adventures in the galley

Here's a twist on the classic caprese salad. I don't like tomatoes unless they are beaten into submission (i.e., pureed) so this is sans tomatoes and the protein is revved up with some chicken. A classic caprese is alternated slices of fresh mozzarella, fresh roma tomatoes, and basil leaves, and then the whole thing is drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Here I made a pile of chopped grilled chicken (which had been marinated for a few days in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper) (5 oz is about 170 calories, I think I just put about 3 oz here), then I added two ounces of fresh mozzarella (170 calories), chopped fresh basil (the calories are so negligible they don't really matter), drizzled it with a tablespoon olive oil (120 calories), and then with a tablespoon of balsamic vinger (10 calories). I topped it off with fresh ground pepper and a bit of pink Himalayan salt. Yum!

Next up in making my grilled chicken multitask, chicken with Italian sausage, gemelli, and broccoli. I made four servings using one mild sweet Italian sausage, (that and the chicken both purchased from The Fresh Market), and ten ounces of grilled chicken, (about two breasts depending on how big they are). The anise in the sausage is key in getting the defining flavor for this very versatile combination. I sauteed onions and garlic in a couple tablespoons of olive oil, added the grilled chicken and sausage, (already cut up into bite-sized pieces), then added a cup of vegetable broth, (I used Rapunzel powdered broth), fresh ground pepper, and kosher salt, and let them simmer together. Meanwhile, I boiled the water and cooked up about 8 ounces (dry) of gemelli pasta. The spiral in the gemelli is nice for grabbing onto sauces. Once the pasta was al dente and drained, I added it to the pan and stirred it in. I also added a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. I often make this with white wine, but didn't have any, so the vinegar added some needed sweetness. The combination of chicken with Italian sausage is very versatile. You can play around with the ingredients you happen to have and serve it with pasta, brown rice, risotto, or whatever mild starch suits your taste. To make it saucy I usually use vegetable broth and white white, but broth and Madeira or Marsala wine is also tasty. To jazz up the color and bulk up the volume with minimal calories I added a cup of lightly steamed broccoli to each serving.

Finally, I went really "iron chef" with what I had to work with and was thrilled with how well it turned out. I boiled up vegetable broth and mixed red and white quinoa. I like to make a few servings worth so I can have some on hand for random leftovers. Unless I'm making white basmati rice for curry, I always cook rice, quinoa, or cous cous with vegetable broth to give it flavor. While the quinoa was underway, I simmered haricot verts, i.e., snooty French string beans, in about a quarter cup of water in a saute pan. Once they were cooked but not overdone, I drained out the water, added a tablespoon of olive oil, and added three slices of julienned hard salami and a quarter of an orange bell pepper. Season to taste with a bit of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Next up I mixed a can of garbanzo beans a/k/a chickpeas with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. I topped the haricot verts and garbanzos (1/3 of a can here) with an ounce of light feta cheese. (The dinner plate above was full and came in under 500 calories). The salami really gave the haricot verts some zip, and while bacon is classic and would also be delish, salami was a fast and simple option to pull out of the reefer. 

My fridge is a converted icebox and is very small and very unpredictable. It freezes things I don't want frozen (lettuce, yogurt...), doesn't chill other things enough, it's just a constant challenge. Thus, I have to work with small quantities of groceries and pick items that will survive the haphazard conditions aboard, rather than what I might prefer under the best of circumstances. But life is all about making the best of the unpredictable and unexpected, so just go for it and have some adventures in your galley.

suzy's mac & cheese

Here's my basic recipe for Mac & Cheese from scratch.  It's a comfort-food classic and a simple crowd-pleaser for potlucks. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1 lb. box elbows (1600 calories)
4 cups / 16 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1600 calories)
3 eggs (225 calories)
1 cup / 8 oz. light sour cream (300 calories)
1 cup half and half (315 calories)
2 tsp. salt

Total calories: 4,040
Calories per serving (8 servings): 505

Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Boil elbows but drain 1 minute before shortest time according to package directions (because they will continue to cook when baked in the oven and you don't want them to be mushy). While pasta is cooking, shred cheese and set aside. Put eggs, half-and-half, sour cream, and salt in a small mixing bowl and whisk together well. Once pasta is drained, put in a large mixing bowl and stir cheese into the pasta. Pour dairy mixture into pasta and cheese mixture, and stir together thoroughly. If you like to add anything special, e.g., bacon or ham, this is the time to stir it in. Pour into a baking dish. Bake, covered, 60 to 90 minutes. (Shallower pans will need less time, deep pans will need more; I keep an eye out for the cheese to get a little crispy and browned at the edges.)

Notes:
I am a big fan of extra sharp cheddar, (my father was a Tillamook addict), but you can mix it up and use a milder cheddar or blend with fancier cheeses likes Gruyere. Since the cheese is the main event, I think this is the time to buy better quality cheese if your budget permits.

If I weren't trying to keep the calories under control, I might take some shredded Parmesan and mix it with bread crumbs for a topping.

I have a square casserole with a glass lid (pictured above) that is perfect for this because it can go from oven to table to fridge, but shallow casseroles or lasagna pans covered with foil will work, too.

Because this recipe has three eggs, it "sets" and gets firm enough to slice. This won't ever replicate soupy Kraft-style Mac & Cheese, but if you (or your kids) prefer a squishier version, cut out an egg and don't bake quite as long. I tried using 2% milk instead of half-and-half, and while it made it much looser and cut out some calories, the cheese didn't emulsify into the other dairy well and was weird and lumpy, so I think cutting out one or two of the eggs and shortening baking time is the better way to achieve a squishier/looser consistency.

Divided into eight servings, they will not be huge. However, with a bowl of tomato soup or a nice salad on the side, or topped with some grilled chicken, it's just right. You can always divide into larger servings or serve as a side dish.

red pepper and feta-stuffed chicken breasts

I recently had a friend over for dinner aboard the boat. He does not eat red meat, so my much-loved chicken and italian sausage was not a menu option. Therefore, I opted for red pepper and feta-stuffed chicken breasts accompanied by a white wine and parmesan risotto and fresh spinach sauteéd in olive oil and fresh garlic, with a touch of Kosher salt.

The chicken came from The Fresh Market; large, antibiotic-free, vegetarian fed. Here is my mise en place of crumbled feta, chopped red pepper, and chopped garlic, and then the breasts before they went in the oven.


The chicken breasts were large and much thicker at one end. I took the four breasts and created six servings by cutting the breasts in half and stacking the thinner ends, then taking the thick halves and slicing them horizontally for stuffing. I put a few tablespoons of olive oil in the baking dish, added a heaping tablespoon of garlic, fresh ground black pepper, and Kosher salt to taste. I dredged each piece of chicken in the oil and garlic marinade, then placed a spoonful each of red pepper and feta on the bottom six pieces of chicken, stacked the top pieces of chicken in place, and garnished each with a little more feta and red pepper. In my propane oven aboard, they were baked uncovered at 350 degrees for 90 minutes.

Here is the finished product. You can easily tell which side of the pan was adjacent to the gas flame.

Everything was so delicious I forgot to take a photograph before plating up our meal and forgot to take a photo of the plated dish. Sorry!

Here is a snap of the risotto in the works. It begins by sauteíng half a medium onion (chopped) in two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. When the onions are translucent, add one cup of arborio rice and sauté for one or two minutes. Three cups of water are called for. The only rice I ever cook in water is white basmati. All other rice should be cooked with flavor. For risotto I use one cup of vegetarian vegetable broth and two cups of wine. I often use a dry Washington Riesling, but I am currently on a kick drinking a lovely Vinho Verde from Portugal, pictured below with the parmesan that is added at the end.


Once the liquid is added, stir the risotto constantly until it is thick and creamy and stir in the parmesan at the very end. I save some time by using my pressure cooker and putting it under pressure for 10 to 15 minutes.

sometimes we need shortcuts; garlic cheddar biscuits

Although I love to bake and cook from scratch, and my cookies and cakes are always scratch recipes, we all need some time savers and shortcuts in our busy lives.  Better to use some shortcuts in the kitchen than simply throw up your hands and hit the drive-thru.  One of my favorite foods, and a pre- long run ritual, is garlic cheddar biscuits--and they are my favorite shortcut.  These are especially good with tomato soup on a cold day. Here's the recipe.

Suzy's Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:
1.5 cups Bisquick Mix
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese (or shredded cheddar cheese if you're in a rush)
1/2 cup skim milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
For easiest clean-up, cover cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together first three ingredients thoroughly
Add liquid and stir mixture together.
Drop in 9 evenly sized spoonfuls on cookie sheet, spacing about 1.5 to 2 inches apart.
Bake on center rack for 9 minutes.

Each biscuit is approximately 120 calories (less if you use reduced fat cheese) and has a three-to-one carb to protein ratio (for people like runners who are interested in that).  I line a bowl with a tea towel and fill with biscuits, covering up with the towel to keep them warm.  Delicious with Smart Balance or butter. (If you are not concerned with the calories double the cheese, which adds 30 calories per biscuit, or brush the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven with a mixture of melted butter and garlic--and perhaps some Old Bay).

From hitting "preheat" on the oven until I'm snuggled on my couch munching these biscuits is about 15 minutes max.  How?  First, because I keep a glass jar full of minced garlic in the fridge and simply spoon out whatever I need for recipes.  I buy a container of whole peeled garlic cloves, toss them in the Cuisinart (a/k/a the "Whirly-Chopper") until minced, and then store in a nice glass jar [update: I had to give up my beloved Whirly-Chopped when I moved aboard so I hand chop now].  Second, I often use pre-shredded cheese.  Unless I am using a fancy-schmancy cheese for a special recipe, I find that the increased convenience of pre-shredded cheese outweighs the additional cost over shredding it myself. I do think that cubes of cheese will give you a better overall flavor and look, however, if you have the time to cube it up yourself.

Enjoy!

cheddar cornbread muffins

Here's the recipe for Suzy's Cornbread Muffins:

Ingredients
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° F.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
Stir in shredded cheese.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, and water.
Whisk melted butter into wet ingredients.  (Be careful to let butter cool a bit before adding to eggs so they don't scramble.)
Make a shallow "hole" in the center of the dry ingredients and then pour in wet ingredients.
Stir together.  Important: never overwork muffin batter!  Stir together just until the dry ingredients are all moistened.

Lightly spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray (I suggest a canola-based one for this).
Spoon batter into muffin tin.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes (16 minutes was perfect in my oven).
Muffins are done if a toothpick or fork inserted in the center comes out clean.  Tops should be lightly browned.
Serve warm (great with butter), or cool on wire rack if not eating immediately.
Approximately 190 calories per muffin.

Special note: Forgive me, but I'm going to preach a bit here.  Over-mixing muffin batter prevents the air channels that make good muffins crumbly.  Muffins are NOT cupcakes and should not have a "cake" consistency.  Muffin batter is stirred together gently and is generally lumpy while cake batter is beaten smooth with a mixer and cake pans are shaken to remove the air pockets that are desirable in a muffin.

Modifications: This simple recipe can be easily modified with your favorite flavors.  You may omit the cheese or spice them up even more with pepperjack, chopped jalepeños, cheese and bacon, or cheese, ham, and diced green pepper for a "Denver."  Your imagination and flavor palate are what will add your special twist.

General notes: Ovens vary widely so it's a good habit to keep a close watch once you are within a couple minutes of the low end of the time suggestion.

Enjoy!

© Running Rabbit Kitchen a/k/a Suzanne.  Lists of ingredients are not protected by US Copyright laws, but instructions and commentary are protected works.