This is Not a Food Blog

Okay, it is kind of turning into one isn't it.  But I can't help it.  I'm on a DIEt and food is all I think about.  Speaking of, which of these two recipes do you think I should use to cheat? 

Easy Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 (16 ounce) package keilbasa, cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 2 (15 ounce) cans canned kidney beans, drained
• 1 (16 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a large skillet over low heat, cook sausage for 5 minutes. Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic; saute until tender. Pour in beans and tomatoes with juice. Season with oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

 Delicious Black Bean Burritos

Ingredients

• 2 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (I always add more red pepper but thats just my preference)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno peppers
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
2. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
3. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt and cayenne pepper. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture.
4. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.  Makes 2 servings of 1 burrito.           

This recipe prepared as is constitutes 16 WW PointsPlus value per serving.  Prepare with wheat tortillas and fat free cream cheese for a meal that constitues 10 WW PointsPlus value per serving.

Let's have a vote shall we?  Rad Beans and Rice or Black Bean Burritos?  Once has sausage and one has cream cheese.... .... ....



Who am I kidding, sauasage wins.

There's Always Thyme

I was kind of hesitant to post this recipe.  Mostly because its one of my absolute favorites and I want to hog it all to myself.  So, be grateful that I'm sharing some of my awesomeness with you.  I almost didn't.  But its okay, as long as you put it in your recipe box as "Lynda's Famous Amazingly Fantastic, Unbelievably Yummy, Superbly Delicious, Absolutely INCREDIBLE Chicken Alfredo Pizza!!!  You might need to write really small to fit all that but it better be there.  Now...since you PROMISED(you did promise right?)...here's the recipe:

 Ingredients

• SAUCE
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• GARLIC BUTTER
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pinch dried rosemary
• 1 pinch salt
• DOUGH

    I actually can't give this part of the recipe.  Family Secret. Ppppt!  But I assure you that it'll be just  as delicious with whatever dough recipe is your favorite.  Just make sure to use an actually pizza baking pan.  You get a soft yet crispy crust more often when you use one.                   

• TOPPINGS
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, roasted (sauteing is fine people)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (Thyme's important.  Check the title of this post if you don't believe me.)
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• Two to three roma tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 a red onion cut large or small depending on preference
• 1/2 a red pepper (optional) 

Directions

1. To Make Sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend in salt, pepper and flour, then stir in the milk and Romano cheese. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
2. To Make the Garlic Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the garlic, rosemary, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is tender but not browned. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
3. Make dough according to whatever recipe you choose.                   
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F .Season the roasted chicken with rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and salt. Chop or shred and reserve.
5. To Assemble the Pizza: Spread dough out on prepared pizza stone. Top with cooled garlic butter, covering entire crust. Next spread with Alfredo Sauce (if necessary, warm to spreading consistency), leaving crust edges. Top with chicken, turning to coat with sauce. Top with red onion, tomatoes, and red pepper if desired.  I also always throw an extra bit of the seasoning used on the chicken on top of the pizza.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until bottom crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let set for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting.               

Enjoy!

The Art of Overachieving

Feel like being an overachiever/show off/braggart/martha stweart impersonater today? Try this recipe for Herb Garlic Beef Tenderloin:

Look for a tenderloin that has been peeled- a term meaning that the chain of fat-covered meat and connective tissue running alon the side of the tenderloin has been removed.  It may cost more per pound, but you'll be getting all usable meat and saving time and hassle of trimming it.
Ingredients

• 1 Sweet Pepper Sauce (recipe for this in an earlier blog post.  Here is the link: http://www.aprocrastinatingperfectionist.blogspot.com/)
• 1 4 - 5 pound beef tenderloin roast
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare Sweet Pepper sauce: set aside. Trim any fat and silver skin (thin pearlescent membrane running along top of tenderloin) from tenderloin. Sprinkle garlic over tenderloin. For rub, in a small bowl combine salt, black pepper, and oregano. Sprinkle evenly over tenderloin; rub in with your fingers.

2. Place tenderloin on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, for 35 to 40 minutes for medium-rare (135 degrees F) or 45 to 50 minutes for medium (150 degrees F). Transfer meat to platter. Cover loosely with foil and let stand 15 minutes before slicing. (Temperature of meat will rise 10 degrees more while standing.) Makes 12 servings plus leftovers.

Variation

Pizza:  Prepare as directed above. Thinly slice the roasted tenderloin. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spread Sweet Pepper Sauce on top of 4 to 6 thin 12-inch Italian bread shells (Boboli) or flatbread. Top each with tenderloin slices and toppings such as sliced mushrooms, sliced sweet peppers, halved cherry tomatoes, red onion wedges, and/or dried tomatoes. Sprinkle each with 3 to 4 ounces Swiss, dill Havarti, cheddar, or blue cheese. Bake 8 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh herbs and shaved Parmesan cheese.

With roasted mushrooms: Prepare as directed above. While roasted tenderloin stands, prepare mushrooms. Toss 1 pound of halved mixed mushrooms with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread in shallow baking pan. Roast at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Add to platter with tenderloin. Sprinkle with fresh oregano or thyme. Pass Sweet Pepper Sauce.

Sliders:  Prepare as directed above. Thinly slice tenderloin. Stir 1/4 cup prepared horseradish into Sweet Pepper Sauce. Place tenderloin slices on split cocktail buns and top with sliced radishes, watercress, and the Sweet Pepper-Horseradish Sauce. Note: Plan on 2 sliders per person. There's enough tenderloin and sauce to make about 48. Assemble as many as you need.

That my friends, is the art of overachieving!

If You're Not Going to Do It Perfectly, Don't Try!!

Seriously don't.  The slightest mistake makes this normally delicious sauce, gag worthy.  But, if you're in one of your "bring it on" moods, try this recipe on for size.  Tedious, and labor intensive(for me anyway), it is totally worth the effort (if done right) and it goes with everything!!  Here is the recipe for Sweet Pepper Sauce:

Ingredients

• 4 medium yellow sweet peppers
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon snipped fresh oregano leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Halve sweet peppers lengthwise. Remove stems, seeds, and veins. Place pepper halves, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly charred.

2. Bring foil up around peppers to enclose. Let stand about 15 minutes or until cool. Loosen edges of the skins with a small sharp knife; gently pull off skins in strips and discard. Place peppers in food processor or blender. Cover; process or blend until smooth.

3. In large skillet cook onion and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in pureed peppers, white wine vinegar, sugar, thyme, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 6 minutes or until desired consistency. Makes 2 cups sauce.

Try it a chicken and pasta dish or as a spread on your favorite sandwich.  It adds a delicious kick to just about anything.  Your Welcome.

Desires of My Inner SuperMom

As a mother, I have an endless list of activites I want to do with my kids someday.  I call them the desires of my inner supermom.  These activites include foods I want to make, places I want to go, games I want to play, and projects I want to complete; all as part of an effort to be lovingly called, "The Best Mom in the World!!!"  Periodically I will post these ideas so that all the other mommies out there can add to their own lists of "Things I Dream About But Definitely Will Never Find Time to Do With My Kids."  Here's the first post: 

Look at that.  This, my dear readers, is the Cupcake Cone. Delicious, clever, and surprising, these cupcakes impersonating ice cream cones are sure to delight!  These would be perfect for your child's birthday party.  Heres how to do it:

Stretch heavy duty foil across a deep souffle dish.  Cut about 10 holes in top to hold rolled sugar or waffle ice cream cones.  Place cones upright in dish.  Pipe or spoon  cupcake batter into cones to fill 2/3 to 3/4 full, making sure to get batther into the botoom of the cones.  Use your favorite cupcake recipe or use a mix if your feeling less than ambitious.  My favorite recipe is for these Buttercake Cupcakes: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/buttercakes-with-sour-cream-frosting/. Once you've portioned the batter into each cone, bake as directed or until top springs back when lightly touched.  Top with sorbet or icecream, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. In a word, yum.

Alternatively, you can try these: 

Same concept, only now your using the cones with the flat bottom so you can simply place them in a cupcake baking sheet.  Instead of icecream, top with icing and add sprinkles for a tasty treat that is super cute.  Try the sour cream frosting recipe from the link given above.  It is fantastic.  My next birthday party I'll definitely be making these.  Or maybe the birthday party after that...  Well, someday...

The Procrastinating Perfectionist

There is a poster that depicts a huge polar bear lying prone on a flue of ice. The caption under it reads, "When I get the feeling to do something, I lie down until the feeling goes away".  Well I don't think the state of my motivation is this depressing, it is certainly true that when I'm confronted with a project that I feel might be impossible to do perfectly, I suddenly have a case of inexplicable paralysis.  Like they say, "you want something done right, better not try cause its not going to happen." 
  I admire bloggers. Those brave souls that put pen to paper (figuratively speaking) and share their thoughts with the world. Now don’t get me wrong, I have opinions and thoughts out the wazoo and I’ve never been one to hold them back. It’s just that getting my thoughts out of my head and into a blog seemed daunting.  And if my writing can't be witty, thought provoking and downright hilarious then what is the freaking point, right?  Still, there is one thing I do consistently perfectly and that is give myself little gems of encouragment.
 “She generally gave herself very good advice though she very seldom followed it.”  That tasty morsal of wisdom is from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and sadly rings VERY true for me. The upside of that statement? I give GOOD advice. What I need is a good dose of action! And so, I find myself sitting here, typing away. Will it all end up grammatically correct? Not a chance. Will it be perfect? I'll try my darndest to make it so. Will it move me forward in the direction of my dreams and help others along the way? I think (an enthusiastic) YES! 
  The alternative?  This blog is very short lived and peters out, giving my followers the certainity that I am off obsessing about doing something else perfectly.  Like make homemade aprons. But what the heck, I guess its worth a try...again..

So, here it goes, a recovering procrastinating perfectionist, takes imperfect action towards her dreams!!!  

(Oh geez that was corny...I should probably erase that..Thats it!  I quit...).