I just had my baby Samuel two weeks ago today and it has been a whirlwind for my husband and I taking care of a newborn and a 3 year old little princess.  I admit that throughout my first pregnancy I was very health conscience of what I ate and my nutritional intake. This pregnancy was the complete opposite. Whatever fast food I could get my hands on went into my mouth. Biggest addiction was Taco Bell’s chicken burritos. I could have eaten these daily if I didn’t know better. For some reason though, now that he’s here, I find myself cooking better meals and trying to get those much needed vitamins and nutrients that I miss out on during my pregnancy.  Yesterday’s breakfast was a prime example.

First I diced one slice of turkey bacon and sauteed it in a small frying pan until it was crispy. I then added one scrambled egg to the bacon and cooked it until it was no longer runny, adding salt & pepper to taste. I folded the cooked egg in 1/2 and 1/2 again and placed it on some whole wheat toast with a slice of muenster cheese to make a sandwich. The sandwich was certainly tasty but I wanted – no I needed something else to go with it other than my mango peach V-8 splash. I then thought of the perfect accompaniment. I sliced some strawberries, diced some green apples and tossed them into a bowl with some blueberries . Then I topped the fruit with 1/2 of a single serving container of  a Vanilla Creme Yopliat Whips! I needed a crunch so I sprinkled two spoonfuls of Planters NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix over the top of the fruit and yogurt. The mix has dried cranberries, whole almonds, granola clusters, whole pistachios and dried cherries. When I saw the few granola clusters I knew that was the finishing touch. I grabbed my bag of BEAR NAKED FIT® Vanilla Almond Crunch natural granola out of the pantry and sprinkled a little extra on top. And viola,  I had the tasty and nutritious compliment to my egg sandwich that I was looking for.

The taste was so delicious that I thought I could use it again that evening for dessert.  For dinner, I sliced and grilled some Hillshire Farms Beef Polska Kielbasa and cooked up some Zatarain’s red beans and rice. (I know that doesn’t sound very nutrious but I need the calories since I’m feeding a new born. Well that sounds convincing to me.)  I also baked some carrots in a sweet caramel sauce and grilled some onions to go with the sausage.  For the dessert, I made the same dish as that morning but instead of vanilla yogurt I used Chocolate Raspberry Yoplait Delights Parfait.  I added the NUT-rition Digestive Health Mix and the granola but for an added touch I used a micro-plane to grate a Hershey’s kiss over the top and added a sprig of mint for flair.  My husband and daughter dove into dessert first and you know, that’s OK because it was the most nutritious part of the meal.

My sister, Danielle made this up the other night and she said it was AWESOME! The idea is to use up any and all of the veggies in your fridge. Fresh, frozen, canned or even leftovers will work. There is no wrong way to make this! Just remember to add frozen veggies first and canned veggies last.

Serves 12-16

• 2 12-oz pkgs any flavor chicken sausage without casing or casings removed
• 1 cup any kind of onions chopped or 2 leeks cut lengthwise and then sliced on bias
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 cups of any root or squash-like vegetables on hand: celery, carrots, potatoes, yams, green beans, squash, zucchini; slice or cube into small, equal sizes so that they cook in about the the same amount of time
• 2 cups leafy vegetable like kale, cabbage or spinach, chopped
• 1 can beans like red kidney, garbanzo, cannellini or northern beans
• 10 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice such as rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley (If you have very flavorful sausage, you could even skip this ingredient)
• Salt and pepper

Break up chicken sausage with hands or back of spoon and add to large stock pot over medium heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add garlic, onion and celery. Cook until vegetables are slightly tender. Add stock, root/squash vegetables and herbs to pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and squash are almost done (should be able to easily pierce with a fork or knife). Then add leafy vegetables and canned beans. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Ok, made up my own recipe last night and it was FANTASTIC if I do say so myself.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Leftover spiral ham (sliced thinner) or 8 slices thin-sliced deli ham
• 4 slices of Provolone or Swiss (I used provolone b/c I didn’t have swiss)
• 1 cup flavored salad croutons (I used garlic flavored)
• Handful of almonds
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 beaten egg

Cheesy Marsala Mushroom Sauce:

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 8 oz. fresh sliced button mushrooms
• 1-2 tablespoons flour or corn starch
• 1/4 cup marsala wine
• 1 cup milk or half and half
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pound the chicken flat with a mallet between two sheets of cellophane. Put croutons, almonds and parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Lay ham slices on top of each flattened chicken. Add a slice of cheese and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Dredge in egg and roll in crumbs. Place all four chicken breasts on baking sheet coated with cooking spray seam side down. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until no longer pink.

With 10 minutes left on the chicken, heat the oil in a pan on medium high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms and saute until shallots soften (about 2 minutes). Add marsala wine and continue cooking until mushrooms begin to sweat. Add flour or corn starch and stir. Cook for one minute more then add milk a little at time stirring constantly. When combined, stir in  parmesan cheese. Lower heat to medium and cook until thick and bubbly. Remove chicken from oven, plate and pour mushroom sauce over chicken.

This was so good my kids liked it even without the mushroom sauce. You can also make it without the mushrooms, by just using the marsala and cheese. Joe said I could definitely make that again. Great way to use up the leftover Christmas ham! I also made a ham and cheese quiche and ham sandwiches. I still have half a bag of ham left and another whole bag in the freezer! I have ham coming out my ears! LOL

Love you,
Danielle Fenning
Cooking with Brandy’s Sweet Sister!

We visited Disney this summer and during our trip we were able to enjoy a meal at the Crystal Palace. Adam and I worked our way through the beautiful buffet enjoying items such as Moroccan couscous salad, black bean & mango salad, Roasted garlic mashed potatoes, BBQ Pork Tenderloin, Curry Stir Fry Noodles, Citrus Marinated Flank Steak, Wild mushroom & chicken pasta, Cinnamon & lemon basmati rice, Thai curry mussels, Fruit & vegetable tofu curry, Atlantic salmon, Rotisserie chicken, and New England clam chowder. Some of our favorites were the Atlantic Salmon with Cinnamon & Lemon Basmati Rice. While we ate, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore came around to visit the little ones.

When we returned home, I wanted to commemorate a wonderful vacation by recreating the dish. I made the side dish by rinsing one cup of basmati rice a few times until the water was no longer merky. Add the rice to a steel-bottomed pot with two cups of water with a tablespoon of margarine and a pinch of salt, cover and cook over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the water to low and add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and a stick of cinnamon and cover again. Cook the rice for approximately 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the salmon, preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lay out two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil crisscrossed on your work station. Lay one salmon steak inside with skin side down. Season with salt, fresh ground pepper, a tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Pulling up corner to corner, match up the corners and wrap up the aluminum foil making a pouch. Continue this until all the salmon steaks are seasoned and wrapped up in their little purses. Place the little handbags on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

While the salmon and rice are cooking, you can make the pesto. Combine 2/3 cup firmly packed basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.

Layer the cooked rice on the bottom and add the salmon once it is firm to the touch. I removed the skin from mine before I served it. Top the salmon with pesto and add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a little lemon zest for garnish.

My dish may not have been Disney specific but I am sure that Mickey and Minnie wouldn’t mind nibbling off my plate.

One of my co-workers gave me a recipe last week for French Tarragon Burgers.  The recipe is from Taste of Home which has fantastic recipes in their magazines and online.  I tried it out Wednesday night and loved it. I only made four burgers but I made the full amount of mayonnaise mixture so I still had a bunch left after dinner.  I didn’t want it to go to waste so I used it on some sandwiches that gave it some flavorful zing.  Definitely give it a try if you want to change up your typical burger tonight.

On Monday, I chose to make the Meaty Quesadillas and Perfect Guacamole from the May 2010 issue of Food Network magazine.  I made the 30-minute Meaty Quesadillas recipe with lean ground beef and only used a few alternative ingredients.  I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I just used the generic chili powder.  I also used the Mexican blend shredded cheese instead of muenster or Monterey jack cheese.  Zoey LOVED the taco meat mixture and shoveled it in as fast as possible. If the recipe can entice my picky 21 month old to eat, I’m sold! 

I wanted an all around Mexican meal so I also made the Perfect Guacamole recipe from the same issue of FNM.  I am a fan of spicy but my tummy is not so I left out the Serrano chiles.  I used roma tomatoes and fresh cilantro to finish out the recipe.  It turned out creamy and light with a little kick at the end.  I made store-bought cheese dip and refried beans from a can as sides.  I also made some of my own Mexican rice.  I brought 2 cups of water to a boil.  I added 1 cup of white rice, 3 tablespoons of my favorite salsa, a 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of salt.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes and you have a tasty side dish for you favorite Mexican meal.

Both of these recipes were simple to make and wonderfully delicious.  The guacamole recipe has three additional recipes, Spicy Papaya Guacamole, Southwest Corn Guacamole and Creamy Tomatillo Guacamole.  I am looking forward to trying these later. 

While I was making the Fast & Easy Lemon Chicken last night, I decided we needed a succulent vegetable to accompany the savory lemon sauce and I thought baby spinach would be a good pairing.  However, while watching The Next Iron Chef on Food Network a few weeks ago I heard Jeffrey Steingarten mention that raw spinach does not have nearly the nutrition value that cooked spinach does. This intrigued me since I enjoy a spinach salad a couple times a week over traditional lettuce.  I knew that spinach was high in fiber and great for your eyes but I wanted to know more.  I called Popeye but he wasn’t unavailable so I plundered through the world wide web instead.

I did little research on NutritionalData.com and found that when comparing 1 cup of raw spinach to 1 cup of cooked spinach with no salt added the nutritional value of the cooked spinach is significantly higher. For instance, the Vitamin A in uncooked spinach is around 56% compared to the 377% in cooked spinach. Both versions are low in saturated fat and very low in Cholesterol.  That is not to negate the nutritional values of eating spinach raw.  It contains high quantities of vitamin C and other phytonutrients (nutrients that fight against disease). The Healthy Foodie,  Doug DiPasquale stated on the website ThatsFit that “raw spinach contains a substance which blocks the absorption of many minerals, including iodine, a mineral critical to the proper functioning of the thyroid. It also contains oxalic acid, a substance that interferes with the absorption of calcium, but which is destroyed in cooking. Raw spinach should therefore be avoided by those with thyroid issues, or those at high risk for osteoporosis, and should only be enjoyed on occasion by the rest of us (one spinach salad per week shouldn’t be an issue).”

Now – on to the nom, nom food.  This recipe combines the flavors of spinach and carrots with a dash of lemon zest that will help break down the iron for easier absorption into the body.  The pecans and bacon are just added flare.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of pecans
• 2 tbsp. crumbled bacon pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Using a potato peeler, shave the carrot into thin, one-inch long pieces.  Zest the lemon to make 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, warm the pecans for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Remove pecans from pan and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the shredded carrot and the spinach leaves along with a dash of salt and pepper.  Toss spinach and carrots in pan until the spinach leaves are wilted and the shredded carrots are just al dente. Remove from heat and add the lemon zest and the crumbled bacon and toss to incorporate.  Plate and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

This recipe is something my mom has been making since I was a little girl.  She says she got the recipe off the back of the box.  It is really simple and delicious.  I make it whenever I have a summer picnic that I need to bring a quick dish.  It is better when it is made the night before or at least a few hours in advance so that the flavors can really permeate the dish.  Also, be sure not to leave it out too long, as it does have mayo in it.

• 8 oz shell pasta (I don’t know why but shell pasta makes this taste fabulous, no substitutes)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• 1 Roma tomato diced
• 1 cup celery finely diced
• 3 tbsp green pepper finely diced
• 3 tbsp pimentos (optional but I never use it)
• Celery leaf tops and radish rose for garnish (optional – if your entertaining)

NOW, follow these instructions very closely:

1. Cook pasta
2. Cut veggies
3. Cool pasta
4. Mix all ingredients
5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours
6. Eat it. Like It. Smile accordingly.

DON’T COMPLICATE IT! IT IS PERFECT THIS WAY. TRUST ME.

My sister, Danielle, created this simple but elegant mushroom dish.  She loved it so much that she immediately picked up the phone to share it with me and the readers of Cooking with Brandy. The recipe serves 2-3 people.

• 12 large white button mushrooms (stems removed and dirt wiped off)
• 12 slices of brie cheese from a 1 ½ inch round log (1/4” slices)
• 12 small basil leaves
• 3 tbsp of melted butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400°. Take two large pieces of aluminum foil and turn up the edges to form two shallow bowl. Place mushrooms in foil bowls with tops down. Top with brie slice and basil leaf. Drizzle butter over mushrooms and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake in over for 5-10 minutes until brie starts to melt and mushrooms firm, dark and juicy.

Dani

www.danielledesigns.com