The Peanut Butter Boy

Summer is here! The longest day of the year has recently passed and it's time to get those grills fired up. I don't have a grill at my apartment in California, so now that I'm home in NY it's time for some serious grilling, because there's nothing quite like an outdoor BBQ in the summertime: friends, family, fun, the fourth (of July) and fabulous food (from fire and flames).

The one dish that reminds me most of summer is raspberry brownie. Anyone that's been to my house on July 4th knows what it is and has never forgotten it. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason everyone comes back to our party every year. I won't taunt you any further with it, because I'll be posting the (unbelievably simple) recipe the week before the Fourth. Other than the aforementioned delectable dessert, cheeseburgers are my second favorite summer food. And here's a great way to jumpstart your summer, some flavored hamburgers.

I've been making these ever since I got a burger cookbook a few years back. The book has some great recipes in it, but I've only made this one - once you taste them, you'll see why. I usually make them with beef but decided to try pork this time and was pleasantly surprised. If you can't find lean ground pork, ask the butcher to grind up a pork tenderloin for you, it's the same thing. The tenderloin is the most tender part of the animal and makes these burgers melt in your mouth.

I always think I have the quantities memorized but I'm always way off from the original recipe. The way I make it has a lot more spinach, cheddar and seasoning which I think makes for a tastier burger anyway. Now I think it goes something like this...

Ingredients:

20 oz (1.25 lb) lean ground pork, beef or soy-based "beef"
1 cup shredded nonfat cheddar cheese
1 (10oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Instructions:

Quite simple, really. Mix the ingredients together very well, form into 6 or 7 patties and grill or broil until well done. The cheese crisps up very nice and adds a great texture to the burger. I usually dress the burger up with a slice of cheese, shredded cabbage (far superior to lettuce in my opinion) and ketchup.

When I don't have grill access, I'll cook it in a pan on medium heat. It takes a little longer too cook all the way through, but it comes out super crispy.


Additional Info:

I've never actually tried it with a soy-based "beef" like GimmeLean, although I've been meaning to. If anyone gives it a whirl, let me know. I think the lean pork is more tender than the lean beef and don't find much of a difference in taste, especially because the onion soup mix adds a very strong but incredible flavor to the burger.

PS - Don't forget about The Great Peanut Butter Exhibition #3 - Cakes & Cupcakes, the deadline is a little over a week away - June 30th @ 12pm!

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 21, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Ring ring! We've got a double winner here! I was reading someone's blog a few weeks ago and they mentioned that they had entered a contest at chow.com. The contest was called the Share Your Discovery Contest, inviting you to describe a memorable food encounter. I saved the website and decided to write my most memorable experience later on if time permitted. A few days later I had a few hours in the evening with nothing to do. I remembered the contest and spent about an hour writing up a short essay on my food experience. I'm sure it's of no surprise, my fellow readers, that the experience contained peanut butter. For a few weeks I forgot about it until I received an email announcing that the grand prize winner was selected. I almost deleted the email because I thought it was spam, but opened it and realized it wasn't an email to all the contest participants, only me: I won the grand prize! You can read my entry and see the prize here: Share Your Discovery Contest.

I find it funny that one of the judging criteria was "writing skills". I've never been a good writer and the GRE's confirmed that: I took them twice and couldn't get better than a 3.5 out of 6 on the writing section, which is apparently a pretty bad score. But, I won, so take that GRE's!

The other winner here? These tacos of course. Nothing fancy, nothing gourmet, no peanut butter but somehow still delicious. I used a vegetarian soy-based taco filling, but ground beef with seasoning would work just as well. Nothing homemade here, but a perfect light and fresh taco, the real winner here being the salsa.

Ingredients:

2 soft whole wheat or corn tortillas
1/2 cup vegetarian taco filling (or ground beef)
1/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup pineapple-mango salsa
5 canned black olives, sliced in half

Instructions:

1. Heat the tortillas in a warm skillet until lightly toasted on each side. Remove the tortillas and heat up the taco filling in the skillet.

2. Place the tortillas on a plate and pile on the taco filling. Add the remaining ingredients in the order listed, roll up and enjoy!

Additional Info:

I buy the pineapple-mango salsa from Costco, it costs about $5 for a 2lb jug. I ate the first pound in one sitting with Homemade Tortilla Chips, but saved the rest for tacos. This salsa is deadly, but any fresh and fruity salsa will compliment these tacos beautifully.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 14, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I grew up in New York - Long Island to be precise. We don't take pizza lightly over there, it's a serious affair. When I think of pizza, I think of Little Vincent's or Rosa's (LI), Giovanni's or Benny Tudino's (NJ), Alligator Lounge (Brooklyn) or any of the thousand's of pizza shops on the side of the street (NYC). Now that I'm in Davis, California, I have yet to see a pizza that I'm willing to eat. When I first got here, I attended a function of some sort for grad students (there was a promise of free food after all). When it came time to eat, the familiar flat cardboard boxes arrived. Inside, though, was some circular bread with random glops of stuff in the middle. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but it wasn't pizza. I went home and cried.

Now I've heard rumors of passable pizza places here in CA such as Pizza Orgasmica or even Round Table (really?), but my hopes aren't very high. I believe it's the same reason that bagels over here are terrible (don't get me started on these too). I've heard the reason is the water. The east coast has certain minerals (or lack of minerals, not sure which) in the water which help the dough maintain a perfect chewiness and achieve a crisp texture when baked.

In any case, I longed for pizza the other day. A while ago I purchased some Whole Wheat Pizza Dough from Trader Joe's that was sitting in the freezer. I love it not only because it's $1, but also because it's not pre-baked so you can do anything with it. It needs (pun intended) a bit of working but eventually the dough gives in and takes shape. By no means is this an authentic New York pizza, but at least the crust was thin and crispy. I posted a BBQ Chicken Pizza a while ago, but this one is better all around. As much as I love a plain slice of Little V's, something about BBQ chicken pizza always gets me. Now step on in and take a look at Peanut Butter Boy's version...

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pizza dough (Trader Joe's)
1 (10oz) can chicken breast, drained
Spicy BBQ sauce (I use Stubb's)
3T creamy peanut butter

1/2 red onion, sliced thin and cut in half
10oz sliced mushrooms
2 cups (8oz) nonfat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup nonfat ricotta cheese (Calabra rocks!)
olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Split the dough in half (or quarters) and place on a floured surface, I used whole wheat pastry flour because that's all I had. It takes quite a bit of working, but those crusts you see above are made by hand, I don't have a rolling pin. Work the dough with your hands, folding it over and pushing it down with your fingertips repeatedly until it begins to hold its shape when flattened. The dough will want to form a ball again, so add flour liberally to prevent this. Also, make sure that the surface underneath the dough is always floured or it will stick. Using 1 dough, I made 4 of those pizza's you see above, so don't be afraid that the dough is too thin. Press out to desired thickness and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes.

2. While the dough is pre-baking, sauté the mushrooms in a pan with cooking spray, salt and pepper until the mushrooms are tender. Dump the chicken into a bowl with the peanut butter and enough BBQ sauce to make a spreadable sauce, using a fork to mix and break up any chunks of chicken (if you insist, you can omit the peanut butter...shame on you).

3. When the dough is done, remove and spread with PBBBQ Chicken sauce to cover the crust within 1/2 inch of the edge. Add the mushrooms to the pizza and sprinkle the onion rings on top. Dollop plenty of ricotta cheese on top and top with cheddar cheese. Drizzle the top with a bit of olive oil to help it crisp. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown.

Additional Info:

Don't throw out those crusts! During consumption I keep the container of ricotta by my side. When I get down to the crust, I spread some on each bite. As kids, we always spread butter on our crust and it was the best. Alternatively, dip the crust in some olive oil and salt.

Before I forget, I've been given an award! I've also been tagged! I've actually been tagged several times recently, but since I previously posted some embarrassing facts about mysself, I dodged it for a while. But this time, I have some questions to answer.


Check out my award! I got it from Julie over at Peanut Butter and Julie. It's called the Arte y Pico award and is given to people who are creative and have a penchant for art. Whoever it is bestowed upon must present it to 5 other bloggers and let them know. More about that in a moment.

I've also been tagged by Chocolate Moosey. Accordingly, I must answer the following questions and tag other bloggers to do the same, piece of cake!

What were you doing 10 years ago?
1998 - I was 13, so I suppose I was in 8th grade. I don't have as good a picture to show this time as last time, but I was probably a little less dorky than that infamous picture. Although at the time I played lots of video games. I also went to computer camp that summer, was on the mathletes team and was 2 years ahead in Math.....=(

What are five (non-work) things on your to-do list for today?
Laundry, proofread final project (seriously, check this thing out, it's ridiculous), gym, grocery store, contact old friends.

Five snacks you enjoy?
A jar of Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter and a knife
Kashi GoLean Crunch
A piece of Lindt, Vere or Marie Belle 70-75% cocoa dark chocolate
Peanut butter chocolate chip rice cake spread with peanut butter
Jelly beans

Five things you would do if you were a billionaire
I already am a billionaire in my mind, I've got a wonderful loving family and girlfriend...not to mention 10 jars of peanut butter in the cabinet. Could a guy want anything more? (Awww...)

Places you have lived?
Long Island, NY
Hoboken, NJ
Madrid, Spain
Davis, CA

Jobs you have had?
Research Fellow
Teaching Assistant
Assistant Engineer
IT Help Desk (shudder)
Helper at my Dad's company
Garbage pickup around my Dad's offices (I think this one payed the best)

Ok! I bestow the Arte y Pico award AND tag the following people:

Have Cake Will Travel
Veggie Girl
Life, Love, and Food
Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried
Down Home Dieting

Labels: dinner, peanut butter, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jun 9, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Firstly, a thanks to Elise for hosting and Garrett for organizing the Sacramento area food bloggers potluck today. It was a great time and the food was incredible and aplenty, as expected. I even managed to leave not feeling like an overstuffed goose (see foie gras). I forgot to take a picture of the Indonesian pork meatballs I made, but they seemed to be a hit so I'll be making them again soon.

Have you ever had a corndog? I haven't, or at least not until I made these puppies. I've seen them at street fairs in Manhattan and the county fair but never got to experience one. Recently, some friends were talking about a chain called Hot Dog on a Stick that I, being from the East Coast, had never heard of. They were discussing how good the corn dogs were and since then, the cravings began. Soon after, I flipped on the Food Channel and saw a show all about the Hot Dog on a Stick chain. The cravings intensified.

I set out to make my own, but I wanted them to be different. First of all, I didn't want to deep fry them for several reasons, one being I didn't want to buy a gallon of oil and waste a whole pot of it to make one corndog (the rest of the batter was to become Peanut Butter Cornbread). Secondly, I recently learned of potential frying hazards (oil explosions) from Garrett and Elise while trying to fry dense foods. I opted to attempt a baked version, but a "baked corndog" recipe is difficult to find! I figured that the coating was basically a variant of cornbread and could be baked in a similar fashion. So the hunt was on for a healthy cornbread recipe. I couldn't find one that satisfied me, so I had to concoct my own. As cornbread, it was tasty although a little dry, but you can read more about that on the cornbread post. But on these hotdogs, it was great! I suppose I have nothing to compare it to, but it was moist and flavorful and the hint of peanut butter was a pleasant surprise.

The recipe below is almost identical to the Peanut Butter Cornbread recipe except that the amount of liquid is reduced for a thicker batter. You can probably use any cornbread batter if you reduce the liquid. I'd be interested to hear any attempts/results.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups masa harina (or cornmeal)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1T baking powder
1t salt
2T honey
1 1/3 cups skim or soy milk
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter w/ salt

2 packages low-fat hotdogs
popsicle sticks or chopsticks

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients (first four) in a large bowl and combine the wet ingredients (honey, milk and peanut butter) in a medium bowl. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well.

2. Insert wooden stick of choice into the hot dog, at least half way through. Dip into the batter and spin around a couple of times. Use a butter knife to spread on more batter if necessary. Place finished corndogs on tinfoil and immediately place in the oven so the batter doesn't drip to the bottom. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until a nice medium-brown color develops on top.

3. Dip into ketchup and honey dijon mustard, yum!


Additional Info:

I use Hebrew National 97% Fat-Free Hotdogs because according to Dan Aykroyd in "The Great Outdoors", hotdogs are made from "lips and assholes". Hopefully these ones have a little less of that and a little more meat.

By the way, a thanks to everyone for your entries to the Peanut Butter Exhibition #2 - Breakfast. The turnout wasn't as large as the first time, but it's a wonderful and eclectic mix of recipes! I'll be posting the results soon!

Labels: dinner, lunch, peanut butter, protein, snack

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Posted by Nick on Jun 1, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I'm a mutt - a healthy mixture of Irish, Swedish, French, English and something else. But I'm not Mexican. Not even a little bit. At least that's what my parents tell me. But I think otherwise. Mexican food is in my list of top 2 favorite cuisines, the other being Japanese. I've often mentioned my love affair with Mexican food, both the authentic and Americanized versions of it, but have never explained (or pondered) why. So I gave it a little thought.

Traditionally, these cuisines are very simple. Authentic Japanese food can be as simple as fresh fish and rice. Authentic Mexican food is as simple as grilled meat, beans and corn tortillas. And every time we visit my girlfriends Mexican side of the family, that's exactly what we eat: grilled steak, boiled beans and grilled corn tortillas. Sure there are always extras like salsa, guacamole and chips, but I feel the simplicity adds to the appeal. When you minimize the components you open up the natural flavors of the ingredients. I found the same to be true in Spain. I lived there for 4 months and found the cuisine to be quite unique. Spanish cuisine is traditionally very plain: they generally avoid salt and spices in their dishes and you'll rarely find condiments like ketchup or mustard. At first, it was hard to get used to, but by the end of those 4 months I loved it. I think in many cases, less is more.

Refried beans are a passion of mine. I could eat an entire bowl for dinner and be satisfied. For me, a good bowl of refried beans has a smooth texture with plenty of chunks, not dry but not too liquidy either. It also needs to be perfectly salted. I have tried many brands of canned refried beans. In fact, I keep a list of all the good and bad refried beans from a can, most brands being terrible. But then one day I decided to give up the canned variety and make my own, how hard could it be? Rather than scour the internet for a recipe, I headed over to Elise's blog and got the inspiration from her Refried Beans. If you've never been, you must visit her blog: she produces some killer Mexican dishes. Starting from there, I created a quick and excellent side dish that often ends up being my main dish. If you do make these (and you should), I highly recommend some Homemade Tortilla Chips for dipping, they are the perfect combo.

Also, don't forget about the Peanut Butter Exhibition #2 - Breakfast! The deadline is fast approaching: this Friday, May 30th at Noon (PST), so get your entries in, we've only got 1 entry so far!

Ingredients:
2 cups dry pinto beans
1 large onion, chopped
1T olive oil
garlic salt or regular salt, to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with about 3 inches of water and a good amount of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer, about 1 1/2 hours. The beans are done when they are very tender and the skins begin to burst open.

2. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the oil and cook the onions until slightly browned.

3. When the beans are done, drain them and return them to the pot. Using a potato masher or other device (I use the end of a meat mallet), mash the beans to the desired consistency, adding water, as needed, to keep the beans moist. Turn the heat on to medium and add the onions and cheese (if using). Continue to add more water and salt as needed. Serve hot, using Homemade Tortilla Chips to dip.

Additional Info:

I have yet to work peanut butter into this dish, but I am working on it and will post back when the results are in.

I've been tagged by Cassie from Fast, Fresh and Fit. I was actually tagged for the same thing a little while ago when I posted Tag and the Art of Hiding, although I don't recommend you read it, the last one is a bit embarrassing =).

Labels: dinner, fiber, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on May 23, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Sometimes you just need to mix it up. Give it a whirl. Put your left foot in, put your left foot out. Dance with the devil. How did I change it up? Well, for the first time since I moved to Davis last September I did not see my girlfriend this past weekend. Shocking, I know. Every weekend either she comes here or I go there (San Francisco). Granted on Thursday she had off from work and came up for the day before flying to LA on Friday, but my weekend schedule was still wide open and girlfriend-free. While she took the trip down to LA to visit some friends, what did I do? Throw an impromptu party of course.

With limited planning, my roommate and I had a BBQ Saturday afternoon with some friends. The park across the street from us has grills and large open fields for sports. We threw down some super-lean burgers, low-fat hot dogs, grilled zucchini (the best grilled vegetable ever when prepared correclty), BBQ beans and tortilla chips, and of course some sangria. Long story short, it was too hot for sports (over 105 degrees) and we had grill troubles (does anyone know how to use a charcoal grill?) causing the sun to cook the burgers as fast as the grill. It was a good time though and eventually the food cooked and was quite tasty.

All this talk of changing it up and doing the hokey pokey, what does this have to do with fried bulgur? Well, I love leftovers. Unlike most people, I can eat leftovers multiple times a day for several days without tiring of them. A little while ago I mentioned my newest creation, Edamame Bulgur, and promised a delicious way to use the leftovers. I had been eating a plate of turkey tenderloin slices with a side of the edamame bulgur for several days and wanted to mix things up. There was only one serving of each left and during my trek to the kitchen I came up with a great idea for lunch!

I used to love Chinese food in college, but I no longer find it appealing, or at least not the cheap Americanized stuff. But one thing I will always love is fried rice. Pork fried rice was my favorite but even better was the Japanese version of fried rice at hibachi's like Benihana. Not the healthiest of menu items, but it certainly could be. Quick and simple, here's a single-serving recipe for a heart-healthy fried dish! You could substitute any leftover grain here but you might want to add a bit of soy sauce/sake to make up for the flavor of the Edamame Bulgur. This recipe can and should be tripled or sextupled.

Ingredients:

1 cup leftover Edamame Bulgur
3T chopped red onions
2oz leftover turkey or pork, shredded
1/4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg)
1t olive oil

Instructions:

Add the oil to a medium skillet and place on high heat. Once the oil begins to thin, add the red onions and sauté until they become translucent. Add the turkey and brown the mixture slightly. Add the bulgur, stirring often, until the mixture becomes a little brown and crispy. Add the egg and let it cook a little bit before mixing. Chop the cooked egg into small chunks and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.

Additional Info:

I'm sorry I missed the Chinese Take-Out Party at Mochachocolata-Rita's blog. If I had the time, I would have entered this dish for sure!

Labels: dinner, fiber, protein

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Posted by Nick on May 20, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Reminder: Don't forget about Peanut Butter Exhibition #1 - Cookies. This is the last weekend to work on your winning entry, the final submission date is Monday, April 28th!

When you think of Persian cuisine, what do you think of? I think of nothing because I've never had it. For example, does the name "Khoresh Fesenjan" ring a bell with you? Me neither. But I discovered a recipe a while ago (which loosely translates to Chicken Pomegranate Stew) and thought it to be such a unique combination of ingredients with so much potential for variations! But a hearty stew needs something else to accompany it...

On a recent trip home to New York, my mother and I were on the hunt for some dinner. We were undecided where to go and somehow a quaint little restaurant on the corner called Rice grabbed our attention. Neither of us particularly like rice, we prefer hearty, chewy & nutty grains, but we assumed that a place named "Rice" would offer dishes with unique types of rice. We were correct. The food was delicious, but the best part? You guessed it, the rice. We both ordered the same rice because it just sounded too good - Thai black rice with edamame peas. The price was very reasonable (for NYC) and the presentation was simple but elegant. After that night, I hadn't thought about the rice for a while until I needed a quick grain and happened to have a bag of frozen edamame handy. I quickly looked up a recipe and modified it to my liking.

So what do you get when you cross a Persian-inspired dish with an Asian-inspired dish? Apparently you get the best meal ever. I tested the dish on several people and wowed them all! My girlfriend tends to shy away from eating the same dish 2 meals in a row, so the following day she declined the remaining leftovers for lunch, leaving them to me. However, it was a different story once she smelled it and my lunch began to quickly disappear.

The original version of the stew calls for chicken thighs and ground walnuts. The cooking time was also over 2 1/2 hours to allow the walnuts to release their oil and thicken the stew. Well I found a shortcut/substitution to release the oil (begins with "peanut" and ends with "butter"), and exchanged the chicken thighs with lean turkey which requires less cooking time lest you want dried-out meat.

The stew makes a lot because the portion size is small due to it's filling nature, especially when eaten with the bulgur. Be sure to prepare a full or double batch of the bulgur. It only takes 15 minutes to cook but you'll want extra (I like eating it cold), plus in a few posts I'll give you a great recipe for any leftovers.

Turkey Pomegranate Stew:
1T olive oil
20oz turkey tenderloin, chopped into small cubes
1 white onion, chopped
3/4 cup peanut butter (I mixed peanut and almond butter)
1t salt
3-4 cups 100% pomegranate juice
1/2t cinnamon
1/2t cardamom (optional)

Edamame Bulgur:
1 cup bulgur
2 cups water
2T sake
1T soy sauce (full salt)
1t salt
1 cup shelled edamame, fresh or frozen

Instructions:

1. To prepare the stew, heat the oil in a medium pot on high heat and cook the onions and turkey until the turkey is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in 3 cups of pomegranate juice and the rest of the ingredients. Turn down the heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender but not dry, stirring occasionally. Add pomegranate juice as needed to thin the stew or to create more broth (I used a full 4 cups, I suggest 3 to 3 1/2).

2. To prepare the bulgur, place all ingredients except the edamame in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Throw in the edamame and continue to cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Add water, as needed, to keep the bulgur from getting too dry.

3. To serve, fill 1/3 to 1/2 of a bowl with the bulgur as shown below and spoon the stew in the other half:

Labels: dinner, fiber, peanut butter, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 23, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Quick. Easy. Simple. Delicious. Nutritious. All perfect ways to describe this well balanced meal. You've got your lean protein, whole grain starch, vegetables and healthy fats. The difference with this meal is that I simply baked everything, there are really no recipes here. I normally shy away from prepared items because I like knowing and controlling what goes into my food, but this dinner was perfect and I feel as if I couldn't have done any better. I will, however, share with you the components of this meal and where to find them. However, I urge you to try making these items yourself and share the results!

To start off the past weekend in San Francisco, I ventured into Whole Foods and found a pre-made "Garlic Basil Polenta" from Food Merchants. I'd been meaning to try polenta for a while now and I love garlic in anything so this seemed like a no-brainer. The great thing about this package is that it stays good for a while until opened. I figure I'll make homemade polenta next time around (favorite recipes anyone?).

Then, a quick stop at Trader Joe's on the way home to pick up some "Curry Chicken Tenders", a bright yellow package of perfectly seasoned and marinated chicken tenders. Pre-seasoned meats are usually pretty harmless and in this case they are especially delicious.

I had made the chicken tenders once before and they were great but needed some sort of sauce, preferably a dipping sauce - here's where the good stuff comes in. Curry is used in many cuisines but one that I'm particularly fond of is Thai cuisine. My favorite Thai dish of all time is, you guessed it, peanut sauce. Why not combine the two? The only problem is that I don't have a good recipe for peanut sauce - I've tried two different ones and was thoroughly disappointed (recipes anyone?). I don't like pre-made sauces, but I do have a favorite "Peanut Sauce Mix" by A Taste of Thai. The package has two inner envelopes so you can make one at a time (although they don't mention that on the package). It calls for using a 13.5 oz can of coconut milk, which dribbles down to just over 3/4 cup per envelope. Coconut milk, while more authentic, is high in fat and my preferred replacement is light vanilla soymilk. Somehow, the vanilla makes up for the lack of coconut flavor which is not missed one bit.

As the Peanut Butter Boy, I feel ashamed not making my own peanut sauce, but the mix is so darn simple and tasty. Plus, it beats getting 14 ingredients together including not-on-hand-oddities like fish sauce and getting it ready in time while 3 other items are cooking simultaneously. Read on to see the components of this superb store-bought dinner.

Ingredients:

1 package Curry Chicken Tenders (Trader Joe's)
1 package Garlic Basil Polenta (Food Merchants)
1lb asparagus spears
1 envelope Peanut Sauce Mix (A Taste of Thai)
1/2 cup light vanilla soymilk (Vitasoy)
2T creamy natural peanut butter
1t olive oil
kosher salt (medium grain)
1t honey (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse asparagus and dry completely. Pour about 1tsp olive oil into the palm of your hand and grab half of the asparagus with the other hand. Coat the asparagus spears with oil using your hands and place on a baking sheet in one layer. Grab the other half of the asparagus and coat with the remaining oil on your hands. Once all of the asparagus is on the sheet, generously sprinkle with salt. Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes, or until very tender.

2. Cook chicken tenders via preferred method. I grill them on my George Foreman grill for 6-7 minutes at 350 degrees, but a regular grill or oven work just as well.

3. In a small saucepan heat peanut sauce mix, soymilk, peanut butter and honey to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat and let thicken.

4. Place a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/3" thick slices and place in the skillet. Spray the top of the polenta with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side, or until crispy and browned on both sides.

Additional Info:

If you time it right you can enjoy everything hot! I got lucky with the timing, but if you need to choose, make sure the polenta is hot and crispy, you can always microwave the chicken and asparagus.

Labels: dinner, peanut butter, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 20, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

I love Mexican food. I can't get enough of it. Other than peanut butter, Mexican food is what keeps me going. The savory meats, refried beans, tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives... Perhaps not all of those are authentic, but they certainly manage to make their way into my Mexican-inspired dishes. The one ingredient that hasn't yet made it into my Mexican cooking is peanut butter. I don't want to simply throw in peanut butter for the sake of adding peanut butter, I want it to work and complement the dish. So for now, this dish is peanut butterless, but don't let that deter you!

If you didn't already know, on the right side of the screen you can click "More Categories" in the "Categories" menu block and click on "Mexican Dishes" at the bottom. Recipes there include my famous & super healthy Enchiladas, Mexican Bean Pie, a recently updated 7-layer Bean Dip and of course, Homemade Tortilla Chips.

This recipe is a little different. I never had a good chile verde, only a bite of some fatty pork in a "chile verde taco" once. After exploring the Mexican recipes on Elise's outstanding blog, Simply Recipes, I stumbled upon her version of Chile Verde and immediately fell in love with the picture. The recipe was enticing, but tomatillos are difficult to find around here. If you've got the time and the means, I suggest following her method for the homemade tomatillo salsa, but it came out delicious with the store-bought salsa and it was much faster. To create this recipe, I combined what I thought was the best of several different recipes to make a healthy, quick and delicious chile verde while trying to maintain authenticity. This dish is very spicy (depending upon the salsa you get), but my Dad and I were raving for days about this one.

I've already made this dish twice in a week's time, once with a slow cooker and once without. There wasn't much of a difference between the two, but if you've got a slow cooker (crockpot) then I don't see a good reason not to use it. Pork is more traditional in this recipe, but turkey was just as delicious and a touch healthier.

Ingredients:

20oz (1.25 lbs) pork or turkey tenderloins, chopped into small cubes
16oz jar salsa verde (Mrs. Refreno's is excellent, but any will do)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 large onion, chopped (~1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1t oregano
pinch cloves
fat free sour cream
Tortilla Chips

Instructions:

1. Add a teaspoon of olive oil to a large pot on high heat. Add diced meat and brown on all sides as shown below, about 4-5 minutes - it's fine if the meat isn't fully cooked inside. Pour off excess grease and place the meat in a bowl on the side.


2. Return the pot to the stove and add the onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. At least point you have two options:

Stovetop method: Add the meat and oregano to the pot and cook for another minute. Dump in the jar of salsa, chicken broth and cloves. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat begins to fall apart. I used 2 turkey tenderloins and the meat began to fall apart after 1 1/2 hours, so I stopped cooking and ate!

Crockpot method: Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir until mixed. Cook on high for 3-4 hours and then on low for an additional 2-3 hours.


3. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and Homemade Tortilla Chips, for dipping.

Additional Info:

This dish is very spicy and you may not be able to eat a huge bowl of it. I suggest serving it with a nice side of homemade refried beans, a recipe I'll be sharing next.

Labels: dinner, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Apr 11, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Mac and cheese cravings are rare but powerful. My mother always made great homemade mac and cheese and until about 6th grade I had never even heard of mac and cheese from a box. One day I went to a friends house for dinner and stunned his family when I revealed this. His mom even jokingly called me "sheltered".

The menu for the evening was of course mac and cheese from a box, a weekday-night staple at their house. At first I was a bit skeptical given that my friend was also obsessed with cheese from a can. Well lets just say that boxed mac and cheese is pretty darn good, cheap and convenient but it ends there. No crispy baked cheese or noodles on the outskirts, no crumb topping and certainly no nutritional value.

This recipe is very cheesy and filling and when you make a batch as large as this, you've had your fill of dairy by the end. Intermixing some good veggies and hearty meat helps lessen the cheese overload. You can also freeze any leftovers or make a half-batch.

Ingredients:

12 oz whole wheat elbow macaroni (or rotini, penne, egg noodles)
3/4 lb lean ground beef, pork or turkey breast
12 oz fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz fat-free cottage cheese
12 oz fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup skim milk (or soymilk)
1 head broccoli, finely chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (low fat if available)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (see below to make your own)
2T smart balance light butter, melted
salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta, drain and set aside. In a large pot, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain beef, then add mushrooms and broccoli and cook until mushrooms are tender.

2. Add the cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk and plenty of salt and pepper to the beef mixture. While heating, mix together bread crumbs, Parmesan and melted butter in a small bowl.

3. Once heated through and seasoned to taste add the pasta to the beef and cheese mixture. Add milk/sour cream as needed to adjust consistency. Transfer to a 9x13 dish (it should just fit) and top with crumb topping.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Additional Info:

The best advice I can give is to serve in small portions! This is a very thick, rich and hearty meal. The measurements are pretty rough estimates: I used an entire box of pasta and the full containers or sour cream, cottage cheese and cheddar cheese.

* Homemade Bread Crumbs: Take 2 slices of soft whole wheat bread and pulse in a food processor or tear apart by hand into small pieces. Place crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until dry and crisp.

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Mar 10, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Peanut Butter is too often associated with sweet dishes ranging from mildly sweet pb&j to a rich peanut butter fudge. I find this somewhat odd considering that 99% of all peanut butter you buy in the store is salted. The only common use in a savory dish that I can think of is Thai Peanut Sauce which, when correctly prepared, is one of the greatest sauces ever.

Well, my buddy back East recently donated a jar of peanut butter via the link at the end of every post. In his payment note, he requested the jar go toward developing a grilling sauce or marinade: I guess my Peanut Butter Burger wasn't good enough for him. Pairing peanut butter with meat is a difficult task, but one that I'm up to. I believe that peanut butter naturally mixes better with poultry, but I highly recommend someone attempt this with pork or beef (perhaps a nice steak).

I used several ingredients I had on hand, and let the flavors mix together and marinate the meat overnight. The result was a rich, salty and creamy sauce that penetrated the meat and added a wonderful flavor. This is only a preliminary (and estimated) recipe, but certainly one for the books.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1T honey
2t ground ginger
2t garlic salt
2t hot chili sauce (asian chili paste)
dash pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce and honey. If you're like me and afraid it isn't mixing, then you haven't mixed enough. The result should be a smooth, thick and creamy sauce.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well, making sure to break up any clumps.

3. Place meat in a plastic bag and cover with sauce. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours or overnight. Reserve some sauce to brush on top when grilling.

Additional Info:

The resulting flavor and texture were very good. Let the meat marinate in the sauce for a while to allow it to take on the creaminess of the peanut butter. I used 2 turkey tenderloins which is 20 oz or about 1-1/4 lbs. The recipe made more than enough sauce to cover both with a little bit leftover. I recommend marinating pork tenderloins or mixing 1/4 cup sauce with 1 lb of lean ground beef before shaping into patties.

Labels: dinner, peanut butter, protein

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Posted by Nick on Feb 13, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

The enchilada. Nothing could be more delectable than a combination of meat, sauce and cheese in a steaming pile of mush. Tasty? Absolutely. Nutritious? Far from it. However, my love for Mexican cuisine coupled with my desire to increase my lifespan led to an enchilada recipe nutritious enough to consume on a daily basis, if you so desired (and I often do). This recipe is simple, versatile, quick and a huge crowd pleaser (one of my father's favorite meals). My most recent batch of enchiladas used the leftover filling from the Mexican Tortilla Pie with enough for 6 full enchiladas. The basic recipe is a staple in my house but lots of customizations are listed below. For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with a can of black beans.

Ingredients:

12-16oz cooked pork tenderloin, shredded
1 can (16oz) fat-free refried beans, preferably spicy (or homemade)
1 (8oz) container fat-free sour cream
1 (8oz) package fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
10 (8") soft whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance - Fajita Size)
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 onion, chopped

optional:

different meat (turkey tenderloin, ground beef/turkey, chicken breast)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen sweet corn
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
hot sauce
salsa

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over medium-high heat, spray a skillet with cooking spray and saute onions for 2-3 minutes. If meat is not cooked, add to skillet and cook until done. Drain the mixture if the meat produces grease.

2. Combine the refried beans, any optional ingredients and 2T enchilada sauce to the skillet, mix well and heat thoroughly. Add a few spoonfuls of sour cream to the mixture to thin it out. Spray 2 9x13 baking dishes with cooking spray and coat with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.

3. Place about 1/2 cup of the mixture down the center of a tortilla and fold the sides over (you can stuff them pretty full). Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until mixture is gone, tortillas are gone, or you run out of space to put them (you can compact them in the dish).

4. Coat the enchiladas with enchilada sauce until no dry spots remain. Generously cover cheese.

5. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Additional Info:

Once the enchilada reaches my plate, I routinely dress it in the following fashion: sour cream, hot sauce and salsa. We are now ready for consumption:

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Feb 1, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

My problem: I plan too far ahead for meals. I make a meal to feed a large family, leave enough for a meal or two, and freeze the rest. Yet every day I have this desire to try a new recipe or use new ingredients, causing those leftovers to become lodged into the ice buildup in the corner. Don't get me wrong, the frozen meals are just as delicious as they were on day 1, but I'm impatient and eager to move on to a new recipe.

Well tonight I did both. Twice now, I've discovered the pre-shaped 96% lean beef patties on sale at the store. I couldn't resist and now I have 10 frozen red coasters in the freezer that need using. Well, throughout the day I thought about this blog and decided I needed a new peanut-butter-containing recipe. I got some insight from a Food Network show in which Guy visits a diner and tries the special peanut butter burger. The cook said it wasn't for everyone (I beg to differ) and apparently it wasn't for Guy. But clearly this needs to be tested by the Peanut Butter Boy.

On top of that, I wanted to try a smoked salt I got from my mother. Smoked salt is apparently hard to find and very expensive, but the stuff is incredibly fragrant and flavor-packed. I've been meaning to try a burger with this smoked salt instead of the usual, garlic salt. In addition, I had a lot of shredded cabbage on hand and decided to make use of it. Too impatient to try them all separately, I combined them into one crazy no-limits burger. As I like to say, the proof is in the peanut butter:

Ingredients:

1/4 lb 96% lean ground beef or ground turkey breast
2 slices soft whole grain bread
1 slice fat-free american cheese
1T peanut butter
handful shredded cabbage
smoked salt or regular salt, pepper (to taste)
ketchup

Instructions:

1. Spray a small pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot toss the burger in and sprinkle smoked or regular salt and pepper on top. Spray more cooking spray on top. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

2. Flip the burger and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, depending on how you like it done. Shake some more salt and pepper on top. This is a good time to toast the bread, if desired. Place the cheese on top of the burger and let it melt.

3. When the toast and is done, spread the peanut butter onto one slice of bread and place the finished burger on top. Top with shredded cabbage. Spread ketchup on the other slice of bread and place on top. Cut in half for maximum manipulability.

4. Demonstrate to any nearby onlookers that you have put peanut butter on your hamburger and fully intend to eat it. Upon receiving a look of disgust, proceed to take a large bite and you'll probably surprise yourself when you groan in delight.

Overall Impressions:

Bread - Nice and toasty.
Peanut Butter - Added a delightful creamy texture and salty flavor.
Burger - Lean and meaty.
Smoked salt - Very fragrant while cooking, but I hardly tasted it. Next time I'll use more (I only used a pinch).
Cheese - The flavor was mostly overpowered by everything else, but the texture of melted cheese is always a welcome addition.
Cabbage - A great replacement for lettuce! Adds a great crunch and a hint of sweetness.
Ketchup - Didn't overpower or clash with the peanut butter like I thought it would. Complemented the burger as a whole and added some moisture.

Overall - I will definitely make this again! Next time, I'll use more peanut butter and try ground turkey breast (poultry tends to go better with peanut butter). The quantity of smoked salt needs to be increased to be noticed, but I will probably use regular salt next time.

Labels: dinner, peanut butter, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jan 30, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

Here's a great quick and easy recipe made mostly from cans! If you wish, you can omit the sour cream, red pepper and chives (the tortillas and unopened bag of cheese will stay good for a while in the fridge) and have this recipe on hand for a rainy night. I realize it doesn't contain peanut butter (yet) but it sure is delicious (the family and E agree). Like all my Mexican-inspired dishes, the same basic ingredients are simply rehashed into a different form.

There will be a good amount of leftover filling. You can either stack the pie higher or make a second pie. What I did was use the extra filling for enchiladas, a simple recipe I'll be divulging soon.

Ingredients:

4 (8") low-carb whole wheat tortillas (Mission Carb Balance fajita size)
1 can no-fat refried beans, spicy preferred
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 jar salsa (as needed)
2 (10oz) cans chicken or turkey breast, broken-up into shreds
1-2 cups frozen sweet corn (to liking)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, stirred until creamy
2 cups fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
1 (4oz) can sliced black olives (optional)
3T chopped chives (optional)
1.5T cumin
1T chili powder
dash salt/pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot over medium heat, mix together refried beans, black beans, pinto beans, corn, red pepper and the chicken/turkey. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and a few tablespoons of salsa.

2. Find a deep 9" pie dish or 9x13 baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Place one tortilla into the dish.

3. While the mixture is being heated, it will begin to thin out. You want the heated mixture to remain fairly thick, so only add more salsa as needed. If the mixture is too thin, it will creep out the sides (mine did a bit).

4. Once the mixture is heated through, plop it onto the first tortilla about 1/2"-3/4" thick and about a 1/4" from the edges. Use about 2T sour cream to spread a thin layer on top of the mixture. Next, sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheese on top. Place another tortilla on the top and repeat, making three full layers.

5. Top with the 4th tortilla. Cover the whole pie with the rest of the salsa (extra is fine). Sprinkle with chives and place olives on top. Cover with the remaining cheese.

6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Slice like a pie and indulge. Freezes well.

Additional Info:

I used a spicy green salsa that happened to be very thin, which caused the pie to leak into the dish a little bit. Hot sauce and extra sour cream go great on top.

A note for the tortillas: I do no promote the low-carb diet as it also suggests that bacon is "healthy" because it is low in carbs. However, in many cases low-carb products have a significant health benefit over their traditional counterparts. In order to make these tortillas low-carb, the manufacturer has included extra fiber and used protein to replace some of carbohydrates. In addition, these are some of the softest tortillas I have ever had. Other brands of low-carb tortillas break easily and can be very dry but the Mission Carb Balance tortillas are incredible. They also have a white flour version which is equally as good, just not whole grain. Look for them wherever regular tortillas are found in your grocery store which is sometimes located in the refrigerated section.

I'll cover this again when I post about nutrition in general soon.

Labels: dinner, fiber, mexican, peanut butterless, protein

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Posted by Nick on Jan 29, 2008 | Post a Comment | Comments | Permalink | Links to this post

For full effect, imagine the above pizza is a little warmer and about 4 days younger. What you're looking at are the last two slices of pizza from earlier this week. I had a craving for pizza last weekend that needed filling, and filling it was. I packed so much stuff on one pizza to last me for a week of dinners. You should customize the toppings to your liking, but I highly recommend the chicken/hot sauce combo along with the cheese mixture.


Ingredients:

1 prepared whole wheat pizza dough (Trader Joe's has a good one)
sauce:
1/2 can spicy refried beans mixed with 1/4 cup spicy BBQ sauce
or
just spicy BBQ Sauce to cover pizza
toppings:
1 (10 oz) can chicken breast, broken-up into shreds
1/4 cup (2 oz) hot sauce
6 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
cheese:
8 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz fat-free shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and sauté mushrooms on medium-high heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, mix together chicken and hot sauce until chicken is shredded and coated. If using bean mixture for sauce, mix together beans and BBQ sauce in a separate bowl.

3. Knead and roll out pizza dough on a well floured surface or use your fists pizzeria style until dough is approximately 12" diameter. Place on sprayed pizza pan.

4. Cover the dough with a thin layer of sauce. Spread the chicken & hot sauce mixture on top to evenly coat. Evenly distribute the remaining toppings. Sprinkle with cheese mixture.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the pizza and spray the cheese with olive oil spray and return to oven to bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Labels: dinner, peanut butterless, protein

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