Funeral Potatoes - Healthified ... Mostly

Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

  If you are not from the Northwest, then you have probably never heard of Funeral Potatoes.  If that is the case, I am truly sorry. You have been denied the ultimate comfort food for far too long.  Funeral potatoes, or at least the name, probably originated in Utah. An organization called the Relief Society made it famous.  This organization, which just happens to be the largest service based womens organization in the world, is often called upon to bring meals to a funeral for the family of the deceased.  One of the standard dishes is a cheesey potato casserole that is like heaven in your mouth.

Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

Funeral potatoes are made of bakers (Idaho talk for really large russets), which are shredded.  The potatoes are mixed with a little meat, usually ham, and lots of butter, sour cream, cheese and more butter.  Have I mentioned that they are like heaven in your mouth? MMMMnnnnnnnn.  Anyway, they are served at Northwest funerals so much that they earned the name Funeral Potatoes.  You learn something new every day.

The thing about Funeral Potatoes is that diabetics and anyone watching their weight or fat intake is also denied this little bit of heaven in the mouth.  (I just noticed the irony of Funeral Potatoes tasting like Heaven in your mouth. . . never mind.) Anyway, a sane person does not eat Funeral Potatoes on a regular basis, and a diabetic, just doesn't eat them.  However, I LOVE them and I WANT to eat them.  I really really want to eat them.  So I thought about how I could do this without feeling guilty.

Now I'm not saying that these potatoes should be part of your weekly meal rotation.  These are still fairly decadent.  However, for a special occasion, at least you could enjoy a serving. And I mean really enjoy it, because after all, it is potatoes, yams and carrots.  And it is lower in cheese, sour cream, butter and condensed soup than the original.  It's still creamy and satisfying.  It is still comforting.  It should not shoot your blood sugar levels to the moon, faster than a moon pie, and I promise, the original will.

If you are not diabetic, I highly recommend that you try real Funeral Potatoes at least once in your life.  But if you do, you will want them again.  But if you want them more than once a year, you might try this version and grab a bit more vitamin A for your trouble.  :)


Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

2 large bakers - Idaho Russets
1 large Yam
2 medium carrots
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 C. diced ham OR 2-3 strips bacon, crumbled OR 2-3 strips turkey bacon, crumbled
1 can cream of whatever soup (I used chicken)
2/3 C. Sour Cream OR Greek Yogurt
1/2 C. Low Fat (or not) Cottage Cheese
2/3 C. Swiss Cheese
1/2-2/3 C. Cheddar Cheese
1/4 C. Butter
Salt
White Pepper
Your favorite spices - I used garlic salt, and Old Bay


Peel and grate the russets.  Take a clean kitchen cloth and spread on counter.  Put the grated potatoes on the cloth and wrap it up.  *Over the sink, wring the cloth out and squeeze out all the excess water.  Repeat with the Yam.  Place in a bowl. Grate carrot and place in the same bowl. Add the onion.  Mix.

Take about 1/3 of this mixture and set aside.  I made some yummy hash browns.  You could probably use 1 large and 1 small russet and then you wouldn't have any excess, but I liked the hash browns and I liked the orange to white ratio for appearance and taste.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture still in the bowl.  Stir well and place in a greased 9X13 pan.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil (add a little cheese on top if desired) and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes.


*If you choose not to squeeze the juice out of your veggies, you will get a creamier sauce.  However, the few that you remove for other uses need to be squeezed if you are going to make them into hash browns like I did.  Removing the moisture is what allows them to crisp up.

Potato, yam and carrot hash-browns.

**In case you were wondering.  I added salt, pepper and Old Bay, along with onion to the yam and potato mixture and I threw them on a waffle iron that had been sprayed with cooking spray.  I cooked for about 10 minutes and they were golden.  Tasted great.  The hardest part was getting them off the iron.  But a little patience and grabbing from the center with a fork and it all worked out.  :)

Chicken and Quinoa Soup

 I'm experimenting with Quinoa.  It's tasty stuff and pretty simple to work with.  No more difficult than rice, you just have to make sure to rinse it for 2 min. before you cook it.  Easy enough. 

I thought this soup was really tasty.  It's packed with veggies and makes a nice snack in the middle of the day.  Quinoa doesn't really have a flavor.  It seems to take on the flavor of the soup.

I'm getting brave enough to use quinoa in other ways.  I think I might try a cheese sauce for a "quinoa mac and cheese."  I've even seen recipes for quinoa chocolate cake.  It may take me a while to get that brave.  :)



 I think you could easily throw in some squash or pumpkin or zucchini or even parsnips and peas.  I wonder if you could can this, for easy winter meals, using the veggies from your summer garden?  Something to think about.  A nice effortless soup dinner without the extra preservatives and chemicals used by commercial soup companies.  If I wasn't a brown thumb I think I would attempt it.  But honestly, if I ever manage to grow anything more than hopes and dreams in my vegetable garden, I may have to bronze the produce to prove I did it.  :0

Let me know what you are experimenting with.  I'd love to hear your adventures in cooking.  :)

 

Chicken and Quinoa Soup

• 1 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast,  
• 1 15oz can Canned Diced Tomatoes, (I used one with Green chilis on accident and it was great.)
• Green Beans, drained, .5 cup (I had some left over and threw them in.  Add the whole can and it will be great also,)
• Carrot - chopped, 1 cup (one large)
• Celery, raw, 1 stalk, large 
• 1/2 med yellow onion, 
• 1/2 large Yellow Bell Pepper, 
• 3-4 cups Water, (start with 3 and add more if needed)
• 1 cup cooked Quinoa 
• 1/2 cup Broccoli, fresh,, chopped or diced 
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp white garlic
• 1 tsp salt

Add the water, (3 cups), chicken and onions and bring to a boil.  While that is cooking chop all your veggies.  Feel free to add any extra veggies.  It will taste yummy.  Remove the chicken to a cutting board.  Add all ingredients to the water, except quinoa.  Dice the chicken and add back to the soup.  Bring to a boil and turn down heat to low.  Add quinoa. Allow to simmer for at least 30 min.  

According to this recipe calculator http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp the soup is only 76 calories per serving.  (It makes about 9).  That is a low cal meal people!  So go ahead and add a nice crusty loaf of bread.  This is a yummy, easy and low calorie soup!

Feijoada (Brazilian Black Bean Stew)

 My husband lived in Brazil for two years, while serving a mission for our church. He came home blond, tan (well more red, but a tan red), and devastatingly handsome.  I fell for him within moments of our first meeting.  But that is another story.  While he was in Brazil, he ate beans and rice nearly every day.  He never got tired of them.  Absolutely loves them.  I have been trying to recreate the most common type of beans since we got married. 

I'll never be able to completely recreate them.  In Brazil they use chicken feet and pigs ears and all sorts of meats that, I'm sorry, I can't ask the butcher to give me.  Even if I could, yeah, I wouldn't.  I can't get past the gross factor.  So I do not make Feijoada the exact way that you will have it if you go to Brazil and eat it.  However, I do make a very close facsimile.  Trust me, it's yummy.

I use a few beef short ribs, a nice ham hock and sometimes a chicken breast.  Or pork meat, or whatever I have on hand.  That's the point.  Just use up the meats that you have and enjoy.  I also like avocado on my feijoada- which I don't think you would find in Brazil.  The avocados that my husband ate in Brazil were sweet and usually served in a milkshake.  So if anyone tries this recipe who is Brazilian, or who has lived in Brazil recently, please comment and let us know how I did.  My husband?  He thinks this is the bomb!  :)

So Feijoada is pronounced [fay ge wah dah} The accent is on the first syllable I think. That's how I say it any way.  It is a very versatile stew.  I make it in my crock pot, but I think the Brazilians usually use a pressure cooker.  I don't think it matters which method you choose, but my instructions are for the crock pot.

Feijoada

1 lb. dry black beans
1 ham hock
2 beef short ribs
1 chicken breast (I left this out of this batch as the ham hock had a ton of meat.)
2 beef bouillon cubes
2-3 cups of water
1 can diced tomatoes (15 oz) -- [optional]
2-3 peeled and sliced carrots. (I use 3 because I want the extra veggies)
1 small or 1/2 large onion (white or yellow)
2 large celery stalks, washed and diced
3/4 tsp. white pepper
4-5 shakes of your favorite seasoning salt (I use Lawry's)
1 tsp. minced garlic, or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coriander (optional but yummy)
1/2 tsp cumin

Rinse and soak your beans overnight. -- you must do this unless you are going to pressure cook them.  In the morning, drain and rinse your beans.  Add to the crock pot.  Add all other ingredients and turn it on for 8-10 hours.

Serve over brown rice. 

Can you imagine an easier recipe?  Just dump and go! 

A few Caveats--
1) I don't cook with a ton of salt. ham is salty, so I don't add a lot extra.  My husband added more when I served it.  You may need to adjust to your tastes.
2) Slow cookers are different.  Yours may take more or  less time.  The first time you make it, you will want to test it after 6 hours.  If the beans get too soft, you will be serving re-fried beans.  ;)
3) Like most of my recipes, this makes a LOT.  I think you could halve the recipe, but you will kick yourself if you do.  Left overs can be stuffed in enchiladas, (which I did last night and will post soon.) or quesadillas.  And really, the left overs are yummy with bread on day 2 and 3 and . . .     :) You get the idea.

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Alfredo

Have you seen all of the recipes for cauliflower Alfredo sauce?  Have you thought it sounded gross?  Have you wondered if it was good?  Me too.

 This is the 2nd time I've made an Alfredo using cauliflower.  This is the 2nd time my kids have eaten it and thought it was the greatest pasta ever.  My kids HATE cauliflower!  So, yes, it is good.  Yes, it works. And yes, you should make it.  But I warn you, you will not like restaurant Alfredo any more.  You will look at the grease as it separates from the cheese and taste the blandness and you will be disappointed.  You will want the cauliflower Alfredo. 

This stuff reheats like a dream.  There is no separation.  This freezes and reheats.  It covers pasta, pizza crust, and can be used as a fondue of sorts for your favorite veggies.  It is creamy, and cheesy and really tastes better than it's 1100 calorie counterpart.  And the best part- it is easy! 

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Alfredo

1 head Cauliflower
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 8oz package of  neufchatel cheese (you can use cream cheese but this has 1/3 the calories and the same flavor)
2 slices Swiss Cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Onion
1 Tsp. minced garlic
1-2 Tbl. Olive Oil
dash nutmeg
1 tsp. parsley
2 dashes Thyme
1/2 tsp white pepper (optional)

Clean and cut the cauliflower.  Then boil it in the water and bouillon cubes until soft. Carefully add to blender and starting on the lowest setting blend until smooth.  Set aside.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.  When just starting to turn translucent, add to blender and blend.  Return mixture to pan and heat on medium low.  Add the Swiss and Parmesan cheeses and stir until melted.  Add the nutmeg, parsley and thyme. (Pepper also if you are using it.)

Serve over whole wheat pasta.

How easy is that?  Let me know what you think of it.

Very Veggie Lasagna Casserole- And your kids will love it!

This is good stuff.  This is three helpings good.  This is healthy! But don't tell my kids.

This is my Very Veggie Lasagna Casserole.  Seriously, this stuff is loaded with yummy vegetables that my kids normally won't eat.  In fact, it has a veggie in it that I won't eat! As in, it makes me gag to think about eating it.  It took faith to add spinach to this. I hate cooked spinach. H-a-t-e! Would rather do laundry kind of hate. I had two helpings of this, my boys had three each.  And my little princess, who won't eat anything?  Oh, she happily scarfed it down.  Even the baby liked her ground up portion.  The husband had two helpings.  I'm telling you, it's good!

Guess what's in it?  Never mind.  I'll tell you.  :)  I'm generous like that.

Spinach, carrots, zucchini! Can you believe that?  My family ate zucchini and loved it!  I'm seriously doing the happy dance.

So you may remember an earlier post where I told you how to sneak carrots into your ground beef.  If not, you can find that here. That is how I got the carrots in.  The rest- easy peasy.  But no peas.  They wouldn't work in this one.  :)

Very Veggie Lasagna Casserole
1/2 of the meat mixture (found here)
OR
1 lb meat (shred 2 carrots into the meat while it cooks and add 1/2 large onion) cooked and drained.
2 cups of your favorite marinara, spaghetti sauce or even pizza sauce.
        (I used left over home made pizza sauce)
2 cups water with 2 beef bouillon cubes, or 2 cups beef stock
1/2 of a 13.25 oz box of whole wheat penne pasta (I used Barilla)
6 oz Cream Cheese
3/4 C. Cottage Cheese
1 10oz pkg of frozen spinach
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 slice swiss cheese (this is how I keep the amount of cheese down. - strong flavor but very little)
1 C. low fat mozzarella cheese divided

 Put the first 4 ingredients in a 4 quart stock pot.  Bring to a boil and turn down the heat to medium low.  While doing that warm up your cream cheese in the microwave so it's very soft.  Stir it until it is very creamy.  I added some basil and oregano to the cream cheese along with some chili powder because my homemade sauce was too bland for my tastes.  But if you are using a commercial spaghetti or marinara sauce, you don't need to do that. Add the cream cheese to the pot along with the cottage cheese and zucchini.  Cover for 5 min.  Now I recommend that you thaw the spinach first, but I didn't remember, so I ran a little hot water over it to remove any ice crystals and tossed it in the pot.  Cook for another 10 min stirring occasionally.  Just before serving add your slice of Swiss and 3/4 C. of mozzarella cheese. Stir in, allowing to melt.  When everything looks creamy pour into your serving dish and top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.  Serve.  YUM!

Healthier Salmon Croquettes Anytime

A strange thing happened.  I had left over salmon and a left over baked potato in my fridge on the same day.  These are two items that I don't usually have as left overs, let alone at the same time.  I got an idea!  Generally I would feed the left over salmon to the dog.  I know- really expensive meat to feed to a dog, but it usually tastes and smells too 'fishy' for me after the initial meal.  But this fillet was really fresh and it didn't smell or taste funny and there was a lot of it left.  So I decided to make croquettes.

Croquettes are little fish patties that are breaded and fried and greasy and wonderful.  They are not diet friendly, even if it is fish. Additionally, they are usually made with mayonnaise and and cracker or bread crumbs.  I thought I could do a bit better, so I nixed the mayo, opting for Greek yogurt instead.  I ground up a nice big carrot and cut up my left over potato and added a smidgen of panko.  I also added green onion, and celery.  Then I decided to bake them instead of fry them.

Yummy- and my house doesn't smell like grease.  Bonus! Anyway, you try them and tell me what you think.  I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. :)

Patties:
1 Salmon fillet, cooked. or (I would guess) 2 cans of canned salmon - but fresh will give better texture.
1 potato baked, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, run through a food processor to get a very fine dice
1 celery 
2 green onions
2-3 tbl. of Panko, or bread crumbs, or smashed crackers
1 egg
1 Tbl. Old Bay (I love this stuff. I put it on everything.)
2 Tbl fresh parsley or 1/2 to 1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp white pepper
2 shakes of cayenne (If you like it hot, go ahead and add more. I was looking for flavor, not heat.)
1 container of plain Greek yogurt (6 oz) 
1 Tbl. lemon juice
(Breading will follow)

Put all ingredients in a gallon sized zip sealed bag and mush it up. You can put it in your mixer and use a paddle attachment to get a very fine texture, but I like my meat chunky.  Mush it until incorporated and it will form a ball.  If it is too loose add some more lemon juice and yogurt.  If it's too wet, you can add more Panko.

Form the mixture into 1/8 cup sized balls, (a little bigger than a walnut).  Flatten but don't smash. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.

Breading:

2 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 package of  panko crumbs
either 1/2 package of a commercially produced fry mix
or
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper and cayenne ( you can also add a little cornmeal)

Combine the eggs and water and whisk. In a separate bowl combine your flour and panko.
Take each salmon patty and dip first in the egg wash and then in the flour.  I like to use one hand to do the wet, and one to do the dry, so that I don't end up with a gummy flour mess.  Return the patties to the cookie sheet as you go.

I froze most of the patties at this point, so I could have some quick meals in the future.  But even if you don't plan on doing that, put them back in the freezer for another 20 min. You don't have to do this step, but it is easier.

When you are ready, spray some cooking oil on a baking sheet and place your patties on the sheet.  Then spray the patties with some of the cooking oil. 

Bake at 425 for 20-24 min., turning once at about 16 minutes.

Fresh Spring Rolls

I love Pad Thai Fresh Rolls.  They are Ah-Mazing!  They are also really diet friendly.  I like diet friendly.  You get to eat a lot of food for not too many calories.  It's a definite win.  They don't make fantastic left-overs, so if you make them, you should plan to eat them, or just know that tomorrow they will be good- but not great.  They aren't difficult to make, but they do take some time.  If you have a spouse that likes to spend time with you in the kitchen- or you are looking for a good date idea, these would be fun to make together. :)

I'm going to give an ingredient list, but you put in what you like.  These are adaptable to suit your tastes.

Fresh Rolls
1 pkg. rice paper wrappers (look in the Asian foods section of your local grocer)
1 pkg of mung bean noodles (these are dry in the Asian foods section)
2 carrots peeled and julienne cut
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and julienne cut
4-5 large leaves of lettuce Chopped (try romaine)
4-5 pieces of cooked bacon, cut in half and then sliced into thin strips
1 green onion
1 small bunch cilantro or mint leaves
1 avocado

Sauce
2-3 Tbl. Rice vinegar
2-3 Tbl. Sesame Oil

1 Tbl. Soy Sauce
1 Heaping Tbl. Peanut butter
2 tsp. honey
1 Tbl. brown sugar
1 Tbl. minced garlic
dash of red pepper flakes

Method

Place the bean noodle in a bowl of cold water for 10 min.  Then drain and transfer to a bowl of hot water for 4-5 minutes, Drain.  (I do the soaking while I'm chopping my veggies.)

Line up all your ingredients on the counter assembly style.

Place hot water in a bowl.  Next to that place 2 paper towels.  Take your rice papers out of the package.  Take the first paper and dip it into the bowl of water.  Don't wait for it to get soft.  If you do, it will break when you try to fill it.  Just dip it in and set it on the paper towels.  Now place a few pieces of mint or cilantro on the bottom 1/3 of the paper.  Add some carrots, cucumber,  bacon, onion, and the noodles. Now you add the  lettuce and the avocado.  Fold each side in and then roll the paper around the ingredients.  (Think of wrapping a burrito).

Set on a plate and do the next one.  You can really only do one at a time, because you don't want wet rice paper waiting around for you.  It would get too soft.  This recipe should make about 12, so that is four servings.

For the sauce:
Just combine all the ingredients and wisk.  Taste it.  If you need more sweet add sugar or honey.  If you need more salt, add soy sauce.  You can use fish sauce, but I don't usually have that on hand.  :)

For fun you can crush some peanuts to serve with the rolls.  You dip first in the sauce, then in the peanuts.  It's super yummy.  :)

Taco Salad Too

 

I know that I have already posted my favorite Taco Salad recipe, but I thought I would add another that I also enjoy.  

Taco Salad
1lb. ground beef (Or Turkey or chicken- whatever makes you happy)
1/2 fajita seasoning packet
1/2 ranch seasoning packet
2 Tbl. Ketchup (I know, back with the ketchup, but this is a kid friendly recipe)

Cook your meat till it's all nice and brown. Drain. Add 2/3 cup water and the seasoning packets and ketchup. Cook until the liquid has reduced. Set aside.

Shred a head of Romain Lettuce and place in bowl. Add any of the following:

Tomato
Black Beans/kidney beans
green onions
1 c. cheddar cheese
1/2 c. pepper jack cheese
1 can corn, cooked and cooled
1 avocado

I also added some "Mexican" rice. Meaning, I had cooked rice in the fridge, so I added some salsa to it and heated it up and added it. Honestly delicious.

I also had pity on my family. I took 1 bag (the size you put in sack lunches) of Doritos. I crushed them and added to the salad. I mean the small bag- the really small bag. This is supposed to be healthy but easing a family into it is easier than all that change at once. ;)

Mix it all up and serve. Makes a delicious salad, and not delicious leftovers, so if you want left overs, keep everything separate and allow people to load their plates buffet style. :)

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts
your favorite Asian marinade. I used Yoshida's Sweet and Savory
Marinade for 24 hrs. Don't skip this step!

After 24 hrs. cut into bite sized pieces and cook on the stove top.
toward the end of the chicken cooking, I added water chestnuts. I am not sure if they should be eaten straight out of the can, so I cooked them.

While the chicken is cooking I put some Olive oil (I have also used wok oil and it is yummy) in a pan and heat it. Then I throw in some raw almonds. (By some, I mean 3 1/2 of my handfuls. I have small hands. That is the best measurement I can give you.)

I sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and pepper and a few dashes of paprika. You might be able to skip the paprika. I like it. I cook until golden and shiny. (Okay, I taste one.)

When done, set aside.

Dressing: (I realize the quantities aren't precise- but the fact that I remember them all is a miracle, so go with it.) :)

about 1/4 cup rice vinegar (this is the most important ingredient and no other vinegar will work)
about 3 Tb. soy sauce
about 2 Tb. Honey
1 tsp ginger (or less)
You can add some orange juice, I'd say 2-3 Tb.

Wisk together and set aside.

When ready to eat lay your lettuce in a bowl, add all the yummy veggies that you want, carrots, snow peas (okay I hate snow peas, but Seth likes them) green onions etc. Peel and slice oranges and lay on top and then add your almonds. Now put your meat over the top, (and your water chestnuts obviously). Give your dressing another quick wisk and drizzle over the top.

Delish. 

I also serve with some chow mein noodles, because everyone seems to like that. :)

Cheeseburger Salad

Cheeseburger-Salad

A fun recipe for you.  I have some friends who have tried it, and their boys now ask for it.  Yup!  That's boys asking for salad.  I'm telling you, this is good stuff, and sooooo easy!

Seriously, this is more a guide than a recipe. Its sort of 'a little of this, a little of that' in nature. I'll tell you how I did it, and you can make it work for your family. :)

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 small or 1/2 large yellow or white onion
cook together in a frying pan

When the meat is done add:
About 3 Tbl. Ketchup
about 1 Tbl. Mustard (yellow prepared mustard, just the plain stuff)
about 1 1/2 tsp pickle juice (Dill)
Cook and stir and taste. If it needs more of anything add it. don't get it too wet though.

To your lettuce add:
3-4 pickles chopped
1 large tomato chopped
1 avocado chopped (I LOVE avocados! I use them for everything!)

Put your hamburger (or turkey) mixture on top. Add about 2 cups of Med. cheddar cheese grated.

You can serve with some home-made croutons.

I served with Ketchup on top, but you can use thousand Island or Ranch or nothing. The meat has plenty of flavor. I actually think some french fries or potato chips would be tasty, but I am not advocating it. lol.

Cheeseburger-Salad