TWD - Creamiest Lime Cream Meringue Pie

There was no way I was going to get a pie made this week, but after reading everyone's comments about this week's selection, I knew I at least wanted to make the Lime Cream. And I had every intention of getting it posted on TIME!

But we ran into a little snafu yesterday afternoon with Mr. B's ankle. He was having some major discomfort so we headed back to the Doc to see what was going on. I'll spare you the bloody (literally) details because some people come here for food and, well, let's just say it was disgusting!!

Once they got all of the original bandages off we were able to see exactly what was done. OMG. He has six incisions in his foot with the major one going from the middle of his arch to about four inches above his achilles. The other five are between one to two inches so his foot looks exactly like Frankenstein. Really. I took pictures but he made me promise not to post them. Damn.

So that's my excuse for not getting the Lime Cream posted yesterday.

As you can see I took some liberties and deconstructed the pie. I also left out the meringue....don't like meringue. I do like whipped cream, however! So, I made the lime cream, which is a.m.a.z.i.n.g., threw some ginger snaps in the food processor and whipped some cream and that was my dessert. It was delicious.

And really pretty easy. I never got the lime cream to 180 degrees but I got the "whisk tracks" that Dorie mentioned so I pulled it off the stove shortly after that. I also only added about half a stick of butter instead of two whole sticks. Everything worked great.

Thanks to Linda of Tender Crumb for this week's pick. Head over to her site for the recipe.

Surgery and Soup!

Yesterday was a looooong day. What I thought would be about a six hour day of surgery slowly turned into thirteen hours when Mr. B's surgeon determined he needed to repair his knee along with his ankle/foot!

I'll try to start at the beginning but all of the details have become a little fuzzy. It seems Mr. B minorly (is that a word?) injured his ankle in his college pole vaulting days, which wasn't serious enough at the time to do anything about, but must have weakened it enough that over the years that it was more susceptible to strains and sprains. So about a year ago it was causing him enough pain that he decided that he needed to get it checked out.

A little side note....Birmingham, Alabama is home to the best Orthopaedic Center in the country....The Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center. If you're a sports fan at all, you've probably heard of Dr. James Andrews. He's been called "the most valuable player in all sports". This dude has saved the careers of Roger Clemens, Troy Aikman, Charles Barkley, Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, and most recently (unfortunately) Brett Favre.

ASMOC employs the top Orthopedic surgeons and we were fortunate enough to have one of the best foot and ankle specialists taking care of Mr. B., Dr. Angus McBryde. As I said, Mr. B had his first consultation with Dr. McBryde over a year ago. Doc said he needed to have surgery and to get it scheduled. Ummm. For various business reasons, it kept being put off. About three months ago, I forced the issue and he got it scheduled. Fast forward to Thursday night....the night before surgery. Doc calls the house and wants to talk to hubs. Says "It's been over a year since the last MRI, we need to do another before the surgery tomorrow to make sure nothing has changed." Hubs mentions that he's been having some major knee pain on the same leg so Doc says he'll MRI the knee while they're in there.

So they do and Doc says he's got a torn miniscus and "it's been a long time since he's done a knee, but should be no problem to take care of it." Ummmm. Hubs and I look at each other a little scared! Now, Doc is on the verge of retirement and has been around a while but it's sounding like he a knee rookie???? WTF? And to quote the nurses in the pre-op room, "Dr. McBryde is doing a knee? That's weird." Huh?

So Doc comes in for the pre-op consult and hubs says "So, the nurses think it's really weird that you're doing a knee (chuckle, chuckle)." Doc.."Really? Well, it's been a while. Don't really do them anymore, but I guess I've probably done over 10,000 knees in my time. Should be ok!" I'm like...Holla! 10,000 practice sessions should be fine!

Hubs made it through, but it was much more extensive that we originally thought...a couple incisions in the knee, some major ankle reconstruction....he had two dead tendons...and his two little toes now have pins in them. He's in a hard cast and not allowed to put any weight on the ankle for six weeks. It's tough to not use your leg at all for six weeks. Have I mentioned that Mr. B is 6'7" tall so maneuvering around on crutches is going to be interesting!

It's now been 24 hours and I have to say, he's being a real trooper. He's in major pain, so most of the time he's doped up and sleeping, but he also has to get up and move around every couple of hours to ward off blood clots. Needless to say, he can't function very well by himself. Going to be a real test of our 20 year marriage!!! You all know how men are when they're sick ;)

To make him feel a little better, I made him some of Tyler Florence's Ultimate Roasted Tomato Soup. Who doesn't want some tomato soup when they're feeling pitiful?

I upped the ante a little bit and made some of the topping from Barefoot Contessa's Pappa al Pomodoro....you know the stuff...croutons, bacon and basil.

This was delicious. Here's the recipe.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter (I only used 2 tbsp)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.

Pappa Al Pomidoro (topping)

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

For the topping:

3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.

CEiMB - Grilled Thai Beef Salad

I'm writing this from St. Vincent's waiting room which should actually be called the waiting, waiting and more waiting room. Mr. B's having some ankle surgery today and was told to be here at 6:00am, so we were. Only to be sitting here two hours later and STILL not be taken to a room. WTF? Can you tell I'm not a patient person??

Anyhoo, this week's Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe was chosen by Jen of Jen B's Cooking Carveout and Jen chose Ellie's Grilled Thai Beef Salad.

This was a great dinner salad. The marinade for the flank steak also served as the dressing for the salad, so it was super simple to throw together. I loved how the brown sugar in the marinade created a nice caramelized crust on the grilled steak and the cilantro and basil in the salad added some nice extra flavor.

Thanks, Jen for a great choice.

Here's the recipe:

Grilled Thai Beef Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound top-round London broil or flank steak, about 1 to 1 1/2-inches thick
• 3 tablespoons lime juice, divided
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons red curry paste or chili-garlic sauce
• 1/2 head red-leaf lettuce, torn (about 6 cups)
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), divided, for garnish
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and dried
• 1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons

Directions

Rinse and pat the meat dry. Place in a sealable plastic bag or small glass dish. In a medium bowl combine 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, soy sauce, canola oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and red curry paste. Pour half the mixture into the bag with the meat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice to the bag. Seal tightly, and marinate meat in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Reserve the rest of the mixture refrigerated, to dress the salad.

Spray grill or grill pan with cooking spray and preheat. Grill steak until medium-rare, about 5 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness. Let rest until room temperature then slice thinly against the grain.

Combine lettuce, sliced shallot, cilantro, basil and beef in a salad bowl, reserving a few shallots for garnish. Add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates and garnish with reserved sliced shallots.

Update.....FINALLY made it to pre-op room. Ankle surgery has now become ankle AND knee surgery. I'll keep you posted.

Cooking Italy - Arrosticini Abruzzesi

Arrosticini Abruzzesi.....sounds really sophisticated and elegant and difficult, huh??

I know. I'm equally impressed. With me.

I would love to just wax poetic about what a difficult and time consuming recipe this was and therefore what a great and accomplished cook I am....but this was reeeeaaaally easy.

In simple English, it really just Skewered Marinated Lamb Tidbits and it took all of about five minutes to throw together the marinade and five minutes on the grill (had to soak in the marinade for two hours at room temp) and you've got yourself some delicious lamb.

I've been told that lamb is an acquired taste. Not so much for me. I've always just loved it. Leg of lamb, rack of lamb, lamb chops....love them all. Such a great earthy taste. However, lamb shoulder was not something I've tried before. I'd always been told to steer clear because it was tough. That was not the case here. These came out tender, juicy and with just enough fat to keep them full of flavor.

I will definitely make these again, probably serving them as a simple appetizer for dinner guests. I'd love some suggestions for a great dip to accompany them. Anyone?

This recipe is my first as part of the "Cooking Italy" group I told you about a few days ago. I think I'm really going to like this group.

Here's the recipe:

Arrosticini Abruzzi

Skewered Marinated Lamb Tidbits

4 servings

In Abruzzi, as in the other central Italian regions...Umbria, Latium, and Tuscany, the shepherd and his lambs are equally a feature of the landscape and of the gastronomic tradition. The recipe that follows is borrowed from the shepherds' own outdoor cooking, when they camp out with their flocks. Although it can be done indoors in a home broiler, it would be wonderful over the hot embers of a wood fire.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound boned lamb shoulder

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

1/2 tsp dried marjoram or 1 tsp fresh chopped (I used dried)

10 or 12 small skewers (I used four large ones)

Slice the meat into strips about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Do not trim away the fat, but try to have lean meat attached to some fat in as many pieces as possible. The fat will melt partly in the cooking, feeding the fire, and baste and sweeten the meat.

Mash the garlic with a heavy knife handle, crushing it enough to split it and loosen the peel, which you will remove and discard.

Put the meat in a bowl, (I used a zip lock bag) adding the oil, salt, several grindings of pepper, marjoram, and garlic. Toss well, thoroughly coating the meat. Let the lamb marinate at room temperature for 2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Turn the lamb pieces from time to time. If refrigerated, take the meat out at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Preheat the broiler or light the coals or, even better, prepare a wood fire. (I used the gas grill!)

Turn the meat thoroughly one more time, then skewer it, piercing each strip in at least two places.

When the broiler or fire is hot, or the wood is reduced to hot embers, place the skewers as close as possible to the source of heat. If barbecuing, use very hot coals, Cook for 3 minutes on one side, then turn the skewers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the other. A small, fine crust should form on all sides of the meat. Serve at once.

I served this with a great California Cab, but next time I'm pulling something from Tuscany out of the cellar.....probably a Brunello.

Fabulous and easy. Try these.

TWD - Applesauce Spice Bars

I feel like a broken record here but these were freakin delicious. I love apple deserts. Love. Them. Which is kind of weird, because I don't eat apples all that often. But when they are cooked and get all nice and soft and then you add in cinnamon and allspice and then pour this caramel glaze over the top.....dear, dear, dear.

Everyone warned to let the cake part cool before pouring on the glaze and I thought I had waited long enough, but apparently not because most of my glaze soaked into the cake. Not that I minded. Didn't make them any less amazing.

So, the picture you're looking at was critiqued today by my photo class instructor. Let's just say she thinks I need some work. I got the "technical part" right meaning my exposure was ok, but I may need more work in the "creative" field! Duh. She made some good suggestions that I'll be working on but frankly, I'm just not that creative about anything! But, I'll try.

Thanks to Karen of Something Sweet for this week's pick. Check out her blog for the recipe and a really good picture.

Barefoot Bloggers - Mango and Banana Daiquiris; CEiMB - Stuffed Turkey Burgers; and an announcement!

That's a busy title. Usually the double Ellie and Barefoot weeks present some scheduling challenges, but this week was pretty easy. Barefoot Blogger, Veronica, at Supermarket Serenade chose Mango and Banana Daiquiris so all I had to do was pull the blender out and make a cocktail. We all know how good I am at that!

I love mangos. I used to hate using them because of that cumbersome pit that I just couldn't seem to master, but back when we had to make Dorie's mango bread, someone suggested peeling the mango first (I used a vegetable peeler) and then using the handy-dandy pitting device (I got mine at Williams-Sonoma) I'd found mango nirvana! Easy-peasy.

This cocktail screams for an umbrella but I didn't have any....very tropical and perfect for sipping while your toes are buried in the sand. Or in your living room. Whatever.

I found these suggestions for picking the perfect mango on Veronica's site and they're good ones, so I'm stealing them. Thanks, Veronica!

"Look for mangoes with multiple colors-reds, yellows and a touch of green on

them.

Mangoes should give slightly when you press on them...not too much

though as you don't want them to be mushy.

Avoid mangoes with blemished skin, try to find smooth, undented fruit."

Here's the recipe

Mango and Banana Daiquiris

Back to Basics, p 47

Serves 4

2 cups chopped ripe mango (1 to 2 mangos, peeled and seeded)

1 ripe banana, chopped

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (4 limes) (I used two and it was plenty)

1/4 cup sugar syrup* (I used a Tbsp agave nectar)

1 1/4 cups dark rum, such as Mount Gay (important to use dark rum here)

Mango slices, for serving

Place the mango, banana, lime juice, sugar syrup and rum in a blender and process until smooth. Add 2 cups of ice and process again until smooth and thick. Serve ice cold in highball glasses with mango slices

*To make simple syrup, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Chill. (I've been using the agave nectar in mixed drinks lately with great success. Just my little attempt to save a few calories, plus it's a more natural choice)

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This weeks Craving Ellie in My Belly choice was Stuffed Turkey Burgers chosen by Peggy at Pantry Revisited.

I have to admit that I don't really like turkey burgers. They're always lacking in flavor and much to dry for my taste, so I initially was not excited about making these, but I'm a participator and can't handle the self-loathing when I slack off, so....

Dude, these were good. Really good. And I didn't add or alter a THING.

Really simple, too. I told Mr. B, he could easily make these on his own and he likes turkey burgers, so there you go. All you do is take some ground turkey, make four patties (I halved the recipe), put some chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar, no less) and some shredded mozzarella cheese on top of one patty, slap another patty on top and smoosh them together into one patty and you have yourself a stuffed burger! (Repeat with the other two patties.)

I do think cooking time on these is important. I only had mine on for four minutes per side (they were good size burgers) and they were cooked through with melted cheese in the middle and not dry at all. Tasty.

As you can see I served these with grilled corn. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I've never grilled corn before. Bobby Flay does it three times a day, but me, never. I bit the bullet and went for it. Again, E.A.S.Y. and delish and I'm never boiling corn again. Sorry, mama. You were wrong about this one. Brush those suckers with a little canola oil, salt and pepper them and throw them on the grill over a lower heat burner. Turn a couple of times (about 8-10 minutes) and pull them off. Mine didn't even need butter. And no pots to wash. Ding, ding, ding!!

Here's the recipe for the burgers:

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. (I brushed mine with a hint of canola oil just to assure they wouldn't stick) Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

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Oh....almost forgot my announcement. I've joined another group! Sucka. I know. But I'm really excited about it. It's called "Cooking Italy" and we'll be cooking recipes from Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking". This is a small but enthusiastic group and they're going to make me do things like make gnocchi and pasta by HAND. Eeks. But these are things I've always wanted to try, so why not. I plan on jumping in head first with next week's choice...Arrosticini Abruzzesi - skewered marinated lamb tidbits. Exciting, huh!!

Off to Dallas for the weekend to hang with some great friends. Supposed to be 102 degrees. Ugh. Pray I don't melt....or if I do, that it comes off my ass first!

TWD - Brownie Buttons

It seems the internet blogging trend this week is "one sentence posts". I guess everyone is extremely busy with end of the summer shizzle and can only get one sentence out.

Dude, I have so much more to say than one measly sentence. I've got a LOT going on this week and I need to talk.

Let's start with the above picture. Whatcha think? Better than my normal pictures? Not so much?? Whatev. I started my photography class today and I'm no longer allowed to shoot in "PHD" mode.....Push Here Dummy. Yup, I'm the dummy. My problem has never been a lack of funds, so I've always had pretty nice cameras for someone that has no idea how to operate them. I recently continued that trend and went out and bought a Nikon D90. When I got it home and started studying it, I was a little embarrassed. This was a really intense camera and I had NO IDEA what to do with all of the bells and whistles. I decided that I wasn't going to be intimidated anymore and I needed to learn how to operate this beast and get my money's worth. Ummm....PHD mode does NOT get the best out of your camera.

So a friend and I started our beginner's photo class today. I learned things! And that little photo up there was NOT...repeat, NOT taken in PHD mode. Feel free to jump all over it with all of your criticism. I'm here to learn. Or....maybe not.

So...anyhooo. This post is supposed to be about Dorie's Brownie Buttons. In a sentence...

These are delicious, easy and you should make them.

See. I can keep a post to one sentence. Check out Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen for the recipe. Seriously, these are really good. The only recommendation I have is to double to recipe. I only got ten buttons and they're just a little bigger than bite size. But, as you just witnessed, I have a big mouth. Just sayin.

Stay posted for more compelling photos!! :)

Friday Five

This week's Top 5!

1. 29 days til the Buckeyes take on Navy in C'bus! That's the #6 Buckeyes, according to the most irrelevant poll in college football.....the pre-season poll. Here's the entire poll.

2009 preseason poll
Rank	Team (first-place votes)	2008 record	Points	Final 2008 rank
1.	Florida (53)	13-1	1,466	1
2.	Texas (4)	12-1	1,386	3
3.	Oklahoma (1)	12-2	1,358	5
4.	Southern California (1)	12-1	1,321	2
5.	Alabama	12-2	1,134	6
6.	Ohio State	10-3	1,126	11
7.	Virginia Tech	10-4	1,020	14
8.	Penn State	11-2	988	8
9.	LSU	8-5	917	NR
10.	Mississippi	9-4	889	15
11.	Oklahoma State	9-4	861	18
12.	California	9-4	711	25
13.	Georgia	10-3	707	10
14.	Oregon	10-3	694	9
15.	Georgia Tech	9-4	559	22
16.	Boise State	12-1	542	13
17.	TCU	11-2	461	7
18.	Utah	13-0	404	4
19.	Florida State	9-4	371	23
20.	North Carolina	8-5	293	NR
21.	Iowa	9-4	257	20
22.	Nebraska	9-4	236	NR
23.	Notre Dame	7-6	194	NR
24.	Brigham Young	10-3	178	21
25.	Oregon State	9-4	165	19
Others receiving votes (with 2008 records)
Kansas (8-5) 138; Michigan State (9-4) 136; Texas Tech (11-2) 114; Cincinnati (11-3) 90; Pittsburgh (9-4) 64; West Virginia (9-4) 55; Rutgers (8-5) 51; Miami (Fla.) (7-6) 46; Missouri (10-4) 44; Illinois (5-7) 38; Clemson (7-6) 30; South Carolina (7-6) 18; UCLA (4-8) 14; Auburn (5-7) 12; Nevada (7-6) 11; South Florida (8-5) 11; Kentucky (7-6) 9; North Carolina State (6-7) 7; Arkansas (5-7) 6; Wisconsin (7-6) 6; Northwestern (9-4) 5; Southern Mississippi (7-6) 4; Wake Forest (8-5) 4; Arizona (8-5) 3; Boston College (9-5) 3; Central Michigan (8-5) 3; East Carolina (9-5) 3; Colorado (5-7) 2; Maryland (8-5) 2; Navy (8-5) 2; Tennessee (5-7) 2; Houston (8-5) 1; Michigan (3-9) 1; Minnesota (7-6) 1; Troy (8-5) 1.

So, it looks like it will be #4 vs. #6 on Sept. 12 in the 'Shoe. GO BUCKS!

2. "Outstanding in the Field" Here's the description of this fabulous idea from their website:

"Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure - literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. Occasionally the table is set indoors: a beautiful refurbished barn, a cool greenhouse or a stately museum. Wherever the location, the consistent theme of each dinner is to honor the people whose good work brings nourishment to the table.

Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table."

I'm so excited that this will be making an appearance in Birmingham on Sept. 23 with Frank Stitt of Highland's Bar and Grill and Bottega serving as chef. I quickly snatched four tickets. Hopefully I can find some friends by then! Check out the website to see if they will be making an appearance in your town.

3. I'm really excited to start my photography class next week. A girlfriend and I will be attending every Tuesday for three hours for four weeks. Hopefully this means I'll be posting much better food pics in the near future. I'll be reporting back on all that I learn!

4. Time-waster of the week. I'm almost too embarrassed to put this in writing but I'm officially a farmer. Yes, you read that right. Farmer. Facebook farmer in Farmtown. And I'm obsessed. It's Donna's fault.

5. And finally, this Bachelorette "shocker". Seems, Ed, the guy who couldn't get it up on national television is a playa!! When will these girls ever learn!

CEiMB - Cobb Salad and Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting

It's a Craving Ellie in My Belly twofer Thursday! I hate not completing my obligations so I'm trying to catch up.

Last week's choice was Cobb Salad and was the choice of The Feast Within. I love Cobb Salad, but like most really good salads, they're loaded with calories. This is Ellie's much lighter/healthier version and it's quite tasty!

The only thing I eliminated was the ham, but just because I'm not a fan. I really enjoyed the dressing for this....a flavorful vinaigrette that would work on just about any simple salad. Homemade dressings are so easy and you can control the sugar and fat content. Really, does anyone ever buy the bottled stuff anymore? If you do, you shouldn't. Just sayin.

Here's the recipe:

Cobb Salad

Eating Healthy in 2009. Ellie Kreiger

Ingredients:

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

Cooking spray1/4 pound sliced Black Forest or other smoked ham (I eliminated this)
2 hard-boiled eggs
6 cups romaine lettuce (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped (I used prewashed bagged lettuce....sue me)
2 cups watercress, thick stems removed (Oops, I eliminated this, too)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups) (I used grape tomatoes)
1/2 avocado, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup cooked diced chicken breast 1 (6-ounce) breast
1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort or Blue cheese (about 2 ounces)

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Slice the ham into 1/2-inch strips. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-high heat. Add the ham to the skillet and cook over stirring frequently, until the ham is warmed through and crisped, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Remove and discard the yolk from 1 of the hard boiled eggs. Chop the remaining egg white and whole egg and set aside.

In a large bowl toss the romaine and watercress with 2/3 of the dressing. Put the dressed greens onto a large serving dish. Place the tomatoes on top forming a row down the middle. In strips on either side of the tomatoes place the avocado, chicken, cheese, diced egg, and the crisped ham on top of the greens. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve.

Per Serving:
Calories 360; Total Fat 24 g; (Sat Fat 7 g, Mono Fat 13 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 28 g; Carb 11 g; Fiber 4 g; Cholesterol 115 mg; Sodium 770 mg

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Now on to this weeks Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting. Can you say "YUM"? Of course, cream cheese frosting will make feet taste delicious, so this was a no brainer. I have to say that the frosting was not quite as good as, say, Dorie's cream cheese frosting, however, it tasted a lot better knowing I could spend a few less hours in the gym by eating Ellie's version! I know you like that!

I highly recommend these if you're a carrot cake/cream cheese frosting fan. A nice alternative to the higher calorie recipes.

Here's how it's done:

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2005, Ellie Krieger

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup natural applesauce (I didn't have any applesauce so I substituted 1/2 cup fat free yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese (recommended: Neufchatel)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator.

Per Serving:

Calories: 236, Total Fat: 10 grams, Saturated Fat: 2 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Carbohydrates: 34 grams, Fiber:2 grams

TWD - Classic Banana Bundt Cake

Well, slap your grandma, I'm getting something posted on time!!

This week's TWD selection is Classic Banana Bundt Cake and was chosen by Mary of The Food Librarian. Check out her site for the recipe. No really, go there now. You're going to want to make this.

This is moist and tangy from the addition of sour cream with great banana flavor. This just became my "go to" recipe when I have some brown bananas to use up. Leave it to Dorie.

This is also a perfect recipe to play around with. Dorie suggested a lemon glaze which I didn't do this time, but will definitely try in the future. This would also be great with the addition of pecans, chocolate chips, or just about whatever else floats your banana....

Thanks, Mary for a great selection.