Monday, January 9, 2012
Coming Up This Week!!
Chicken and Ricotta Cannelloni!! Also from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart!" Stay tuned!
Ways to Save!
I just thought I'd include a short note about ways to save when grocery shopping. My mom and dad (The Mazzarolo's) are super frugal shoppers-they get a substantial amount but the pay very little. One simple thing is to always look for the pink (or whichever colour your store uses) reduced stickers. I'm always careful when buying reduced meat, but they get their salad dressings, nut butters, snack foods, etc...ridiculously cheap because they get them reduced or on clearance. If you try to match up coupons with sales-even better. Couponing can be a LOT of work, however, and very time consuming, so unless you get one of the coupon books in the newpaper (P&G or the Smartsave ones) that come with pages of coupons, or you know of a store that always offers printable coupons (like Michael's Arts and Crafts) there are easier ways.
Many grocery stores will price match, most noteably-Freshco. Freshco happens to be the most convenient store for us to as it's right near the corner where I nanny three (adorable!) little girls so we'll often go on our way home from work. We bring our Metro, Longo's, No Frills, Food Basics, and Sobeys flyers with us (pre-marked and with everything written on a list) and it's ridiculous how much we save.
Today for example, I splurged and bought a bunch of the 450 ml Bolthouse Farms Smoothies because they were half price, and I picked up broccoli, cucumber, bananas, 2 Liberte Mediterranean Style Strawberry Yogurt, the oh-so-pricey Mascarpone cheese, Ricotta cheese, and Parmesan Cheese (for our next cooking venture!) and so much more for under $50 and half of what we budgeted. It's easy, not so time consuming as couponing and why pay full price when you don't have to.
Have a great day!
Today's Groceries (note: there is not a lot of produce as we bought most of that at the end of this past week):
p.s. This is also including 3 types of (expensive) cheese which wouldn't be in a regular grocery bill and four smoothies!
Many grocery stores will price match, most noteably-Freshco. Freshco happens to be the most convenient store for us to as it's right near the corner where I nanny three (adorable!) little girls so we'll often go on our way home from work. We bring our Metro, Longo's, No Frills, Food Basics, and Sobeys flyers with us (pre-marked and with everything written on a list) and it's ridiculous how much we save.
Today for example, I splurged and bought a bunch of the 450 ml Bolthouse Farms Smoothies because they were half price, and I picked up broccoli, cucumber, bananas, 2 Liberte Mediterranean Style Strawberry Yogurt, the oh-so-pricey Mascarpone cheese, Ricotta cheese, and Parmesan Cheese (for our next cooking venture!) and so much more for under $50 and half of what we budgeted. It's easy, not so time consuming as couponing and why pay full price when you don't have to.
Have a great day!
Today's Groceries (note: there is not a lot of produce as we bought most of that at the end of this past week):
p.s. This is also including 3 types of (expensive) cheese which wouldn't be in a regular grocery bill and four smoothies!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Brandy Chicken with Apples
This dinner is another great one from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart." Serve with wild rice and green beans.
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 tart apples, peeled and cut into 5 mm slices
1 cup of apple juice
3/4cup reduced-salt chicken stock (liquid!)
1 tbsp Calvados (apply brandy or apple juice-we just used regular brandy)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts, about 150 g each
2 tbsp reduced fat cream (we just used regular table cream)
1. Lightly coat a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray (a healthy recipe for that which does not include preservatives, etc. is just a bit of whatever cooking oil you have in a spray bottle) and set over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the apple joice, stock, and Calvados. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender, 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe the frying pan clean.
2. Meanwhile, combine the flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, pressing with your hands so the flour adheres and the chicken is flattened evenly.
3. Lightly coat the frying pan again with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side (ours took longer as we had bigger pieces). Return the apple mixture and any juices to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, remove from heat, and serve.
Nutrition Info:
365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 tart apples, peeled and cut into 5 mm slices
1 cup of apple juice
3/4cup reduced-salt chicken stock (liquid!)
1 tbsp Calvados (apply brandy or apple juice-we just used regular brandy)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breasts, about 150 g each
2 tbsp reduced fat cream (we just used regular table cream)
1. Lightly coat a large frying pan with non-stick cooking spray (a healthy recipe for that which does not include preservatives, etc. is just a bit of whatever cooking oil you have in a spray bottle) and set over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the apples and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the apple joice, stock, and Calvados. Cook, stirring, until the apples are tender, 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Wipe the frying pan clean.
2. Meanwhile, combine the flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, pressing with your hands so the flour adheres and the chicken is flattened evenly.
3. Lightly coat the frying pan again with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side (ours took longer as we had bigger pieces). Return the apple mixture and any juices to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, remove from heat, and serve.
Nutrition Info:
365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium
Buying Spices
Just a little note on buying spices-get them at the Bulk Barn, except when a recipe calls for fresh spices (like the cilantro in the Chili Lime Pork Chops recipe or the Coriander in the Chicken with Lemongrass recipe). We purchased our powdered spices (chili powder, pepper, etc) at the Bulk Barn and literally for the price of one shaker with a specific spice that you might buy at a grocery store we got a substantial amount of eight or nine different spiced at Bulk Barn. Just our recommendation for any fellow penny pinchers out there!
Chicken with Lemongrass
This dish, from "Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart," is so interesting and tasty. It's in between a soup and a stew and has a nice blend of spicy and sour flavours. Lemongrass adds the citrus while light coconut milk adds richness without compromising the healthiness of the recipe. We doubled this to have leftovers and it doubles quite nicely. Another highly recommended dish!
1 small chili pepper, split open lengthwise but left whole
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 cm piece of ginger cut into 4 slices (very inexpensive-we paid $0.07 for a larger chunk than we needed)
2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised and cut in half (also cheap-$1.49 for a palk of 6 or 8 stalks)
650 g bone-in chicken pieces, such as breasts or thighs, skinned
1 shallot (basically an onion), finely chopped (p.s. I, Elana, hate onions but because it's so finely chopped and mixed in so well, it is actually great and wouldn't be the same without it!)
250 thin, green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler into thin strips
1.3 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander to garnish
1. Place 4 cups of water in a saucepan over high heat. Spear the chili, garlic and giner on a wooded cocktail stick or skewer (it makes them easier to remove later) and add to the pan together with the lemongrass. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to infuse for about 30 minutes.
2. Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken pieces, shallot, and green beans, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (test with the tip of a knife-the juices should run clear). Add the zucchini slices for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, beans, and zucchini to a warmed bowl. Add a little of the poaching liquid to keep them moist, then cover tightly and keep warm.
4. Return the liquid to a boil and add the coconut milk, stirring until it dissolves. Continue boiling for about 5-6 minutes or until the liquid had reduced by about one-third.
5. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred it roughly. Return the chicken meat, beans, and zucchini to the soup and stir, then reheat briefly. Stir in the grated lime rind and juice. Season with pepper.
6. Divide the chicken and vegetables among four soup bowls. Spoon the liquid over, discarding the lemongrass and stick of chili, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.
Note: You can also add Chinese noodles to the dish if you like. Boil them for 3 minutes, drain, and then add to the reduced liquid when you add everything else in step 5.
Nutrition Info:
365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
Enjoy!
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium
1 small chili pepper, split open lengthwise but left whole
1 garlic clove, cut in half
1 cm piece of ginger cut into 4 slices (very inexpensive-we paid $0.07 for a larger chunk than we needed)
2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised and cut in half (also cheap-$1.49 for a palk of 6 or 8 stalks)
650 g bone-in chicken pieces, such as breasts or thighs, skinned
1 shallot (basically an onion), finely chopped (p.s. I, Elana, hate onions but because it's so finely chopped and mixed in so well, it is actually great and wouldn't be the same without it!)
250 thin, green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise with a vegetable peeler into thin strips
1.3 cup reduced-fat coconut milk
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lime
pepper to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander to garnish
1. Place 4 cups of water in a saucepan over high heat. Spear the chili, garlic and giner on a wooded cocktail stick or skewer (it makes them easier to remove later) and add to the pan together with the lemongrass. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside to infuse for about 30 minutes.
2. Return the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken pieces, shallot, and green beans, and poach for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (test with the tip of a knife-the juices should run clear). Add the zucchini slices for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, beans, and zucchini to a warmed bowl. Add a little of the poaching liquid to keep them moist, then cover tightly and keep warm.
4. Return the liquid to a boil and add the coconut milk, stirring until it dissolves. Continue boiling for about 5-6 minutes or until the liquid had reduced by about one-third.
5. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred it roughly. Return the chicken meat, beans, and zucchini to the soup and stir, then reheat briefly. Stir in the grated lime rind and juice. Season with pepper.
6. Divide the chicken and vegetables among four soup bowls. Spoon the liquid over, discarding the lemongrass and stick of chili, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.
Note: You can also add Chinese noodles to the dish if you like. Boil them for 3 minutes, drain, and then add to the reduced liquid when you add everything else in step 5.
Nutrition Info:
365 calories
40 g protein
13 g total fat
4 g saturated fat
Enjoy!
127 mg cholesterol
20 g total carbohydrate
13 g sugars
1 g fibre
247 mg sodium
Chili Lime Pork Chops with Cilantro Cream
Don't be alarmed by any of the names of the recipes we chose! They may sounds fancy and exotic and expensive, but they are generally quite budget friendly. I found this recipe in the Milk Calendar produced by the Dairy Farmers of Canada and the picture looked great and it sounded tasty-it was even better than we thought it would be! We made this one for the first time several weeks ago and have had it twice since then! So here it is...enjoy!
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili powder
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lime zest
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
4 thick (about 1-inch/2.5 cm) boneless pork loin chops
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, divided
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) 10% half-and-half cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
Pepper
Lime wedgestructions
2 tsp (10 mL) grated lime zest
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
4 thick (about 1-inch/2.5 cm) boneless pork loin chops
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, divided
1 onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) 10% half-and-half cream
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
Pepper
Lime wedgestructions
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a small bowl, combine chili powder, lime zest and salt; set half aside. Rub remaining chili powder mixture over both sides of pork chops.
In a skillet, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat; sear pork chops for 1 to 2 min per side or until browned; transfer chops to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven for about 12 min or until just a hint of pink remains inside.
Meanwhile, return skillet to medium-low heat and melt remaining butter, swirling to coat. Sauté onion for about 5 min or until softened and starting to brown; add remaining chili powder mixture and sauté for 1 min.
Whisk flour into cream and gradually pour into pan, stirring. Simmer, stirring, for about 3 min or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and lime juice and season to taste with pepper. Spoon sauce over rice onto serving plates and top with pork chops; garnish with lime wedges to squeeze over top.
Nutrition Info:
Per serving
Energy: 363 Calories
Protein: 44 g
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Fat: 17 g
Fibre: 1.3 g
Sodium: 369 mg
Protein: 44 g
Carbohydrate: 8 g
Fat: 17 g
Fibre: 1.3 g
Sodium: 369 mg
Top 5 nutrients provided by a serving of this recipe
Nutrient and % DV*
Calcium: 8 % / 88 mg
Selenium: 131 %
Thiamin: 103 %
Vitamin B6: 85 %
Niacin: 68 %
Selenium: 131 %
Thiamin: 103 %
Vitamin B6: 85 %
Niacin: 68 %
If you do try this recipe (and we strongly recommend it) let us know what you think and share any of your recipes with us!
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