Chefk's Foodie Blog

[smay]

Sounds like you are going great! I hope you can smash that plateau of yours to pieces.

[chefk]

Hi Susan!! Thanks. 188 again...

[SBMike]

"Oh, if you're not eating pasta, swap out the squash for artichoke hearts and use the squash instead shaved (like with a veggie peeler) and steamed as your pasta. I either do that or just a bed of spinach when I'm skipping the starches"


Great idea, great looking food, and excellent photo work! Thanks.

[SharleyBloom]

ooOOOoooooOOOO! That looks amazing! I love veggies that way! Thanks for the reminder! My "pasta" of choice is spaghetti squash... its yummy AND fun to do!

Shelley/Sharley/Michelle/Mom/assorted others.... "Sharley" was my roleplaying name, so when I came onto the boards, I just sorta signed in with it before I was sure I was ready to open up to all y'all. Michelle is my given name, but was always called Shelley growing up. When I got my first adult job, I decided I'd be Michelle. Well, why not? And I thought that was that. Until I got a job with a family member who has always known me as Shelley. Then I was doing double duty. Finished that job and went back to Michelle. Moved to Iowa and was still Michelle or Grammy, right up until I got my job here.. and there was another Michele. Everyone said don't worry about it, she only has ONE L... she and I knew instantly that wasn't going to work. Works on paper, but not orally. So, again with the Shelley. In the end, who cares? LOL As long as you speak and I listen, it's all good.

We also do the marathon "thing". It's a great way to kill a boring Saturday and bond with the dd. I like the instant gratification idea of not waiting until next week to see the next part! Maybe this weekend we'll do both, marathon AND your recipe! Thanks for sharing and most of all, the pics!

[Chris55]

So great to see you back and whipping up delicious dishes, Cheffie!!

[chefk]

Mushroom Stroganoff- recipe to come...

[bethy]

Ow! bumped my nose on the screen, I can almost taste it!

[chefk]

This is a richly decadent dish with a fraction of the calories of the traditional version. Pair it with a fun salad. I did a warm asparagus salad since my asparagus is coming up. I even threw a couple stalks into the stroganoff. (sliced thin and boiled with my pasta in the last minute)
extra virgin olive oil
1lg onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz crimini mushrooms
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 tsp parsley
1/2 lb thin sliced lean sirloin
1 C ff plain Greek yogurt
chives
ww pasta and a veggie like asparagus if you want to toss in. optional...

This is completely awesome over cauliflower mash or well steamed cauliflower if you're skipping pasta.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet, meanwhile heat pasta water or prep your "pasta bedding" or alternative
Add mushrooms and spices when the onions become soft to brown, remove veggies to your serving bowl for now and brown the meat. Add back in the veggies and toss with yogurt. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Finish with fresh chives and s&p.

Normally stroganoff is made with tons of butter, flour and sour cream. I find Greek yogurt has the perfect tang for all sour cream dishes and it's thick enough not to have to add flour. You miss nothing swapping the olive oil in for butter.

[SBMike]

This sounds AWESOME. Tell me, does the mushroom flavor permeate, or is it "self contained"? I ask because I love the flavor of all shrooms, Wyfe not so much. If the flavor ends up dominant, I might add them after the meat is browned so they're softened but late enough that they'd not flavor the onion and meat. Either way, this is a definite item on my menu next week.

[chefk]

Just brown them then and take them out. The steak and sauce is what needs to cook for the extra 1-2...then add them to your dish only.

[SharleyBloom]

I just LOVE how you always adjust the recipes for P1 (Me!) Think I can use ff sour cream, or would that be cheating!? (because that's what I have in the house!)
Thank you for sharing! Looks most delicious!

[bethy]

JUST when I swore I wasn't going back to the store for Any reason. I have everything I need to make this except the Mushrooms. (I also need to amend my complaint about no good produce in Eastern Pennsylvania. There are GREAT mushrooms here. I've seen huge mushroom houses just across the Pennsylvania line from where my Dad lives in Delaware. It's the Mushroom Capitol of the World! Right next door to the Wyeth capitol of the world.) I saw beautiful creminis today. Dang it. I'm going back to the store. Thanks so much for this recipe. I already use greek yogurt for sour cream in Everything, but I would Never Never have thought of putting stroganoff on cauliflower. I haven't had stroganoff for years and I LOVE it.

[chefk]

While nonfat Greek yogurt has just 130 calories per cup, no fat, 9 g carbohydrates, 9 g sugar and 23 g protein, 1 cup of the full-fat type has 300 calories, 23 g fat, 7 g carbohydrates, 7 g sugar and only 15 g protein. A cup of sour cream is still far richer, however, with 445 calories and 45 g of fat but just 5 g protein, 6.5 g carbohydrates and 8 g sugar. Reduced-fat sour cream has a slightly more positive nutritional profile, with 325 calories, 7 g protein, 29 g fat, 10 g carbohydrates and 0.5 g sugar per cup; and a cup of fat-free sour cream has 175 calories, 7 g protein, no fat, 36 g carbohydrates and 1 g sugar. While full-fat sour cream has 120 mg cholesterol per cup, Greek yogurt has none

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/52663 ... z1sgSykQaN

My main concerns are cholesterol that's why I originally switched when I was doing lf, but you can adjust the recipe how you like. I don't think ff sour cream is horrible. The difference seems small. In fact Mountain High makes just plain ff yogurt in really big containers so it's cheap and I use it ALL the time.It I want a "loose" cream I use it as is. If I want a Greek yogurt consistency, I strain it through a cheese cloth like say for tzatziki sauce.

Bethy- Go get some!

[SharleyBloom]

I think this could be yummy over a lean pork chop type thing. I think mostly my mouth just wants to taste the sauce!

[chefk]

Rainbow Tomato Salad with Cucumbers and Olives
3 cups mixed color tomatoes. I used Brown (Kumato), yellow cherries, red cherries and pink early girl
1 Cucumber peeling in stripes and cut in half moons
1 can black olives or use Kalamatas for more kick
2 tsp ev olive oil
2 tsp red wine vinegar
S&P 1 1/2 tsp fresh herbs (I used thyme and basil)
Mix and chill while you prep the rest of your meal.

Juicy Lucy Turkey Burgers
1 pack extra lean turkey
S&P, 1 tsp fresh herb (I used thyme) 1/2 tsp hot paprika
mix
Fold 3 slices of lf melting cheese like munster or jack into 1" squares, divide cheese stacks into 4
Take some turkey and create a thin layer around the cheese cubes, then add the rest around those to form patties. The process helps seal the cheese.
Pan fry in a drizzle of olive oil until completely cooked through. You can cover and leave on low for a bit if you are unsure.
Serve on large romaine leaves or ww buns. Top with a pretty color tomato and dijon mustard.