CEiMB - Waldorf Chicken Wraps

CEiMB - Waldorf Chicken Wraps Out of Ellie's So Easy cookbook
This week's host is Peggy of Pantry Revisited!

I cooked up a couple of chicken breasts on the stove and whipped these fun little sandwiches together in no time.  What an amazing combination of flavors; so light, crisp, and fresh! 

The sandwiches wouldn't stay rolled together so I had to wrap in foil to get a closed sandwich picture.  Thank you Peggy for the wonderful choice this week.  Friday lunch is ready and waiting in the refrigerator!

You can also download Ellie's recipe from my Food Network site by clicking here.

Check out the rest of the CEiMB group's write-ups by clicking here for the blog roll.  Everyone in the group is so much fun and imaginative!

Craving Ellie in My Belly: Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

CEiMB is Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash over whole wheat coucous. Kayte of Grandma's Kitchen Table is the host and a wonderful blogging friend! Kayte, I have never been a squash person and this stew changed my whole outlook on the vegetable. Squash is a vegetable isn't it?



I couldn't find just whole wheat couscous but there is a brand called Far East putting out a product called whole wheat couscous with roasted garlic and olive oil. The couscous package took all of 10 minutes from start-to-finish to assemble.

A definite repeat recipe! Go to Kayte's blog and give her a high five for picking out this recipe (Ellie Krieger too since this is her recipe from the cookbook So Easy) then get into your kitchen and try it for yourself! I bet you absolutely LOVE IT! The recipe can be found here.

Check out the rest of the CEiMB bloggers for each and every variation along with phenomenal photos.

Craving Ellie in My Belly - Banana Splits with a Warm Topping

CEiMB is always full of surprises for me. Ellie puts together fun dishes full of great ingredients and we are eating less calories to boot. I am amazed, when looking at a recipe, how short the list of ingredients may be yet the flavor still packs a punch. This dessert was no exception.

Before I continue, A BIG thank you to the CEiMB group for letting me host this week. Since starting my job, already 4 months ago, I have been missing-in-action and I have missed and thought about everyone here often. Blogging can feel special and words take on so much meaning. Okay, before I start hugging the monitor, I will continue =).



I used pineapple chunks instead of shredded pineapple, lowfat frozen vanilla yogurt, and divided the recipe in half since ice cream is one of my biggest shortfalls when eating. I could totally see myself making 3 banana splits, sneaking one in the kitchen, and walking into the living room carrying two like nothing ever happened and eating the dessert with Larry (hubby).

What was not to love? Warm pineapple topping, fresh bananas, and frozen yogurt. Delicious and easy to make!

Here is Ellie's recipe copied from the Foodnetwork site:

Banana Splits with Pineapple Brown Sugar Topping

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 6

1 (15-ounce) can crushed pineapple, in natural juice (I used pineapple chunks, all I had on hand)

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 ripe, firm bananas

6 scoops vanilla light ice cream or frozen yogurt, 1/4 cup each

6 fresh mint leaves, optional

Directions:

Combine the pineapple with juice, lemon juice, sugar and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the juice is reduced somewhat, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Cut the bananas in half crosswise. Cut each banana half lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way through. Split the banana halves open and place each one on a small dessert plate. Top each banana with a scoop of ice cream then about 2 1/2 Tablespoons of the warm pineapple mixture. Top each with a mint leaf, if using, and serve.

Enjoy!

CEiMB- L.O.V.E. Wrap Sandwich and Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad

Joanne of the blog Apple Crumbles was the host of this week's choice for Craving Ellie in My Belly: Lettuce, Onion, Vegetable, Egg Salad (L.O.V.E.) Wraps.

I was truly surprised over the flavors in this wrap! First of all, I already LOVE egg salad but had "no" idea I could get away with just 4 teaspoons of mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard - still having great flavor and texture. I already had whole wheat pita pockets so I used those instead of the wraps; after eating the sandwiches and finding out how messy the pita pockets were, wrap bread it will be next time.

We also made Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad to go with the wrap for dinner. I bought fresh, "LIVE" Dungeness crab to make the salad and actually had to chase the crabs down as they seemed to enjoy scurrying around my deck. I think I squealed more then they would have if they could.

Fresh Dungeness crab is AMAZING! I had no idea fresh crab tasted that great. WOW! The salad is fresh, light, and does not overpower the light flavor of crab meat. The recipe came from a Cooking Light magazine; since the website Project Foodie prints all recipes from this magazine, I thought I would post the recipe here.

Spicy Crab-Papaya Salad

4 servings (1 cup each)

1 1/2 c. diced, peeled papaya

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1 finely chopped jalapeno pepper

1 pound lump crab meat

3 T. canola oil

2 T. cider vinegar

2 t. sugar

1 t. Dijon mustard

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 t. salt

Directions:

Combine papaya, green onions, celery, jalapeno pepper, and crab meat. Combine canola oil, cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, freshly ground black pepper, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle vinegar mixture over crab mixture; toss. Chill.

I wish you could see this crab moving and know how crazy this feels picking up a wiggling creature when so many of us are used to asking someone behind a counter to clean and package our food. The fisherman selling the live crab said to boil them in salt water for 22 minutes. We did and the meat came out perfect.

My only frustration was finding ripe papayas in the middle of winter.

I boiled eggs and the crabs at the same time, making dinner efficient and, like most of Ellie's recipes, fast.


I thought I would share another up close and personal picture of my live dinner. He backed himself up into the bag he originally found his way out of. Larry couldn't believe the phone call on his way home asking him to help chase dinner. I told him if he would put the crabs in the boiling water, I would be happy to clean them.

CEiMB - Mushroom, Onion and Basil Pizza

This post is going to be fast. Craving Ellie in My Belly is such a great group of people and I have been enjoying cooking along with the group immensely. This pizza is no exception! I made my own pizza crust and used fresh tomatoes instead of sun dried. So GOOD!

My MISHAP was baking the pizza a little too long. The crust, infortunately, became REALLY brown on the outside. The rest of the pizza was perfect.

Thank you Joanne of Apple Crumble for such a delicious choice this week and for hosting. You ROCK! Go see her pizza and if you want the recipe, click here. (Still Joanne's site)

CEiMB -Chicken Pot Pies and a Tuscan Salad

I have had the pleasure of cooking along with wonderful people who care about eating healthier, one of several reasons for cooking with the "Craving Ellie in My Belly" group, and this week is my week to host. Hooray!!!

I chose Ellie's You and Me Chicken Pot pie with a phyllo dough topping , loads of vegetables, all combined in a delicious sauce.

Instead of butter moistening the phyllo dough, Ellie calls for olive oil, then a sprinkling of fresh Parmesan cheese over the top. Pop the dishes into the oven and 30 minutes later we are ready to eat.

I used to be alarmed at using phyllo dough. So fragile looking. If I take my time, moisten as I go, the phyllo dough is work-able.

Verdict: A dinner I will be adding into my list of go-to recipes. We loved it. I did substitute sweet onions for leeks but I can see the potential for adding any type of vegetables and meat (or no meat if you wish).

The You and Me Chicken Pot Pie recipe is posted on the Food Network site here.

I also made a Tuscan Salad to go with the pot pies.

The recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis:

Tuscan Salad

Ingredients:

* 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)

* 1 head Romaine lettuce, torn

* 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

* 1/2 cup pitted black olives

* 1/2 sweet onion, cut into slivers

* 1 lemon, juiced

* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 1 ounce shaved Parmesan (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until beans are slightly tender. Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain the green beans.

In a large bowl, combine the green beans with the lettuce, cannellini beans, olives, and red onion. Toss to combine. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and serve.

CEiMB ~ Apple Brown Betty and A Savory Stuffed Pumpkin Dinner

Craving Ellie in My Belly Thursday is here and what a dessert! Apple Brown Betty, chosen by this week's host: Jessica of Learning to Love Vegetables.


The recipe for this delicious dessert is found on Food Network's internet site but I did alter the recipe by doing 2 changes.

Change #1: I used all natural, unsweetened applesauce with my apple slices instead of apple cider which made for a thick filling.

Change #2: I replaced 2 of the Golden Delicious apples with 2 Granny Smith apples for a slight tart flavor.



The apple brown betty was served with low-fat vanilla ice cream while the brown betty was still warm. Delicious! Thank you Jessica for hosting. If you would like to see the rest of the group's desserts, click here for the blog roll.


I also stuffed and baked baby sugar pumpkins, each pumpkin weighed about 2 pounds, and what a delicious dinner filled with chunky vegetables, potatoes, and chicken. All covered in a golden, flaky crust of puff pastry. Very easy recipe to approach and fun for entertaining!




Savory Stuffed Pumpkins
4 sugar pumpkins (no more than about 2 lb each)
4T butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped or diced
2 large russet potatoes(about 1lb-ish, of red or Yukon Gold)
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup sliced carrots(I used babies)
12 oz fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 chicken, turkey, pork or veggie stock
1 cup heavy cream
about 3 cups left over mildly seasoned chicken (or saute 2 chicken breasts cut into cubes and add)
1-2T fresh sage, rubbed and chopped
kosher or sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 package puffy pastry sheets, thawed but cool or dough for 2 pie crusts, rolled into 2 rectangles
olive oil
1 egg white, beaten(optional)
4 sprigs fresh rosemary(optional)



Directions:

Wash outsides of pumpkins and wipe dry with paper towel. Score around the top portion of each pumpkin with sharp knife and remove top with stem. Scoop out seeds and clean.

Lightly brush insides of each pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes until pumpkins have darkened and meat has slight give when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, in large, heavy pan, melt butter and add potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Let cook about 10 minutes, stirring often, until potatoes start to change color, slightly. Add celery and carrots and continue to cook another 10 minutes or so.

Potatoes should be started to get just a little tender and very slightly browning. Add onion, garlic and mushroom and cook about 10 minutes more. Add stock, chicken, cream and sage and stir well. Simmer about 10-12 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce.

Season with salt and pepper. Fill each pumpkin with the meat/veggie mixture. It's okay to take it almost to the top!

Roll each dough just enough to be able to cut 2 circles big enough to fit the pumpkin openings, and have about 1/2 inch extra to press down over the top of the pumpkin. Poke a couple small holes in top of dough and brush with beaten egg.

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes, or until pastry dough is browned and crisp.
Remove from oven and place one sprig of rosemary in top of each pumpkin to create "stem", if desired.

CEiMB - Tomato~Tortilla Soup and a Healthy, Colorful Dessert

Craving Ellie in My Belly was such a warm and comforting choice for this week: Tomato~Tortilla Soup chosen by Mary of Popsicles and Sandy Feet.

We used fresh lime juice and baked our own tortilla chip strips, so easy too! Brushing a little canola oil over tortilla rounds, cutting into thin 1/4-inch strips, and baking for 12 minutes could not be easier.

You can get this recipe at the Food Network site here.

My only changes was adding corn to the soup. I used my immersion blender, making easy work of mild pureeing. You want small chunks of tomato. I also served multi-grain, toasted baguette slices with the soup for dipping. Delicious! We loved every bite Mary; thank you for hosting this week and picking such a perfect Fall dinner dish.

For dessert, I served Mixed Berries with Greek Yogurt~Limoncello Cream.

Mixed Berries with Greek Yogurt -Limoncello Cream

(adapted from Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 T. sugar
2 tablespoons Limoncello (lemon liqueur)
2 cups assorted fresh berries (I used fresh blackberries and strawberries)

Directions:

Combine whipping cream, Greek yogurt, sugar, and limoncello in large bowl. Beat until soft peaks form.

Put a dollop on each serving of mixed berries.

CEiMB - Almond French Toast Bake

Craving Ellie in My Belly is packed full of all things fresh and wonderful. This week Heide of Chez Zero hosted and my husband and I enjoyed every bite of the Blueberry Almond French Toast bake.



I actually baked the breakfast treat for dinner with Breakfast sausage links.





I used 1 1/2 multi-grain whole wheat baguettes. 1 was not enough to cover the bottom of my 9 x 13 dish.

I made several other changes according to several people commenting on the recipe at the Food Network Site (you can find the recipe by clicking on Food Network.)

To keep this from being too moist, I used 6 large eggs and 6 egg whites, cut the milk down to 1 1/2 cups and added 1/2 cup of maple syrup. I also omitted ALL the dark brown sugar; by accident. I was hurrying and totally spaced!

Thank you Heide for another great Ellie recipe choice! I just know Heide will have the recipe posted on her site as well. Go check it out! =)

CEiMB - Whole Wheat Pancakes and a Breakfast Burrito

Whole wheat flour and a light and fluffy texture are a contradiction in terms from what I have experienced in past cooking. A mixture of whole wheat pastry flour with all-purpose flour created a pancake, not heavy with a strong wheat flavor, but airy with a slightly nutty flavor. Coupled with the fresh strawberry sauce and sprinkling of powdered sugar, breakfast went from being dreaded by several this weekend too Wow, these are pretty good! CEiMB is a hit again!



A back-up plan was already in progress the same morning and there may have been a verbal slippage of said back-up plan. Breakfast burritos filled with sliced ham, sharp cheddar cheese, avocado slices, black bean and corn salsa, two dollops of sour cream and a heaping spoonful of scrambled eggs ended up being served with Ellie's breakfast, chosen and hosted by Melissa of It's Melissa's Kitchen.

Ellie's recipe was easy to assemble. As shown above, the dry ingredients are in one bowl and the wet are in another; quickly combining the two without over mixing and start your skillet.

Two small piles of fluffy pancakes were side-by-side on a plate in the oven. The pancake edges no longer laid flat so the pictures show curled up, non-perfect plates of pancakes. Tummies never knew the difference. =)

Thank you Melissa for hosting this week and choosing another great Ellie recipe. The recipe can be found in Ellie's "The Food You Crave" cookbook, on Melissa's blog, and on the Food Network recipe site. Craving Ellie in My Belly will be back next week with Energy Bars. I have read great success stories about this recipe already!

ABC of the Month & CEiMB - Healthy versus Chocolate~!

ABC of the Month is suppose to be on the first Tuesday of every month AND this month was my pick. I am actually 1 1/2 days late! I feel terrible. My choice: All-American Choc Cake with Divinity Frosting and Milk Chocolate Paint. (CEiMB is posted just below.)

I did not have two 6 x 3 - inch pans so I used three 6 x 2 - inch pans and boy am I glad that I did (the cakes puffed to the very top of all three pans). Flo Braker's cookbook, Baking for All Occasions, has us baking a dark chocolate cake mixed with 1 cup of coffee, unsweetened melted chocolate, sour cream, brown sugar and a few other ingredients to combine into one of the moistest, flavorful chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. Am I the only one that did not see where in the directions to swirl in the melted chocolate? I added the chocolate in just before the coffee and used a spatula to swirl it in.

The divinity frosting went together like a breeze and painting on melted chocolate was a wonderful visual touch. I have met my chocolate cake match and LOVE this recipe. Flo, you and Evie Lieb (mentioned in recipe dialog) are both brilliant!

Hanaa and to the rest of the group, I sincerely apologize for being late! Everyone else, Flo Braker's book is stunning and well put together. Definitely worth every penny and Amazon has used copies at great prices. With this said, on to CEiMB!

Elina of Healthy and Sane chose this week's recipe: Baked Felalfal Sandwiches (recipe found on the Food Network site here.)

I have never eaten a falafel ~ ever. No idea what one should taste like. Then I start looking for Tahini paste ( recipe calls for the sesame seed paste for the sauce). Nope! Not happening. Now what? Invent my own sauce. BTW, we like this but I definitely altered a few things, listed below.

Dinner:

**Sauteed pear Salad with Blue Cheese and Crushed Macadamia Nuts**
**CEiMB's Baked Falafel Sandwich w/Creamy Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce**

**Sweet Potato French Fries Roasted with Lemon Olive Oil and a Roasted Red Pepper & Cheese Dip**

Sauteed Pear Salad

(adapted from the vanillacompany.com)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 firm-ripe Bosc pears, cored, peeled and cut into slices

2 tablespoon honey

4 cups of salad greens and/or baby spinach leaves, rinsed and chilled

1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber

2 ounces Bleu, Gorgonzola or goat cheese

1/2 cup chopped roasted macadamia nuts

Vinaigrette:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and allow to warm. Add pear slices and saute in oil for 2 minutes on each side. Turn off heat and drizzle honey over pear slices, and gently turn pears so that it coats them on both sides.

While pears are cooking, put greens and vegetables into a large salad bowl and mix well. Add warm pears, cheese, nuts and gently mix.


Mix salad dressing ingredients, add juices from pan and pour over salad. Serve right away. (Or you can arrange salads on each plate individually instead of mixing everything in a bowl.)

Falafel Sandwich Sauce was created by mixing 1 cup of non -fat plain Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup of Roasted Garlic Hummus and 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice. I thought this tasted pretty good.

Next change: I only baked the falafel ball for 10 minutes on each side. The comment reviews from a few other people stated 20 minutes per side may cause the falafel balls to be dry.

I used a mixed green salad combo with the tomatoes and cucumbers too. The flavor was great but the falafel balls need to be layered in the pita pocket and not all on the top, like the one I made myself. I was totally overwhelmed. Now I know.

I also wanted to share the Roasted Red Pepper-Cheese Dip. Low calorie Dip found in my Cooking Light cookbook:
Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
1 small onion, peeled and halved
Cooking spray
1 whole garlic head
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Directions:
Preheat Broiler.

Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise, and discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove peel and discard. Set roasted pepper aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

Place onion halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Remove white papery skin from garlic head (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap in foil. Place garlic on baking sheet with onion. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes; turn over onion halves. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until onions are soft and begin to brown. Place onion halves on a plate. Return garlic to oven, and bake an additional 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Separate the cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.

Place roasted pepper, onion, and garlic pulp in a food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add yogurt, cheese, cumin seed, and ground red pepper; process until smooth. Spoon dip into a bowl, and stir in parsley. Cover and chill.

2 Tablespoons = 20 calories. (Great for dipping veggies in too. I used this recipe for my sweet potato FF dipping sauce.)

Thank you Elina for widening my flavor vocabulary. I really enjoyed this sandwich and loved the healthy options.