BLT Pasta Salad

BLT Pasta Salad
Serves Approximately 16 (one cup portions)

1 pound shell pasta
8 slices of thick-cut bacon (ideally, low sodium)
1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved (or quartered)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
5 ounces fresh arugala
1 bunch green onions, sliced, greens and whites

  1. Bring a large kettle to a boil. Salt the water. When boiling, add the pasta and cook until “al dente”, 8-10 minutes.
  2. While the pasta boils, fry bacon until crispy. Chop and set aside. 
  3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease.
  4. Return the skilletto stove over medium heat. Add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook over medium-high heat until the tomatoes begin to soften (2 minutes.)
  5. Drain the pasta, saving 2 cups of the pasta water.
  6. Return the hot pasta back to the kettle. 
  7. Add the arugala and stir gently.
  8. Add the tomatoes and garlic, the green onion and one cup of the reserved water. Stir to mix.
  9. Top with bacon, and more pasta water if you think it needs it. 
  10. This can be served warm or cold.

Nutritional data for one cup:

Calories:         103
Fat:                 2.3g
Sat fat:            0.6g
Chol:              3.8g
Sodium:        47.9g
Carbs:           17.2g
Fiber:              1.3g
Protein:           4.4g

You can increase the health benefits by using a high fiber pasta, but Tammy and I don’t eat pasta that often and we simply prefer the “regular” white pasta.

Don’t forget to listen to my podcast, Make Your Someday Today! It is a motivational and weight loss podcast, featuring interviews with musicians, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs and weight loss success stories from around the world. I also answer listener questions, and beginning with Episode 49, I give my “Recipe of the Week!” 

Pan Seared Chicken, Roasted with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives


Pan Seared Chicken, Roasted with Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 chicken thighs, skin-on, but excess trimmed
2-4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 onion, diced
1-2 pounds cherry (or grape) tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup green olives, halved. (I used Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed Olives)
Herbs of your choice (I used Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset.)
2 ounces Marsala wine (optional)

Preheat oven to 450F.
Using a 12 inch, oven-safe skillet, preheat over medium high. Add the oil.
Season the chicken, both sides, with your spices, and salt/pepper if desired.
When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully lay the chicken in the skillet, skin-side down. Let the the skin get browned. Do not turn them, or even move them to get the best results. This will take 6-7 minutes.
While the chicken thighs sear and brown, slice the garlic, dice the onion, and halve the tomatoes and olives.
After 6-7 minutes, remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

With all cooking juices still in the skillet, add the garlic and onion, then the tomatoes and olives.

Carefully return the chicken to skillet, skin side up.

Pour the wine into the skillet (if you are using this.)
Place skillet in oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or when the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutritional data for one thigh and 1/6 of the tomato/olives:
Calories:          286
Fat:                 11.8g
Sat fat:              1.5g
Chol:               65mg
Sodium:     356.2mg
Carbs:             22.3g
Fiber:                2.9g
Protein:             26g

You could certainly serve this on a pasta, such as angel hair or linguini.

Don’t forget to listen to my podcast, Make Your Someday Today! It is a motivational podcast, featuring interviews with musicians, athletes, artists, entrepreneurs and weight loss success stories from around the world. I also answer listener questions, and beginning with Episode 49, I give my “Recipe of the Week!”

Baked Cod, Garlic Sauteed Spinach and Baked Fries

Baked Cod with Garlic Spinach and Baked Fries

This is an easy meal, that will be ready to eat about 45 minutes after you put the potatoes in the oven. Meals like this are healthy, easy, inexpensive (especially if you buy frozen fish when it is on sale) and are convenient as the potatoes and fish cook at the same temp, at the same time. Using bagged baby spinach makes this quick. Just don’t use pre-chopped garlic from a jar. That tends to be old and bitter.

We talk about planning ahead and making good choices like this on my Make Your Someday Today podcast. When you take the little time to make plans in advance, you are able to save more time, live healtier, lose weight and save money! What a great combination!

You can make this with any white fish (cod, haddock, pollack, flounder are all good choices.) In general, place the fresh (or thawed) fish in an oven safe pan, drizzle a hint of olive and then sprinkle dill, salt and pepper as needed. (Garlic or onion powder are also good options. Another excellent option is Penzey’s Sunny Spain.) Bake at 450 for 8-12 minutes, dependingon thickness of the fillets. The fish is done when it begins to flake it you lift an edge with a knife.

Garlicky Sauteed Spinach
Serves 2-4, depending on how much everyone likes spinach.  In our case, this made three servings.
15 ounces baby spinach  
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 large cloves garlic, sliced thin
  1. Prepare all ingredients, but don’t start cooking this until the fish and potatoes are done. This only takes about 4 minutes once the pan is hot.
  2. Heat your non-stick skillet (large, 11-12 inches).  Add olive oil.
  3. Add garlic, stir until it begins to brown (1-2 minutes.)
  4. Add half the spinach, tossing frequently for 1 minute. It will begin to wilt.
  5. Add remaining spinach, tossing constantly until the spinach is uniformly wilted (another 60-90 seconds.)  
  6. Serve immediately.

Nutritional data:
Calories:       83
Fat:             5.3g
Sat fat:        0.8g
Chol:           0mg
Sodium:   119mg
Carbs:         7.4g
Fiber:          3.4g

Protein:       4.7g
Baked Fries
Serves 4
2 large Russet (baking) potatoes
2 tablespoons oil
Salt and pepper
  1. Preheat oven to 450F
  2. Wash  potatoes.
  3. With skins on, cut potatoes into 1/2″ thick fries.
  4. Place in bowl. Drizzle oil, toss and season as desired.
  5. Place on baking pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Turn and toss every 15 minutes.
  6. After 30 minutes, place the pan with fish in the oven. The fish and fries will finish at about the same time. 
  7. When the fish is done, remove from oven and cover with foil to keep warm. Do not cover the fries or they with steam and get soft/soggy. When done, they should be brown and crisp.

Calories:     205
Fat:             7.2g
Sat fat:        1.0g
Chol:           0mg
Sodium:  20.9mg
Carbs:       32.1g
Fiber:          3.4g
Protein:       3.9g
—————————————
My podcast, Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly show, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be. I hope you give it a listen! 

Classic Borsh (you might call it Borsht)

Borsh
Serves Many! (Approximately 24 portions, 1 cup each)

Some people and cookbooks call this “borscht”. My Ukrainian-born friend who gave me this recipe says that it is supposed to be “borsh.” She was a Captain in the Israeli Defense Forces, and is a fierce woman. Who am I to question her?

Well, actually, I question her quite a bit, when I interviewed her for my podcast, Make Your Someday Today (abbreviated as MYST). You can hear the complete interview at MakeYourSomedayToday.com/JulieSheranosher

Ingredients:

2 pounds (1kg) top loin steak or round steak. Use a lean cut, and trim excess fat. Cut this into squares 1″ (2.5cm) on a side
2 cans/bottles of beer (Do not use a very hoppy beer. A simple pilsner would be best.)
2-4 cloves garlic, or more to preference
6-8 black peppercorns
1 big or 2 small onions, diced
2 large beets, peeled and grated
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small cabbage, thinly shredded (or use a 12 ounce bag of pre shredded cabbage)
2 red bell peppers, diced
fresh parsely, 2 large handfuls 
1 tablespoon white sugar
sour cream and fresh chives for garnish.
  1. Put the meat in a big pot. Add beer, garlic, black pepper and 2 cups water.
  2. Bring to boil, cover and lower the heat to a medium flame and allow to cook for 1 hour.
  3. Add the beets, carrots, onion, potatoes and salt (optional). Add 1 cup boiling water if needed to cover.
  4. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for another 30 minutes
  5. Add the tomato paste, cabbage and peppers. Stir to combine.
  6. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 15 minutes.
  7. Add the sugar and parsley. The parsley is NOT for garnish. It is necessary to complete the flavor profile.
  8. Cook on a medium flame for another 20 minutes.
  9. Cover, cool and place in refrigerator overnight. (Required for full flavor!)
  10. When serving, reheat over medium, and serve with a tablespoon sour cream and freshly chopped chives.
Nutritional data (not including sour cream or bread):
Calories:    161
Fat:            8.1g
Sat fat:       3.1g
Chol:        33mg
Sodium:   48mg
Carbs:      10.6g
Fiber:         2.3g

Protein:    11.3g

Do me a big favor? Please leave a comment here for Julie and her recipe and tell us when you have or will make it!


Make Your Someday Today is a twice-weekly podcast, where we talk to successful people in all walks of life and around the world on Monday, and then on Thursday, I take a specific message from the previous guest and give my “Trevitorial”, where I help you apply that message to your life. The entire purpose of the show is to help all of us overcome our challenges and fears and become the person we want to be, the person we deserve to be.

Angel Hair Pasta and Fried Eggs

Angel Hair Pasta and Fried Eggs
Basic Instructions, you can vary as you wish:
  1. Boil pasta.
  2. While pasta boils, saute mashed garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Toss in panko, let the crumbs toast a bit. Remove to a bowl, grate parmesan on top, mix in.
  3. Return the pan to stove, add more olive oil and mashed garlic.
  4. Drain pasta, add to pan with olive oil and garlic. Toss to coat.
  5. While that continues to cook, place second skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Carefully crack 1-2 eggs into it. Cover. Let cook over medium until the whites get firm. (You can add 1 tablepoon water to help steam.)
  6. Place pasta on dish, toss with panko, and gently slide eggs on top.

Christmas Dinner

I had never made a boneless New York Strip roast before, and I broke my cardinal rule of party planning (never make a dish for the first time the day of the party.)

Fortunately, as you can see above, all went well. That was a six pound roast, rubbed with my garlic-olive oil paste, onion and fresh cracked black pepper. I placed the roast in an foil baking pan, because I wanted to roast this, not grill it I preheated the grill on high for about ten minutes. My grill has four burners so when I put the pan on the grill, I turned off the two burners directly under the roast, and adjusted the remaining two so that my grill thermometer read 300F (This would be the same if you did this in your oven. If you do this in your oven, start with your oven at 500F for 10 minutes, then turn is down to 300F.)

I used a meat thermometer, the type that stays in the meat while it is cooking, and is connected to a meter outside the grill or oven. If you do any amount of roasting, either grill or oven, I really recommend that you use a thermometer like this. You can set it to ring at your desired finished temperature and you will never overcook your food again.

The roast was the main part of the meal, and the part I was most stressed about. Everything else went smoothly. Tammy would pop into the kitchen from time to time, just to make sure everything was progressing. I made a loaf of bread which finished at the perfect time for me to start roasting the carrots. They take about 25 minutes under 450F and then another 10 minutes after adding the peas to the pan.

The bowl mixed greens and chopped pears was ready to be topped with the maple-mustard vinaigrette (with bleu cheese and walnuts on the side for those who want the full salad.)

The roast had just reached it’s finished temperature (143F) and I had pulled it off the grill. The carrots were about 10 minutes away from needing the peas to be added when Tammy pops in to ask “How are the carrots and potatoes going?”

Potatoes?????

Oh, no!!!!!

I dumped two pounds of fingerling potatoes onto a shallow jelly roll pan, drizzled olive oil, tosses with some salt and pepper and put it on the bottom rack of the hot oven. When I added the peas to the carrots, the potatoes were sizzling, and when the carrots were ready, so were the potatoes! Whew!

Everything works out!

I hope everyone enjoys your new year! I will still be here!

(P.S.: Next time, I will take the roast off the grill at 140F for a little closer to medium-rare.)

Grilled French Bread Pizzas–Four Ways

Grilled French Bread Pizzas, Four Ways
Each pizza serves 2 or more, depending on if used as a meal or appetizer

French bread loaf, 12 inches (approximately)
Your choice of toppings (your options are infinite.) I used (from top to bottom):

Cheesy Garlic Bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded mozzarella

Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
1 tablespoon bacon grease (you can use olive oil if you prefer)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
4 ounces ground beef, cooked
2 strips bacon, cooked and chopped
2 slices cheddar cheese (sharp if possible) or 2 ounces shredded

Olive, Mushroom & Spinach Pizza
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
1/2 can (4 ounce can) mushrooms (I use Pennsylvania Dutch brand, no added salt)
4 green olives, sliced thinly
4 Kalamata olive, sliced thinly
1 ounce fresh baby spinach, chopped finely
1 ounce (1/4 cup) shredded mozzarella

Mushroom & Swiss Pizza
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed and minced
8 ounces fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
2 slices Swiss cheese (or 2 ounces)

The instructions are basically the same for each and only vary with the difference in toppings.

  1. Preheat your grill in high, or set your oven’s broiler on high.
  2. Cut the loaf in half, lengthwise. 
  3. Carefully remove as much the bread from the cut face of each half, creating a long bowl for the crust. When finished, each shell should weight about 2 or 2.5 ounces. (Save the removed bread to make bread crumbs, if you want.)
  4. Evenly spread the oil (or bacon grease) over the cut surface (not the crust). Spread garlic if the recipe calls for it.
  5. Prepare all fillings. If you didn’t cook the ground beef specifically for this recipe, warm it in a microwave oven in a skillet on the stove. (Do the same for the bacon.) Slice and chop all ingredients, and pre-measure the cheeses if needed.
  6. For the mushroom filling, preheat a nonstick skillet. Add a bit of cooking spray. Saute the onions and mushrooms until everything is softened the the mushrooms have released their water.
  7. When all toppings are ready, take the bread to the grill. Turn the heat to low and lay them, cut side DOWN, on the grill. Don’t walk away. The crusts go from raw to crispy to burned with very little time in between those stages. (Mine were getting close to burnt!)  This will take 1-2 minutes. If you are using your broiler, place them cut side UP, and give them the same 1-2 minutes. The idea is to crisp the crust, and help it resist absorbing any juices from the fillings and getting soggy.
  8. Take the crusts back to your work area. Fill the crusts in the order that they are given.
  9. Return the pizzas to the grill or broiler (in both cases, cut side UP.) 
  10. Remove when the cheese is melted.
  11. Let rest briefly, then cut and serve.
Nutritional data (per half of one pizza):
             Cheesy Bread    Bacon-Cheese  Olive & Spinach   Mush & Swiss
Calories       160                     322                    202                       245
Fat:             9.4g                     19g                 12.5g                    13.3g
Sat fat:        2.4g                    9.1g                   2.6g                      5.1g
Chol:        7.6mg                  54mg                7.5mg                    20mg
Sodium:   227mg                328mg                550mg                  209mg
Carbs:       14.4g                  17.9g                  16.9g                       22g
Fiber:          0.4g                    1.1g                   1.5g                      1.5g
Protein:       5.2g                  19.1g                    6.6g                    11.2g
Note: This is my first attempt at these recipes, and I liked the crispy crust. At Tammy’s request, I will try these techniques again, but not toast the bread initially for a softer crust. I will also use some different fillings (yet to be decided.) I will post the results here, later this week.

Garlic-Olive Oil Paste for Steaks

Garlic Paste (it really isn’t a paste, but it isn’t a sauce either.)
Enough for a 1.5 pound steak

2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (I used 2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (Kosher or the type you would need to put in a grinder)

Optional: 2 black pepper corns
               1-2 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
               5-10 whole coriander seeds (I used 10)

Special equipment: Mortar and pestle

This holds about 12 ounces (360ml) and I think this is as small as you should buy. I wish that I had a larger one. We’ll see. I bought this at IKEA for about $10. It is heavy marble, and has a very smooth exterior and a slightly rough interior. The marble makes it very easy to clean.

Peel and roughly chopped the garlic, and place it and the salt, and 1 teaspoon olive oil in mortar (and the optional ingredients if you are using them).

With the pestle light crush the garlic chunks a couple times with an up and down action.
Then, holding the mortar tightly in one hand, grind the ingredients in a continuous circular motion, twisting it occasionally to pull the material under and between the mortar and pestle.
After about a minute of grinding.
Note: you need a mortar that holds at least 1 cup. If you can find one that holds 3 cups, it will be easier because the pestle will be larger with a larger grinding surface.
The goal is to mash the ingredients into a relatively uniform paste.
When you have a nice texture, add the rest of the oil. (If you add all the oil at once  before grinding, the garlic tends to float around and it is much harder to grind it.)
That’s it.

The salt in here is necessary, because it acts as small grinding stones within the mash mixture. You also need a mortar that is light rough on the inside. I have seen some that were as smooth on the inside as on the outside. That would make grinding much more difficult because the roughness grabs the material and briefly holds it while you work out your day’s frustrations.
The whole process will only take a couple minutes.
Don’t forget to add the oil to your log. If you have three portions of meat, is is 40 calories of oil ,four portions is 30 calories of oil. 
This thin paste can be used on steaks of any sort, but I like using it on beef flank steaks, as they are relatively lean and benefit from having some added oil. I also use it on my pizza crust in place of a tomato sauce.

Preparing a flank steak takes a few additional steps.

Do you see the muscle fibers running from the lower left corner to the upper right? That is the “grain” of the meat, and when you serve a steak like this, you will slice it into 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices across the grain (moving the knife from upper left to lower right, in this picture) when you plate this meat for your dinner guests.

To help further tenderize the meat, before adding the garlic-oil paste, score the meat. Using a VERY sharp knife, cut a series of 1/4 slices into the meat, parallel and 1 inch apart, at about 45 degree to the grain.

Then, cut it again, on the same side, but at right angles to the first cuts.

Flip the steak over and repeat the process on the other side. Then, rub the garlic-oil paste on both sides.

At this point, you can pause our dinner prep. You could do all this even a day in advance. Just wrap the meat in plastic film and refrigerate, and it will be ready as soon as the grill is hot. Using an oil paste like this will help keep the steak juicy and tender.

When ready to grill, preheat the grill on high for at least 5 minutes (gas grill) or let the charcoal burn down to gray embers. Brush the grates, and using tongs and paper towel, carefully rub vegetable oil on the grates to help prevent the meat from sticking.

This steak cooks quickly.  It is generally an inch thick at most, and when you criss-cross cut 1/4 inch on both sides, you open up a lot more cooking surface. (See how the heat opens the cuts?) About 4 minutes per side will be medium.

Last night, I accidentally let it go a total of 9 minutes and it went to medium-well. (When cooking something that goes so quickly, don’t get sidetracked watering your herb garden.) For us, that was a disaster. An edible mistake, but not one that I will commemorate with pictures. (We like our steaks medium-rare, which is about 6-7 minutes total cook time.)

Nutritional data?  Depend on the size of the portion, and the exact cut of steak. The paste is enough to cover a 1.5 pound steak (above). I generally cut a flank steak into four ounce portions, so I can get about 6 servings per steak (many fewer if both of our boys are eating with us.) A four-ounce portion would have about 20 calories added from the oil.

———————————

Poll results:  87% of respondents preferred the idea of a shorter ebook available sooner.

An new poll will be out later today, to further refine that idea.  THANK YOU for helping me with my next projects. I hope that you will be as satisfied with them as you are with this blog.

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes

Bacon-Spinach Mashed Potatoes
Serves 6 (approximately 1/2 cup or 4 ounces by weight)

3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1/4 cup (2.5 ounces by weight) Fage Greek yogurt
2 tablespoon real bacon bits (or 1-2 strips, fried and crumbled)
4.5 ounces (by weight) baby spinach, torn

  1. Place potatoes in small pan, covered with water and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are soft, and easily pierced with a fork (8-10 minutes–small dices cook faster).
  2. While the potatoes cook, heat a large (10-12 inch) non-stick skillet over medium high heat with the olive oil.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Let it saute for 1 minute, then add the spinach.
  4. Turn the spinach frequently. It is finished when it wilts completely. Remove from the heat.
  5. When the potatoes of cooked, drain and place potatoes in a deep bowl.
  6. With an electric mixer, whip the potatoes. Add the yogurt and bacon bits.  Mix well.
  7. Stir in the spinach and serve.

Nutritional data:
Calories:      93
Fat:            1.6g
Sat fat:       0.5g
Chol:         1.7mg
Sodium:      88mg
Carbs:        17g
Fiber:        1.6g
Protein:     4.7g

Roasted Vegetables:
Choose your preferred veggies (I used fresh crimini mushrooms, bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, and onions.)
Wash all veggies, and lay in a 9×13 pan. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil evenly. Sprinkle with your favorite herbs and spices.
Roast at 450 for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Nutritional data will vary with your veggies choices. Other options include adding baby carrots, zucchini, butternut squash cubes, potato cubes, cherry tomatoes, whole garlic cloves.

Roast Beef:

Let the roast rest at room temperature for 1-2 hours. Season it as you prefer.
Preheat oven to 325.
Place the roast in a pan.
Bake uncovered, 30 minutes per pound (for medium) or until an instant read thermometer reads 150.

Take it out of the oven, and cover loosely with foil. The roast will continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Somali Bizbaz Sauce

I found this recipe while listening to a podcast of American Public Radio’s The Splendid Table, and made a few minor changes to suit my personal tastes. This is based on a common Somali condiment.  It is creamy with a sharp garlic bite and some nice heat to back it up. Excellent as a spread on meat. (Be prepared to need breath freshener!)

Somali Bizbaz Sauce
Serves 12 (1 tablespoon portion)

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 cup (tightly packed) fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 – 1 jalapeno chile (depending on how spicy you want this)

1. Combine all in a food processor. Process until well mixed. The cilantro will be coarsely chopped.

That’s it. How simple is that?  Serve on fish, chicken, vegetables, pork, eggs–just about anything!

Nutritional data (per tablespoon):
Calories:        9
Fat:                0g
Sat fat:           0g
Chol:             0mg
Sodium:         5mg
Carbs:         0.9g
Fiber:             0g
Protein:       1.3g

You can make this spicier by using more jalapeno or different chiles, such as a serrano or habanero.
This is how I used it last night, on grilled salmon, zucchini-potato pancakes and fresh pomegranate.