Grandma's Kitchen Table

Cookbook Countdown #15: Whole30 Recipes

This month for Cookbook Countdown 15, I have chosen to use the cookbook The Whole30  by Melissa Hartwig and Dallas Hartwig.  Margaret at Tea and Scones and I have been cooking buddies for 9 years, almost 10, we first met in the original Tuesdays with Dorie group.  Through the years we have cooked in many groups together and have become great friends on the side.  When Margaret is trying something new, it is fairly usual for me to tag along.  Such was the case with her recent decision (February 22) to give The Whole30 program a go.  Based on whole foods and making good nutritional choices, I figured 30 days of eating on that plan sounded like a fine idea (it also coincided with Lent and giving up sugar and such for Lent also seemed like a fine idea), and so it has been just that.  Another cooking buddy from our TWD early days, Leslie, jumped onboard as she had done Whole30 and was more than happy to give it another go...Leslie had all kinds of advice and tips so we now think of her as our Whole30 guru, experience, as always, is invaluable. The book detailing the Whole30 comes with a large section of recipes to see you through the 30 days and since February 22, we have been cooking from it and enjoying the many delicious recipes.  I have cooked far more than the ones I will give time to post here today.  Each one has been a success and a revelation at how good food can be without added sugar and preservatives.  We are now in the 10-12 day re-introduction phase of the program and for my book next month, I will use The Whole30 Cookbook to continue exploring recipes in this style of cooking and eating. 
      
       The first recipe I am sharing is Spaghetti Squash with Ground Beef Tomato Sauce (pages 152, 294, and 324). 
        Ingredient list: ground beef, spaghetti squash, olive oil, salt, pepper, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, crushed tomatoes, thyme, oregano, and bay leaf.
        This version of spaghetti and meat sauce is excellent.  The spaghetti squash bakes up and can be shredded with two forks to form spaghetti-like strands.  The topping is a typical meat sauce, minus any sugar or preservatives.  I learned a lot reading labels, i.e. there is sugar in almost everything, trying to find products without it can be tricky...and they use any number of words for sugar.  This is so good that I have made it more than once this past month, we both really liked it.  Definitely worthy of a repeat.
       
        The second recipe I am sharing is Perfect Roast Barbecue Chicken with Steamed Broccoli and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Herb Mayonnaise (pages 157, 296, 322, 179, 312).
        Ingredient list:  chicken, coconut oil, clarified butter, onion, garlic, sweet potato, apple cider, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, paprika, chipotle powder, broccoli, sweet potato, salt, pepper, and coconut butter. (The homemade mayonnaise is light olive oil, egg, mustard powder, salt, and lemon with mixed herbs, garlic, cayenne pepper, and lemon.)
        The chicken was roasted beautifully, the homemade barbecue sauce was interesting and delicious, just the right amount of tang and depth of flavor, and the broccoli and sweet potato rounded it all out nicely for a perfectly delightful meal.  Definitely worthy of a repeat.
       
       The third recipe I am sharing is Perfect Grilled Burgers with Lettuce, Sliced Tomatoes, and Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Yellow Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (pages 153, 264, and 316).  
        Ingredient list:  ground beef, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, lettuce, tomato, broccoli, coconut oil, onion, mushrooms, yellow squash, garlic, jar of roasted red peppers, olive oil, onion, garlic, parsley, capers, lemon, salt, and pepper.
        It was strange at first eating hamburgers without the cheese and bun, and I really missed those at the beginning, but by about the third week, I was thinking that the cheese and the bun were completely superfluous and I didn't really think in terms of needing those for hamburgers...which saves me from running to the store because I don't have any hamburger buns when I pull the ground beef out of the freezer of a morning. (And those who know me well know that the whole business of that bun getting soggy from the hamburger juice has never been my favorite thing.) The meat is perfectly delicious all on its own and the lettuce and tomato were there for freshness and a punch of extra vegetable goodness.  The vegetable dish accompanying this was terrific.  I have made it many time since.  Margaret and Leslie will tell you that I make it just so I can eat the roasted red pepper sauce, and that is partially true as that roasted red pepper sauce is so good that I have been eating it on all kinds of things as well as using it as a vegetable dip.  I routinely make it at the beginning of the week and by week's end, it's pretty much gone.  This might be my most favorite thing ever.  Definitely repeat worthy.
       
       The fourth (and last) recipe I am sharing is Butternut Squash Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (page 266 and 316). 
        Ingredient list:  butternut squash, onion, coconut oil, garlic, ginger, chicken broth, salt, and pepper (and the ingredients for the roasted red pepper sauce: jar of roasted red peppers, olive oil, onion, garlic, parsley, capers, lemon, salt, and pepper).
        Of course I was going to include a soup, I'm always all about the soup and this book has some nice soup recipes just bursting with flavor and freshness, this was one of my favorites so far.  And, that Roasted Red Pepper Sauce was just sitting there begging to be used as an accompaniment to the soup...so good together.  Definitely a repeat, I like soup in any weather, this will be a good one for my "go to list."
        So the month has come to a close, but not my love of this program.  I learned so much (and I thought I knew quite a bit actually) about eating whole foods and looking for ingredients without added sugar and preservatives, etc.  I feel better than I have in ages, all those little aches and pains that creep into one's joints at my age are completely gone.  I feel much better not having sugar, I think sugar is not my friend despite the lure of its tastiness.  I've been branching out more on buying organic produce, grass-fed and pastured meat, etc. and the recipes have been delicious, easy, and interesting.  The three of us have decided to keep it going with occasional "off-road" excursions when we feel the need to have that bite of cupcake or twirl of pasta or mini-bagel, etc. 
        To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

Cookbook Countdown #14: Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Sweet Potatoes

        This month for Cookbook Countdown #14, I have chosen to use the cookbook Skinnytaste Fast and Slow by Gina Homolka, you can learn about it here. Each recipe has the calorie, fat, sat fat, cholesterol, carb, fiber, protein, sugars, and sodium counts listed.  The recipe that I have made for this week is Slow Cooker Beef Stew With Sweet Potatoes, on page 69.      
        Ingredient list: olive oil, onion, celery, tomato paste, beef chuck shoulder steak, salt, flour, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, sweet potato, mushrooms, carrots, thyme, bay leaves, pepper, and peas.
        This is soup/stew season without a doubt, crockpot season always as I love the idea of leaving the house and having my own little personal chef (aka the crockpot) cook the dinner while I am away so that when I return, everything is nicely done and the kitchen is filled with a comforting aroma.  I make a fair number of soups and stews so it is fun to find new ones to try and I can't remember ever having a beef stew recipe that called for sweet potatoes so I was eager to test this out and see the result.  Results are in and are very favorable.  The sweet potato is so tender and soft (the carrot retains a bit of solidness) and has just a touch of sweetness which compliments the acidity of the tomato paste and beef stock.  Such great colors in this stew, lovely flavors, and it felt like eating a bowl of fresh vegetables with a tasty piece of roast.  Definitely worthy of a repeat. 
        To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

Cookbook Countdown #14: Sweet 'n' Spicy Salmon with Stir-Fried Veggies

        This month for Cookbook Countdown 14, I have chosen to use the cookbook Skinnytaste Fast and Slow by Gina Homolka, you can learn about it here. Each recipe has the calorie, fat, sat fat, cholesterol, carb, fiber, protein, sugars, and sodium counts listed.  The recipe that I have made for this week is Sweet 'n' Spicy Salmon with Stir-Fried Veggies, on page 211.      
        Ingredient list:  salmon, salt, Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Sriracha Sauce, canola oil, garlic, fresh ginger, bok choy (or other green vegetable), shiitake mushrooms, red and yellow bell peppers.
        This is my absolute favorite new way to serve salmon...oh, my goodness is the combination of sweet and spicy and also spicy&spicy a really good one, I may be making this one every week for the whole month.  This particular combination of stir-fried vegetables is also very nice, and easy to find at the market always. The textures are all different and the flavors compliment each other nicely.  Definitely worthy of a repeat, over and over and over. 
        To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

Cookbook Countdown #13: Fish Fillets in Foil Packets with Curried Vegetables and Middle Eastern Brown Rice

       This month for Cookbook Countdown #13 I have chosen to use The New American Heart Association Cookbook (8th Edition). The recipes that I have made for this week are Fish Fillets in Foil Packets with Curried Vegetables (p. 170) and Middle Eastern Brown Rice (p. 471).      
        Ingredient list:  For the fish and vegetables - salmon, freshly ground pepper, green onions, thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers, curry powder, white wine, lemon juice, olive oil (I used this instead of margarine which I never use); For the rice - olive oil, onion, celery, brown rice, water, chicken broth, raisins, orange zest, orange sections, and ground cloves.

        Cooking fish in foil (I use parchment) is nothing out of the ordinary here but I was interested in trying the variations in the cookbook as they had several with various combinations of veggies and spices.  You do cook the veggies in their sauce for a little bit before adding to the packet so they were nicely done as the packet itself only takes 12 minutes to cook.  I liked the texture of the peppers and onions cooked this way and the sauce flavored the salmon nicely.  Definitely worthy of a repeat.
        To go with the flavors of the fish packet, I found this rice recipe in the book, and I'm very happy I did as it was such a nice "go with," complimenting the fish, veggies, and sauce just right.  Mark is not the biggest rice fan, but he likes it if it has different seasonings and flavors, so this was a hit with him as well.  The bits of veggies and fruits were really good, the taste of cloves gave mid-eastern flair  Definitely worthy of a repeat.

        I have enjoyed getting to know this cookbook this month and cooking various recipes from it.  I will continue to explore and cook from it, and it may show up here at Cookbook Countdown again this year.  I would recommend this cookbook for its lovely recipes, whether you are looking to improve your heart health or not.  Well worth the price of the book to have it in your collection.
        To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

 

Cookbook Countdown #13: Snapper with Fresh Tomatoes and Capers, Stuffed Mushrooms, and Greek Pasta Salad

       This month for Cookbook Countdown #13 I have chosen to use The New American Heart Association Cookbook (8th Edition). The recipes that I have made for this week are Snapper with Fresh Tomatoes and Capers (p. 168), Stuffed Mushrooms (p. 25), and Greek Pasta Salad (p. 114). (Note:  The mushrooms look very dark in this photo for some reason, but they weren't at all overdone or this dark.)      
        Ingredient list:  For the Snapper - snapper, green onions, tomatoes, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and salt; For the Mushrooms - mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green onions, whole grain fresh bread crumbs, egg white, Parmesan cheese, and salt-free Italian seasoning; For the Greek Pasta Salad - rotini, peas, red bell pepper, cucumber, green onion, fat-free feta cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free yogurt, light mayonnaise, dill, ground pepper.

        Snapper is not something we make a lot of, but this Sunday I deviated from the typical salmon to use this recipe in the book for snapper and was rewarded with a wonderful fish dish with a gorgeous and delicious sauce.  I will be making this one again.  Definitely a repeat.
        Mark loves mushrooms so when we first got this cookbook, he went through it and put stars by all the recipes that he wanted me to make...every single mushroom recipe was starred, so I have been working my way through those.  This was a really good stuffed mushroom, full of flavor and cooked nicely, not at all mushy...really, it did not look this dark in person.  Definitely a repeat. 
       We like Pasta Salad as a general rule, but I wasn't too certain of this one as we don't usually make creamy pasta salad as a general rule, preferring olive oil based pasta salads much more.  And such was the case with this recipe, it was nice, it tasted good, but I think I could take the same ingredients and use olive oil instead of the creamy bits and be more than happy with the result.  I'm glad I made it, but I probably won't make this one again and if I did I would lessen the amount of raw green onion as it was a bit much.  It was a nice addition to the meal but nothing outstanding.
       To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

 

Cookbook Countdown #13: Ginger-Walnut Salmon and Asparagus, Tangy Carrots, and Mushrooms with White Wine and Shallots

       This month for Cookbook Countdown #13 I have chosen to use The New American Heart Association Cookbook (8th Edition). The recipes that I have made for this week are Ginger-Walnut Salmon and Asparagus (p. 159), Tangy Carrots (p.  438), and Mushrooms with White Wine and Shallots (p. 451). (Note: While this looks like a huge plate of food, it all actually is resting on a salad plate.  The salmon is a 4 oz. portion size so you can kind of use that as a reference.)

        Ingredient list:  For the Salmon - salmon, asparagus, brown sugar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, gingerroot, walnuts, and crystallized ginger; For the Carrots - carrots, shallot, Dijon, lime juice, pepper, salt, and parsley; For the Mushrooms - mushrooms, shallots, white wine, parsley, and pepper.
        Sticking with Salmon on Sundays, and wanting to try as many of the salmon recipes in this book as possible, I picked this one as it is cooked in foil/parchment with a little sauce.  I love cooking fish in parchment and 90% of the time, that is how I make fish here.  I don't do too many sauces, but I think this book likes to focus on giving flavor to food without added fat and salt, so this seems to be a great way to do that with this sauce.  We did like the taste very much, although the next time I will make half the sauce stated as it was quite a bit more than we needed.  The walnuts and crystallized ginger were really good, giving it a nice little texture and crunch. The instructions were to cook the asparagus in with the salmon (the salmon on top of the asparagus) but I don't like my vegetables touching my fish while they are cooking, so I just roasted the asparagus separately in the oven with the salmon packet.  Definitely a repeat.
        The sides were equally easy and pleasing.  The carrots received their flavor from the mustard and lime juice, which really did taste nice together.  The mushrooms were great with a shallot/wine sauce that reminded me of my old days cooking in Whisk Wednesdays with all the French combinations, minus the copious amounts of butter.  All in all, these three recipes were delicious, easy, and definitely ones to be repeated, with this much flavor, we really didn't miss the salt and butter we normally would have used in these recipes. 
       To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

 

Cookbook Countdown #13: Baked Salmon with Cucumber Relish, Orange Sweet Potatoes, and Green Bean and Tomato Toss

       This month for Cookbook Countdown I have chosen to use The New American Heart Association Cookbook (8th Edition). The recipes that I have made for this week are Baked Salmon with Cucumber Relish (p. 160), Orange Sweet Potatoes (p.  467), and Green Bean and Tomato Toss (p. 93). (Note: While this looks like a huge plate of food, it all actually is resting on a salad plate.  The salmon is a 4 oz. portion size and the sweet potato is half of a small one so you can kind of use that as a reference.)

        Ingredient list:  For the Salmon - salmon, pepper, salt, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno; For the Sweet Potatoes - sweet potatoes, orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, cinnamon; For the Green Beans - green beans, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, pepper, and salt.
       We almost always have salmon for dinner on Sunday so I am thinking these are the recipes I want to try first from this book.  It is nice to have different seasonings and sauces to try with the salmon.  The salmon was cooked simply with just a bit of pepper and very little salt, I baked mine in parchment in the oven that way.  The yogurt mixture was quick and easy, same with the cucumber/onion/jalapeno relish, each took only a few minutes and added a nice taste and texture to the salmon, cooling and fresh with a bit of kick from the jalapeno.  Definitely a repeat.
        The sides were equally easy and pleasing.  The sweet potato I just roasted in the oven with the salmon (cut it in half lengthwise and lay it cut side down on a baking tray after scoring the cut side in a grid pattern...I put it in while the oven is preheating and by the time the oven is ready and I put the salmon packet in, the sweet potato finishes at the same time as the salmon).  After it roasted, I scooped it out and mashed it with the flavorings in the recipe. This is really delicious, the flavor of orange and cinnamon with the sweet potato is marvelous.  Next time I would leave out the brown sugar as we felt the sweet potato is sweet enough without it, however it does add a little depth of the sweet flavor with its caramel undertones.  The green beans and tomatoes are a straight up dish with the added mustard giving them a little punch of flavor that went nicely with the salmon.  All in all, these three recipes were delicious, easy, and definitely ones to be repeated. 
       To see what the others have cooked this month, click here.  It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine, the people who publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and I like to honor that by encouraging others to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.

 

Cookbook Countdown #13: Orange Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

        As I was visiting around looking at the various contributions this week at Cookbook Countdown, I noticed a sweet little cookie recipe made by Kimmy, Orange Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, and her description of it sounded just right, i.e. "not too sweet...I left out a lot of the sugar." 

       I had all the ingredients on hand, figured I could whip them up in no time, and straighten up my pantry cupboard while they baked. I made a quarter of a recipe and it gave me 9 smallish cookies, perfect for just a little nibble or two when you are wanting something a little sweet, a little orange, and a little vanilla. The recipe went together perfectly as she said, I let them bake a couple minutes longer as I like cookies with crispy edges. Definitely a keeper, thanks, Kimmy. 

       Kimmy has great photos and the recipe if you want to hop on over and check it out here.

Cookbook Countdown #13: Sesame-Orange Salmon

       Last January my good friend and food blogging buddy, Margaret of Tea and Scones, told me about a new group that was starting up, one in which you could not only choose your own recipe, but could also select your own cookbook each month.  I was intrigued and hoped to join in right away.  Last year being what it was, that didn't happen, so now I am regrouping a year later and sallying forth with the intention/hope of being a fairly regular participant at Cookbook Countdown.  Cookbook Countdown was started by Joyce of Kitchen Flavors and Emily of Emily’s Cooking {Makan2} Foray. The concept for the group is to encourage participants to truly use the cookbooks they own and might not be using as much as they like.  This sounds like a great idea to me as I have many cookbooks that I wish I was cooking from a bit more and I figure that this might be a way to make that happen.  Each month one can choose whichever cookbook seems inspiring and cook one or as many recipes from that book as desired, posting and linking to the main site. 

       This month for Cookbook Countdown I have chosen to use The New American Heart Association Cookbook (8th Edition).  In August our son Alex died at the age of 23.  Two weeks later my husband had a heart attack brought on by intense grief and stress.  As part of his rehab, it was recommended that he follow a heart-friendly diet and we have been embracing that these past four months, hoping to follow a healthy cooking plan for the most part, and using the not-so-healthy items as a once-in-awhile-in-small-amounts kind of thing.  Choosing this book for this month feels very good to me, a chance to explore healthier recipe options of foods we already enjoy, and a place to share my findings.  The first recipe I have chosen to make from the book is Sesame-Orange Salmon, found on page 166.

        Ingredient list:  salmon, fresh orange juice, orange zest, sesame seeds, salt-free lemon pepper, soy sauce (lowest sodium possible), and toasted sesame oil.
       We usually eat salmon once a week, so this seemed a fine place to start as the heart-healthy diet recommends fish 2-3 times a week.  The added benefit of cooking fish is that it is quick and easy.  Most of the time we just add a little seasoning and are good to go, and many times I do serve it with lemon. The idea of using orange juice and zest sounded good to me and it was, especially with the addition of the Asian flavors that I enjoy.  The sauce was light and not overpowering.  Definitely a repeat, this is one I could make over and over and not tire of it.
       To see what the others have cooked this month, click here. It is the policy on this blog not to publish recipes that are not mine.  It always seems to me that the people who do publish recipes go to a lot of time, trouble, and expense to do so and that I should honor that by encouraging you to purchase the book or check it out from a lending library.  Thank you for understanding.  I do post the general ingredients for each recipe so perhaps you can have a go at it from that alone.