you like. Another variation you could do is by adding fresh grated ginger (from a two-inch knob) and ½ teaspoon cinnamon for a spicier sauce. For a sugar-free sauce, replace the sugar with an equal amount of Splenda®.

Holiday Side Special: Brussels Sprout Casserole

As you all know, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Currently, I am racking my brain trying to come up with some interesting side dishes for this year's feasting. I came across this recipe in the AHA Cookbook and tried it out last night. I have never cooked a Brussels sprout in my life and this dish turned out beautifully! For a great dinner for one, I cooked some brown rice and served the casserole over top. Serves 8.

Historically, the Brussels sprout has gotten a bum rap for being bitter and mushy. The real culprit is overcooking. Cooked properly, Brussels sprouts have a surprisingly mild flavor in comparison with their other cruciferous brethren. They contain good amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber. Not to mention, the cruciferous family of vegetables are believed to have potent anti-cancer properties.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Looking for a fast and healthy dinner? These enchiladas are vegetarian, gluten-free, and absolutely delicious. They are the perfect canvas for a wide variety of toppings and salsas, so customize to your palette's desire. This recipe was adapted from the American Heart Association cookbook. Serves 8-10.

Chicken Curry (Murgh Kari)

There's nothing better than a pot of hearty, spicy chicken curry to warm the spirit on a gloomy winter day. This amazing recipe is adapted from the Cook's Illustrated book, The Best International Recipe. With this recipe, it is very important to have your ingredients "pot ready"—all prepped and ready to go.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

Whenever I visit Tacoma, I seem to always end up at Pho 38th. Their rice noodle salad with chicken is simply amazing. It's chock full of vegetables (and flavor!) and yet seems to last and last in your stomach. So, naturally, I find myself needing to recreate this dish at home. The result was so good and so authentic, I urge you to try this for yourself. This recipe serves 1.

Arroz con Pollo

This savory dish is chicken and rice, but even better. A Latin flavor profile with peppers, vinegar, cilantro, and tomato sauce give this dish an interesting bite. It tastes really great topped with extra cilantro, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, and served with a corn tortilla. This dish serves 4–6 people.

Turkey Meatloaf Revisited

Tonight, I am making turkey meatloaf, with an exciting brand-new side dish, however, I have found an egregious error. So, it turns out, on my first recipe post ever, I found an error that had even permeated my top-secret, hard-copy recipe book! Try my turkey meatloaf featuring ¼ cup of parsley instead of that measly ¼ teaspoon.

Turkey-Veggie Meatloaf

Chocolate-Orange Biscotti

Biscotti are those fantastic dry cookies you dunk in a good cup of coffee. The word biscotti originates from the Latin word biscoctus, meaning "twice-cooked/baked." Baking the biscotti twice makes them very dry and easily stored.

Blueberries and Cream Cheese Coffeecake

It's lovely, decadent, and it's for breakfast! This coffeecake is perfect for brunches. When serving, this cake tastes best when you've warmed it in the microwave for 20–30 sec.

Lentil & Collard Chili Soup

This lentil chili was great for when I was sick recently. It has a nice amount of heat and tastes great over a baked potato. The lentils impart an amazing amount of fiber to the soup—about 19g per serving! This recipe was adapted from an American Heart Association recipe.

And We're Back!

Yes, I've been on a little hiatus from serious cooking for the past couple months because cooking while moving is extremely difficult. Especially when that cooking involves creativity.

I did find out that my turkey stroganoff and veggie lasagna made the perfect no-hassle, low-mess moving foods. Check them out for those times when you need to make a no-fuss dinner that'll make great leftovers for a few days.

So, here's to hoping I post regularly!

Thai Three-Flavored Salmon

I love going out for Thai food, but that gets a little pricey. My favorite dish at the local place is Three-Flavored Salmon. My version doesn't taste exactly like it, but I'm getting closer! Also, if you haven't noticed, salmon fillets are reeeally expensive, so I've found a decent poor-man's alternative at my local Costco—salmon burgers. They're a surprisingly delicious way to stretch your dollar.

Chicken Piccata with Quinoa and Baked Asparagus

The evenings have been so pleasant and warm, a romantic dinner on the balcony seemed obligatory this past weekend. So, I bring you chicken piccata made with a Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc. Delicious. Oh, and if by some chance, you have missed this winery's lovely selection of local wines, I highly recommend buying a bottle. If my plans to visit Chateau Ste. Michelle this year pan out, I shall be posting pictures.

Cod with Garlic Butter and Farro Tabbouleh

This is yet another fantastic inspiration from Central Market. Farro is an ancient wheat (also known as emmer or spelt) that is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and offers more than twice the amount of protein and fiber than modern wheat. This wonderful food contains 3.5g of fiber per ½ cup serving. When cooked, farro's texture is chewy and hearty.

Baked Salmon with Stewed Rhubarb

This is an adaptation from a Central Market recipe I had the pleasure of tasting a few days ago. With the remainder of my mixed greens, I decided to add sauteed greens to the plate. Serving the greens between the rice and salmon makes for a beautiful and dramatic presentation.

Farmer's Market Veggie Hashbrowns

This past weekend, we went to the farmer's market and had my favorite breakfast dish—Potatoes O'Jones. Yum. I have vowed to recreate this wonderful dish because it makes such good use of a variety of vegetables.

Green Pasta Soup

This is a great hearty vegetarian soup. This soup is probably more suited for wintertime, but I couldn't resist the gorgeous greens at the market today. The recipe calls for a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. It's quite important to the overall flavor of the soup, so, hopefully, you can find it at your market.

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

We went to a Thai restaurant a few weeks ago and I had their garlic chicken stir fry. It was so amazing, I have been on the quest to replicate it. The book, World Kitchens: Thai helped me research the ingredients to authentic Thai.

Creamy Tomato Pasta

This is a vegetarian dish that can be made full-vegan, however, cheese-like nutritional yeast flakes act like MSG to which I am sensitive. Instead, I've made it with Parmigiano Reggiano. This sauce is so incredibly easy because most of it is made in a food processor.

"Crustless" Quiche Lorraine

Ok, well, it's not quite "crustless." Instead of a heavy pastry crust, I've made a crust from potato slices.  Traditional Quiche Lorraine has a lot of fat from the egg yolks, cheese, and cream. I've cut back to the fat by having only 2 egg yolks, fat-free cottage cheese, and a dab of fat-free milk. After this, you won't miss the crusted version!

Easy and Delicious Gluten-Free Brownies

Something new is here at the Salubrious Epicure blog! You can now search for gluten-free recipes over in the right column of the site. I'm kicking off my new gluten-free category with these delicious gluten-free brownies. They aren't as low in fat as my desserts usually are, but they aren't bad either—approximately 81 calories per brownie with just 4g fat. The basis of these beauties is, believe it or not, black beans. Gluten-free eaters and wheat eaters alike won't be able to resist the crumbly, melty, and chocolaty goodness.

Greek Grilled Chicken and Village Salad

I recently received a tiny gas hibachi grill. The only thing I'd ever grilled was a steak (delicious). Grilling chicken took a bit of research because, from what I've been told, it can get a bit dry cooking on the grill. I found a recipe that called for marinating the chicken in brine overnight. Well, I am a believer. This chicken turned out more flavorful than any I think I've ever cooked. The perfect accompaniments for the grilled chicken are a cucumber-based Greek salad, grilled potatoes, and, of course, tzatziki.

No-Boil, Veggie-Tastic Lasagna

This gorgeous and absolutely addictive lasagna is wonderful because you can use any kind of lasagna noodle and not have to boil it first. The secret is just adding more liquid to the sauce and pressing the noodles firmly into the sauce. This recipe was originally a vegetarian entreé, however, my husband demanded a meaty lasagna. Make it vegetarian by taking out the meat and increasing the mushrooms to 3-4 grated mushrooms. Look below the recipe for my solution to garlic bread.

Fudgier Buttermilk Brownies

Updated! This recipe hails from the New American Heart Association cookbook. To make it a lower-sugar recipe, I subbed in some Splenda® for the brown sugar. These are so good and so addictive.

The Best Salsa Ever

This salsa is an absolute winner. It's great for parties served with low-fat tortilla chips (Trader Joe's) or as a topping for tacos.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

One of the treasures of spring is having fresh rhubarb. The farmer's market didn't have a lot last week, but I could not pass up the gorgeous  ruby stalks of rhubarb. This week I bring you this crumble I adapted from a recipe found in Taste of Home's The Market Fresh Cookbook.

Hidden Veggie Spaghetti

My version of spaghetti sauce is absolutely packed to the brim with nutrients. All of the vegetables are pureed so that it's impossible for even the most picky eaters to identify individual veggie flavors. Note that this could easily be a vegetarian dish by substituting the ground turkey for diced mushrooms. To puree the vegetables, check out my Guide to Purees.

Three Cheese Eggplant Parmesan

I've never eaten an eggplant before this dish—I must say, it was pretty good, although the taste and texture took a little getting used to. This dish was even good microwaved the next day. I recommend serving this with a green salad.

Zucchini-Goat Cheese Frittata

Recently, I've had the urge to make a variety of vegetarian dishes. One is this recipe I found on the Whole Foods website. I've got to say, frittatas are amazing! And they're extremely easy! This recipe is so versatile, you could make one with breakfast meats and cheddar or a pizza-style one with mushrooms, olives, sausage, and mozzarella that would also be excellent. This dish does not have to be for breakfast only—it would make an excellent dinner with a salad on the side.

Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas are my husband's favorite! Forget the enchilada mix that comes in the can (or the powdered form in a packet), there's nothing that tastes better than fresh. The cilantro adds the perfect bite of freshness in every mouthful.

Broccoli-Chicken Stir Fry with Orange Sauce

This is for those nights when you want Chinese take-out, but the place is closed. My chicken and broccoli stir fry comes with the lovely bonus of a tangy, sweet orange sauce.

Easter Dinner

On Easter I hosted a small dinner party for our friends. People wanted to eat, so the pictures aren't as good as usual. On the menu was Herb-Roasted Turkey, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Baked Asparagus, Fresh Cranberry Sauce, Cornbread Stuffing, and Sage Gravy.

Turkey Stroganoff

Believe it or not, I get those occasional cravings for Hamburger Helper. I think we've all gone through the Hamburger Helper phase, and some of us may still be there. Well, you can have the convenience of a one-pot-meal-in-a-box without all of the preservatives and extra fat.

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Barbeque Sauce

This past weekend my husband and I were shopping at Central Market and saw the most gorgeous package of beef short ribs. These brought back memories of the chunky, tomato-y barbeque short ribs my mom used to make in her dutch oven. By the way, a dutch oven is an oven-safe (no plastic or wood handles) pot with a lid. My favorites are made of cast iron with an enamel coating. Make sure to wash cast iron right away and dry it in the oven at a low temperature so as to not allow any rusting to occur.

An Ethiopian Feast

Ethiopian cuisine is characterized by a few spicy dishes on a large sourdough flatbread (called injeera). The meal is supposed to be eaten with your hands only, but I can't give up my fork. I love Ethiopian cuisine because the base of it is, basically, onions and garlic. Yum. This feast is going to take all four burners to make, be warned.

"Good Morning" Egg Muffin Sandwich

Instead of picking up breakfast in a drive-thru lane, try this marvelous creation.

Ingredients
1 whole wheat (HFCS-free) English muffin
2 strips nitrite-free turkey bacon
2 egg whites
1 slice of 2% American cheese

1) Toast the English muffin. 2) Place a slice of cheese on one side of the muffin. 3) Fry up the egg whites; keeping them in a "muffin-sized" patty. Place on top of the cheese. 4) Fry up the bacon to your desired doneness. Fold each in half and place on the eggs. 5) Top with the other half of the English muffin. Voila! You have a home-made breakfast sandwich.

1 serving; approx. 237 calories, 6g fat, 28g carb

Oven Fried Chicken

Fried chicken tastes so incredibly good, but it is almost invariably full of fat. Oven fried chicken is a great alternative to deep frying and this recipe gives you all of the flavor and crispiness you love from traditional fried chicken. Baking on the cooling rack allows the air to flow around the chicken—crisping the coating.

Yellow Cake With Seven-Minute Frosting

I won't kid you, this is purely for a sugar-fix. My version of yellow cake is a little mealy due to the whole wheat flour. If you can find pastry whole wheat flour, I suspect it would fix the mealiness.

Cod with a Lemony Chardonnay Sauce and Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Monday night was "cooking by the seat of my pants." I didn't have much of anything except for a cod fillet, some asparagus, and a bottle of chardonnay in the fridge. It actually turned out pretty good. I do wish I had caramelized the onions prior to putting in the cod and that the flavors had been a bit brighter. The asparagus came out perfectly, on the other hand. If anyone has any suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.

Sloppy Joes

I like my Sloppy Joes open-faced with a layer of decadent, toasted mozzarella cheese with a side of spinach. This comfort food never fails to make my mouth water. Best yet, it's filled to the brim with hidden veggies.

Simple Swedish Chicken with Lingonberries

This dish is an IKEA restaurant staple, but the Swedes have been pairing lingonberry preserves with meat (and everything else) since forever. Lingonberries are a low-bush cranberry with a taste that isn't as intense as a cranberry. The flavor is fantastic and completely unique.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chip cookies are very satisfying and full of fiber. The suprise ingredient is chickpea (a.k.a. garbanzo) puree—don't worry, you can't taste the beans.

Pita Pizza

With the preceding pita recipe, you can make really great snack or lunch mini-pizzas. There are a ton of great topping combinations out there, feel free to experiment!

New Resource Section!

If you look over to the right side of the blog, you'll see a few resource links. One is my ongoing handy kitchen supply list, another is a basic staple list, and the other is a guide to making your own purees out of my selected vegetables that will be showing up in my recipes.

Tzatziki with Garlic Pita Flatbreads

The best tzatziki I've ever had was at Mykonos Restaurant in Bellingham, WA...that is, until I figured out how to make it myself. There are a ton of tzatziki recipes out there on the internet and in cookbooks, but they never have enough garlic. So, this one goes out to all the garlic lovers out there. Serve it with pita bread (or any kind of flat bread) or make up your own gyro or souvlaki sandwich.

Herb Crusted Cod with a Mustard-Dill Yogurt Sauce

Yet another food I have recently grown accustomed to is fish. I've found that I really like the milder fishes such as cod and halibut and actually find myself looking for recipes featuring fish. This one is adapted from another one of my favorite books, The Swedish Table, by Helene Henderson. This book really strikes chord with my Swedish heritage and  appetite.

Turkey-Veggie Meatloaf with Carrot Couscous

I have never really had a taste for meatloaf. I always found it fairly bland and pointless. But I had a taste of a Central Market recipe for meatloaf and found a new love. Of course I have modified it quite a bit from the original, like I do with all my recipes.

Food

I love food. I've always loved food. From when I was a wee little nothing, my family's life was lived, mainly, in the kitchen. Both of my parents came from large families where the food was equally large—made to serve a small army and keep 'em going on the farm. Alas, our lives are not filled with back-breaking labor, so when my husband and my parents had medical wake-up-calls, I knew it was time to use my culinary passion to change their lives for the better.

All of these recipes have been tried and tested by me and whomever I can get to be my guinea pig (which usually isn't so difficult). I try to use the most fresh ingredients I can and local produce (when it's farmer's market season).