Cooking With Water

Maple Baked Squash

2008-11-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup water
1 squash (I used Danish)
1/2-3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
Garlic salt to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut squash in half and clean out seeds. Add 1/2 cup water to the bottom of a medium sized baking dish. Place squash skin side down in dish. Pour maple syrup in center of squash halves. Add Cayenne pepper equally to syrup in halves. Brush syrup to cover the entire squash (inside only, not the skin). Sprinkle with garlic salt, salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake until soft (15-30 minutes). This is a healthy, low fat side dish for any dinner.

Berry Iced Tea

2008-04-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Water
Mixed frozen berries
Tea bags

Either make a batch of sun tea or steep some fresh hot tea. Put a hand full of mixed frozen berries into bottom of a tall glass. Add plenty of ice (extra if using hot tea). Pour tea into glass. Enjoy. The longer the berries are in the tea the more berry flavor becomes infused into the beverage. Garnish with a lemon wedge if desired. Sweetener may be added, but I prefer it plain.

Zesty Italian Soup

2008-03-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Water
4-6 Chicken pieces (with bones) skinned
4 oz shell pasta
1 16 oz can chicken broth
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup mix
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 16 oz black beans, rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small can or 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 small can sliced olives
1 16 oz can green beans
1 16 oz frozen mixed veggies
Salt pepper, garlic salt, Italian herbs, tobasco sauce & dried red pepper to taste
2 T minced garlic
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped cabbage
4 0z mozzarella cheese, cubed
Parmesan cheese to taste
Croutons

Fill soup pot 2/3 full with water. Add chicken and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until tender (aprox 1 hour). Remove from heat. Remove bones from chicken and reserve meat. Let broth stand until fat comes to the top and skim off. Strain broth if desired. (For less calories let broth sit in fridge overnight and then skim fat, broth may be thick, it will thin down upon heating).
Return pot to stove and bring to a boil, reduce heat, add onion, tomatoes, black beans, minced garlic, onion sup mix, green beans, chicken broth, mushrooms, tobasco, chicken and spices. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta and olives, cook for 5 minutes. Add mixed frozen veggies, return to a boil, reduce heat, simmer for 2-3 minutes, add zucchini and cabbage, simmer for 3 minutes. Do not over cook. Top filled bowls with a few cubes of cheese, Parmesan & croutons. Serve with salad & crusty bread. Yum Yum.

Chicken and Asparagus Linguine

2008-03-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Water
8 oz Linguine noodles
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
1/2 cup half and half
6 frozen chicken tenders white meat, uncooked
1 small can sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t Italian herbs
salt and pepper to taste
8 stalks fresh asparagus, roasted (directions follow
6 oz mozzarella cheese. shredded
1/2 cup parmasan cheese

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil on the stove. Cook linguine according to package directions. Remove from heat. (Do not over cook and do not drain). In the meantime cook the chicken tenders in olive oil in a med skillet. Season with garlic salt to taste. Add mushrooms and onion. Continue cooking until chicken is cooked through. Make a well in center of pan and add 2 T butter, herbs, and 1/2 of both mozzarella and parmasan cheese, cover with chicken and veggies and let melt for a few minutes, add half and half to pan and bring to a slow boil, stir to combine, cheese will be stringy). Add roasted asparagus. Scoop pasta out of the pasta water directly to the sauce pan. Combine sauce into noodles adding a "little" pasta water until mixture is the right consistency. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Serve with roasted veggies.

Roasted veggies
8 stalks asparagus ( for linguine dish), ends removed and broken into 1 inch pieces
1 small to medium zucchini sliced 3/4 in thick
1 small sweet potato sliced in 1/2 inch sticks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T butter
2 T hot water

Spread asparagus out on dry griddle or skillet and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes turning occasionally. Add sweet potato and cook on medium heat until slightly browned, add zucchini cook for 5 minutes.(veggies should all be crisp tender, do not overcook). Salt and pepper veggies to taste. Use asparagus in linguine dish if desired. Transfer zucchini and sweet potato to a bowl, top brown sugar and butter, sprinkle with hot water. Toss to mix flavors. (This recipe may be used with any type of vegetable. You may also omit the brown sugar from recipe if desired).

Cobb Salad

2008-03-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

Salad:
Water
1 lb boneless chicken breast
6 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups torn lettuce
1 chopped tomato
2 chopped boiled eggs
1/4 cup red onion chopped
Ground pepper to taste
Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil chicken breast in 2 quarts water in small sauce pan until tender and juices run clear. Drain, cool and chop. While chicken is boiling, combine vinegar oil and Parmasan cheese. Refrigerate. Mound torn lettuce into a salad bowl. Arrange toppings one at a time in long sections across top of salad. Spronkle with pepper to taste. Serve with oil and vinegar dressing and crusty whole wheat bread.

Sunday Stock Up

2008-02-21T10:40:00.000-08:00

This is a Sunday afternoon thing that I like to do. Go to the market and buy 6-10 lbs of chicken. I like the 10 lb sales all the stores seem to be having these days. I use breasts, legs and thighs (with bones). I buy several 10 lb packages and freeze the remaining chicken for future use. The following recipes are all so different they can be made 3 days in a row and you won't even get tired of chicken!

Sunday Stock Up!
Water
Mixed chicken pieces (remove skin for reduced calories)
1 onion sliced
2 carrots cut in chunks
3 stalks celery cut in chunks
2 bay leafs
2-3 tsp thyme
3-5 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
Fill a large stock or canning pot half full of water add veggies and spices. Add as much mixed chicken pieces as you can fit in the pot to use for several different recipes. Gradually bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 1 hour or until chicken is tender, do not over cook.
Remove chicken and discard veggies. Strain broth through strainer or cheesecloth. Refrigerate stock (broth) for soup. After stock is completely chilled skim fat from top.

Heres the trick. We are going to remove several nice pieces of chicken for Sunday dinner (recipe follows). Set aside. Bone and remove skin from remaining chicken (after you select your nice pieces for Sunday dinner), dividing equally into two storage containers. Freeze or refrigerate depending on how soon you will be using it.

BBQ Chicken

2008-02-21T10:39:00.001-08:00

4-8 pieces of pre-boiled chicken skin removed
Spicy BBQ sauce
1/4 C chopped onion

Spray bottom of casserole dish with cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Transfer cooked chicken into dish in single layer. Coat chicken on all sides with BBQ sauce and drizzle extra on top. Sprinkle with chopped onion
Bake @ 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with oven baked potatoes and veggies.

Light Chicken Enchiladas

2008-02-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Pre-boiled chopped chicken (aprox 1 lb)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
6 oz low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small can green chilis
1 small can sliced olives
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
1 can diced tomatoes
bottled red hot sauce
1 dozen corn tortillas
olive oil
1 chunked avocado sprinkled with lime

Mix together, chicken, green chilies, olives, yogurt, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, onion soup mix, and hot sauce to taste. Heat tortillas in pan or griddle in a small amount of olive oil until soft. Spoon 2-3 T of chicken mixture onto each tortilla and roll. Place seam down in greased 9 x 13 in. pan. Mix canned tomatoes with garlic and additional hot sauce to taste. Spoon over enchiladas. Bake a@ 350 for 20 minutes with foil cover. Remove foil, top with cheddar cheese. bake for 10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish with "Creamy Hot Sauce" and avocado chunks.
Creamy Hot Sauce: Plain yogurt mixed with red hot sauce to taste

Fiesta Soup

2008-02-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

Chicken stock (Sunday Stock Up)
Pre-boiled chopped chicken (aprox 1 lb)
1 chopped onion
2 sliced celery stalks
4 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 to 1 tsp red pepper flakes
Chicken bullion granules (optional)
1 can Campbell's Firehouse chili
1 small can copped canned tomatoes
1 can green beans
1 small can mushrooms
1/2 cup peas or green soy beans
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies (with corn)
4-5 oz Spaghetti noodles broken

Gradually bring chicken stock to a boil. Add onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Simmer 10 minutes. Taste broth. Add chicken bullion granules to taste if desired (1/2 to 1 tsp). Add green beans and chili. Cook 10 minutes. Add frozen veggies and spaghetti. Cook 6 minutes. Add peas or soybeans, and chicken. Continue simmering until pasta is nearly cooked. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with crusty whole wheat bread and green salad.

Light Sparkling Punch

2008-02-01T05:18:00.000-08:00

Water
2 Crystal Light drink mix packets
(1 pink lemonade and 1 raspberry)
Sparkling (carbonated) water or club soda
2 lemons, 2 limes
Frozen berry's (optional)

Combine drink mix with recommended amount of liquid (see package directions) using half club soda (or sparkling water) and half tap water in punch bowl or large pitcher. When using a punch bowl you may want to double the ingredients. Squeeze in one lemon and one lime. Mix well. Slice the remaining lemon and lime. Add ice, float fruit and berry's on top. Serve in punch cups or stemware. Garnish with additional lemons and limes if desired.

Orange Spice Iced Tea

2008-01-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

Water
Tea bags
1 orange
Cinnamon Sticks
Lemon slices (optional)

Fill a sun tea jar, quart jar or pitcher with water. Add 4-5 tea bags. Add 1-2 cinnamon sticks. Let jar sit in a sunny window or if its warm out, put outside in the sun for several hours. When tea is dark brown in color remove from sun and chill. Cut orange in half. Slice one half of orange. Squeeze juice from the unsliced half into pitcher and add remaining slices of orange. Chill. Remove orange slices. Cinnamon sticks may be left in for additional flavor if desired. Serve in tall frosty glasses over ice. Garnish with additional orange or lemon slices and add sugar if desired. Keep refrigerated. (To serve hot, microwave individual cups, or heat on stove top in pan or teapot).

Tip: A product called Stevia which can be purchased at most health food stores, makes an excellent healthy, sugar free sweetener. Be careful it is very concentrated, 1 teaspoon is equivalent to about a cup of sugar. (Read your label different brands vary in strength).

Grandmas Beef Stew

2008-01-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Water
2 lbs stew meat (cut in small pieces)
2 T vegetable oil
2 T flour
2 t garlic (fresh or powdered
Mixed raw veggies (carrot, potato, celery, mushroom)
1 onion chopped
Beef Bullion or Au jus mix
1 small can tomato sauce
1-2 T Tabasco sauce
2-3 T Worcestershire sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown stew meat in soup pan in vegetable oil with garlic and half of your onion. Sprinkle meat with flour, continue to brown until golden. Add water (enough to fill soup pan 2/3 full). Add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or till stew meat is tender. Remove from heat. Taste. Add 1/2 can tomato sauce. Add au jus or bullion to taste. Add salt, pepper and more Tabasco if desired. Add veggies and remaining onion. Bring back to boil. Simmer 7-15 minutes longer or until veggies are tender.
Serve with hard rolls and green salad. Yum Yum!

Easy Homemade Chicken Soup

2008-01-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Water
Boneless chicken breast and thighs (1-2 lbs)
Mixed fresh or frozen veggies (your choice)
Salt, pepper, garlic
Chicken bullion granules or cubes (optional)
Fresh or dried parsley
Noodles or rice (Allow for cooking time if not precooked)
Dried crushed red pepper (optional )

Start with a soup pot 2/3 full of water. Boil 1 to 2 lbs of boneless Chicken breasts and thighs.
Simmer until meat is tender. Remove meat. Let meat and broth cool for at least 1 hour (or overnight in fridge, broth may thicken when cool). Skim excess fat from top of broth with large spoon.Chop meat and add back to broth. Taste. Add more water if needed. (You want to end up with a full pot of soup). Add salt, pepper, dried or fresh parsley, chicken bullion or other favorite spices to taste if desired. Try some dried red pepper (to clear the sinuses) if you enjoy the heat.
Add any desired veggies, cooked beans, noodles or rice to pan. (Allow for cooking time if not precooked)

Serve with crusty whole wheat bread or crackers.

Now, Enjoy!

Cool Cucumber Splash

2008-01-13T08:36:00.000-08:00