Grilled Pork Panini Sandwiches

February 28, 2011...I had to share this real fast so I don't get too far behind! This recipe...I have no idea where Lisa came up with it but we take leftover grilled pork, add some aloette cheese, sliced pickle, ....ahhh shoot I can't remember!! Lisa's already in bed so I'll have to ask her later and come back and share her recipe. It's worth it!! Excellent way to use leftover pork!

Moose's Tooth

February 27, 2011...we return to the Tooth!! Love this place if you can't tell. We were invited by some friends to have a dinner out. We tried to get a sitter but it worked out okay. The girls are getting old enough that they do pretty good at a restaurant...so were actually able to enjoy our friends AND the pizza!!

We had a couple different pizzas but this is the Barbecue Chicken.

Grilled Pork Medallions

February 26, 2011...I thought for sure we had done this meal before so I don't have the recipe in front of me. It is a top 5 grill meal...so I'll have to share it with you another day. You'll just have to take my word and hopefully the pictures will do it some justice.



Until later...

Leftover Beef Burgundy

February 25, 2011...sorry, again nothing exciting. Tonight we ate leftover Beef Burgundy. It was equally delicious and this time I had a full serving!!

Boboli Pizzas

February 24, 2011...uh oh, I was too hungry. Lisa put together two boboli pizzas, much like the pizzas we had on February 13. Problem is, I was so hungry that I forgot to take a picture!

Today's pizzas had black olives, mushrooms, red onions, green pepper, and topped with Italian blend cheese. Delicious as always! ...just no picture tonight.

Beef Burgundy

February 23, 2011...slow cooker time! Today, Lisa started dinner at 8am and let it cook a glorious 10 hours! Well worth the wait.

Looking at the ingredients, I'm not sure why it's so many calories. I actually didn't even have a full serving (which is 1 2/3 cup) and I was full. This is an excellent meal for a cold day not to mention how great the house smells!

This came from the Pillsbury "Casseroles and Slow Cooker Meals" magazine; Volume 16, Number 6; page 61.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Start to finish: 10 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 5 (1 2/3 cups each)

1 1/2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots, cut in half crosswise
2 lb cubed beef stew meat
1 cup frozen small whole onions
1 package (8 oz) fresh small whole mushrooms
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup Burgundy wine
1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed beef consomme'
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

1 In 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, layer all ingredients except flour and water in order listed.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 10 to 12 hours.

3. About 35 minutes before serving, remove and discard bay leaf. In small bowl, blend flour and water until smooth. Gradually stir flour mixture into beef mixture.

4. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 15 to 30 minutes longer or until slightly thickened.

1 serving: 380 calories; 20g fat; 13g carbs; 2g dietary fiber; 35g protein

Chicken and Ravioli Carbonara

February 22, 2011...tonight we revisit a relatively easy and tasty meal, the Chicken and Ravioli Carbonara. One serving is only 265 calories. Only problem is eating it too fast!! Tonight, we served it with some french bread which is only 110 calories per slice. So now I have plenty of leftover to take with me to work tonight.

I thought I had shared this recipe before but I couldn't find it anywhere so here it is.

Betty Crocker Casseroles & Slow Cooker Meals
Volume 17, Number 2 (Page 53)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Start to Finish: 30 minutes)
Servings: 4

2 Tablespoons Italian Dressing
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1/2 cup half-and-half
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired
chopped fresh parsley, if desired

1. In 10 inch skillet, heat dressing over high heat. Cook chicken in dressing 2 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown.

2. Add broth and ravioli to skillet. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered about 4 minutes or until ravioli are tender and almost all broth has evaporated.

3. Stir in half-and-half; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, and sauce is hot and desired consistency (cook longer for a thicker sauce). Sprinkle with bacon, cheese, and parsley.

1 serving 265 calories; total fat 19 g; total carbs 13 g; protein 36

Give it a try! Excellent, low calorie, easy, and filling!

Chicken Club Salad

February 21, 2011...we're back on track! Amazing what happens when we don't plan our meals out. Today, we took a step back in the right direction. We planned out the next 7 meals and did a huge (and by huge I mean expensive) trip to the grocery store. First day back on track, we made a big salad... the Chicken Club Salad.

This salad was 460 calories. It was made with chicken, bacon, cheese, croutons, and topped with ranch dressing.

Stay tuned this week, we have some excellent meals planned!

Moose's Tooth Pizza

February 18, 2011...today I received some very bad news about a job that I didn't get. What better way to sulk then to go to Moose's Tooth, drink a couple beers and have some breadsticks, and then head home with a pizza with the rest of the family. That's the best way I know how to get over some bad news! It worked pretty well.

Grandpa John's Spaghetti

February 17, 2011...this has been a CRAZY week. We haven't been doing a good job of planning our meals...so we've been making some last second meal decisions. Tonight, we decided to make spaghetti. I will have to hunt down the recipe but Lisa made some incredible biscuits to go along side it. VERY good!

Bertolli Chicken Alfredo and Penne

February 16, 2011...I'm surprised this is the first time this year that we have had a Bertolli meal. We seem to do this quite often...but since this is 6 weeks into the new year, maybe it's not as often as I thought. If you don't know this already, the Bertolli frozen meals are pretty darn good. We have tried many different kinds over the last year or so and really enjoy most of them. This one was the chicken alfredo and penne...very good and quite filling. But it's also pretty high in calories at 520 per serving.

Steak Fajitas

February 15, 2011...being creative with our leftover flank steak, Lisa sliced it up and sauteed green and red peppers, onions, and added half a packet of some fajita seasoning for some extra flair.


Delicious as always!

Fred Meyer Chicken

February 14, 2011...not exactly the romantic evening we had hoped for. I got some huge news during the day while one of our girls was getting sicker and sicker. So we made an evening appointment at the hospital to get her checked out. By the time we were done, we needed to pick up something on the way home. We chose a Roasted Fred Meyer Chicken with a side of macaroni salad and brown rice.

Flank Steak

February 13, 2011...the dangers of grilling in the dead of winter in Alaska. First time I have ever slipped and fallen down stairs while trying to cook dinner! I'd post pictures of the bruises I'm not sporting but then I'd make EVERYBODY lose their dinner! Cooking is dangerous!

I'll have to post the recipe the next time we grill this flank steak...but it's an awesome marinade! We served the flank steak with a side of cauliflower prepared like mashed potatoes. Lisa mashes them up and puts sour cream, bacon bits, and cheese in them. They taste AWESOME!

Boboli Pizzas

February 12, 2011...quick and easy is sometimes the name of the game. Tonight, we looked for something that fit that description and came up with the idea of personal pizzas. We threw our favorite ingredients on it (cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives) and gobbled it up.

We calculated that it was about 500 calories for each pizza.

Turkey Bugers

February 11, 2011...I can't believe this is the first time we've had turkey burgers!! This seems to be once every other week...but somehow we've made it almost 6 weeks.

My mom introduced us to the recipe for the turkey burgers a couple years ago. It's another Weight Watchers recipe...but I have no idea what book it is from. I honestly think Lisa has made these so many times over the past several years that she has this recipe memorized too. One hamburger and some fries.... VERY filling. And much less calories than your standard hamburger.

Oh yeah, and it tastes great! We wouldn't keep making it if it didn't taste great!

Fajitas!

February 9, 2011...Lisa made me some delicious fajitas and brought them to work. I told you posting during this swing shift was going to be a challenge...and it is! But last night, we didn't get dinner done before I left for work so Lisa brought it up at 7:00. Funny actually, we both took pictures of the meal.


Then while I was at work, I assembled my fajita and took this picture. If anything, it's definitely colorful! Pretty tasty too!

So we missed tonight's dinner (big salad). We'll be back on track Friday night!!

Chicken Spinach Pizza

February 8, 2011...Lisa threw our favorite Weight Watchers pizza together before I left for work. Unfortunately after she had already started, we realized that the chicken that we had purchased was no good! Thanks Fred Meyer. So we scrapped that idea and added some pepperoni...not really knowing how that would taste with the spinach. It wasn't .... bad.

At least it still looks good, eh?!


It traveled well too. It was a perfect dinner at work all by myself. Let me know if anyone is interested in the recipe.

Leftover Salad

February 7, 2011...I ALMOST forgot to post our dinner from Monday night. For the first time this year, I am working the swing shift. It is going to be especially difficult to post pictures this week since we have to cook our dinners before I leave for work in the afternoon. Today, we went with leftover salads from the Superbowl Party.

Nothing exciting, just another delicious dinner.

Superbowl Sunday Spread

February 6, 2011...Hot and Cold Teriyaki Wings, Oven-Baked Garlic Parmesan Fries, side salad, and friends. Excellent spread for Superbowl Sunday!!

The food was great...but it's the people that really make it a special night. The recipe for the wings was something we found a couple years ago on the Internet and have stuck with it. It's the first time we tried the fries...we might change a few things for next time but they were still very good. The Dixon's brought french bread and bruschetta and Mary-Beth provided a nice big salad.

During the game, the ladies were entertaining each other with some crocheting and a card game while the guys did ALL the work (lots of sarcasm!)


Baby Malena looks like she was having a good time.

Wings before they went on the grill.


And the potatoes pre-baking.

Fries looking pretty good.

The salad was fantastic.

Alright, I charred the wings. I did a terrible job on the first flip and then I spent the rest of the time trying to recover. Still, they tasted GREAT! I would like a shot at redemption later this month...pretty disappointed in my effort here.

Big girl table! My girls and Malena sitting together having some dinner.

I thought I would share the wing recipe since we just found it on the Internet.

Hot and Cool Teriyaki Wings

Dipping Sauce:
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1 tablespoon green onion (minced)
1 tablespoon parsley (minced)
1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

Marinade for Wings:
4 lbs chicken wings
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce

1. combine marinade and pour over wings in large ziploc bag
2. press out air and turn several times to coat wings
3. put in refridgerator 8 hours or overnight
4. grill 4-5" from hot coal for 20-25 minutes, turning frequently

Yep, that's it. I mean it when I say turn frequently!! The wings are freaking great and the sauce is perfect. Very easy and very tasty!!!

Go Pack Go!!!!

Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps

February 5, 2011...we needed a low calorie meal to prepare for all of the extra calories we are going to be taking on tomorrow. So Lisa recommended the Asian Beef Lettuce Wraps. Excellent!!

I tried several different angles and couldn't get a decent picture so I took a picture of the picture in the book. Looks a little bit better... you get the idea.

This is good enough that I need to share the recipe. I couldn't believe how filling this is and only 158 calories for 2 wraps!!!! That is NOTHING!!!

Weight Watchers 20 Minute Recipes
June 2009

Prep: 13 minutes
Cook: 7 minutes

1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1/4 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
8 iceberg lettuce leaves
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber
lime wedges

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef, carrots, and ginger: saute' 6 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain, if necessary, and return beef mixture to pan. Stir in soy sauce and next 3 ingredients; cook 1 minute.

2. Remove beef mixture from heat; stir in green onions, cilantro, and mint. Spoon beef filling evenly into center of each lettuce leaf; top evenly with sliced cucumber. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 2 wraps)

Calories: 158; Fat 5.5 g; pro 23.7 g; carb 5 g; fib 1.3g

Can't believe that's all I had for dinner and 3 hours later I'm still content. It's a delicious and filling me for only 158 calories!! Give it a try if you're looking for a light meal some night.

Be sure to check in tomorrow. Our dinner is already marinating!!!

Leftover Pork Tenderloin Sammiches

February 4, 2011...another leftover sammich night. I'm seeing a pattern here. I guess when you're cooking for two (girls don't eat enough to count them yet) and we're both counting calories, we'll have lots of leftovers. Our favorite way of using leftover meat is to make sammiches. So sorry if it's boring to you, it's still tasty to us!!

That whole meal was only 510 calories! Excellent way to use up leftover protein...and we still have more for lunch tomorrow!

Pork Tenderloin

February 3, 2011...I had to stay late at work this evening so Lisa was on her own to entertain the girls AND cook dinner. She chose to make a pork tenderloin glazed with bbq sauce.


The girls tried some mac and cheese with their dinner and STILL won't eat it. So Lisa and split the rest of what they didn't eat, added some cooked carrots (drizzled with honey), and had a Hawaiian sweet roll.

We had a request for the recipe for the Swiss Chicken and Green Bean Bake. Here it is. Thanks to Lisa for writing this all out!
Swiss Chicken and Green Bean Bake
BASE:
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice (I use brown rice)
3/4 cup skim milk
1 (14.5oz) can french-style green beans, undrained
1 (10 3/4oz) can condensed 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup w/ 30% less sodium
CHICKEN ROLLS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (sometimes I get the thinnly sliced chicken so I don't have to pound it flat)
4oz (1 cup) shredded reduced-fat swiss cheese (sometimes I just use the whole 2 cup bag and sprinkle the extra on the top)
TOPPING:
1/2 cup canned french-fried onions (I usually don't measure...I just cover the top)
1. Heat oven to 350. Spray 12x8-inch or 8-inch square (2 quart) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl, combine base ingredients; blend well. Pour into baking dish.
2. Place 1 chicken breast half b/w 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Working from center, lightly pound chicken w/flat side of mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick, remove wrap. Repeat w/remaining chicken.
3. Place 1/4 cup of the Swiss cheese on each chicken breast half. Roll up jelly-roll fashion; place over rice mixture in baking dish. Cover with foil.
4. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Uncover; sprinkle with onions. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes.
Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
Fat: 12g
Carbs: 45g
Calories: 460
Protein: 42g
Dietary Fiber: 2g (probably higher w/the brown rice)

**This last time I made it I used some leftover cut up rotisserie chicken and just mixed everything together...still had to bake close to 50 mins for the rice to cook thru, BUT it was super easy and tasted just as good!

Swiss Chicken and Green Bean Bake

February 2, 2011...another staple at our house, the casserole called the Swiss Chicken and Green Bean Bake.

This is one meal we have done enough that Lisa has the recipe memorized.


I think it's hard to photograph a casserole and make it look as good as it tastes. This is one of those recipes Lisa and I could eat the entire thing. It's relatively low calorie and VERY tasty!!

Philly Cheesesteak Sammiches

February 1, 2011...First post of the new month and first repeat of the year! We took the leftover petite sirloin steak and chopped it up to make Philly Cheesesteak Sammiches (yes...I really do spell it sammiches).

I took the picture before I put the cheese on mine to you could see the deliciousness of the meat, sauteed with onions and mushrooms.

We intended to make some tater tots but forgot to start the oven. Yep, it even happens at the Brown household! So we threw some potato chips on the side and opened a can of pineapples.

We really need to make a run to the grocery store and plan out some meals. Hopefully some more exciting stuff soon.

Petite Sirloin Steak

January 31, 2011...we often will buy a petite sirloin for two reasons, save on money and save on calories. They are not quite as tasty as the new york strip...but still good.

When it comes to prepping out steaks, we are minimalist. We only put kosher salt and ground pepper on our steaks. It lets the taste of the meat really shine through. I made the mistake back in college and the early days of grilling. I had it in my mind that more = better. DEFINITELY not the case with steaks!

That cut that's on my plate was 10 ounces. We actually split that in two so we each had 5 ounces, a half of a good sized baked potato, and some oven roasted asparagus (olive oil, salt, and pepper). I grilled another steak that we will slice up and have tomorrow or the next day for lunch as a steak and cheese sammich.

Moose's Tooth

January 30, 2011...our favorite restaurant in Anchorage, Moose's Tooth.

After a week break from the blog, we are back. I went out of town for the week and intended on trying to maintain the blog but found it too difficult...not to mention it probably wouldn't be very interesting following what I was ordering at restaurants. Now that I'm back and dinners are being planned again, we decided to eat out one more time before we start cooking again.

So after a long day of working, I stopped by the Tooth. It is one of my favorite past times, ordering a pizza and having a cold one while it's being made.

Probably the worst picture I've taken yet... but I guess I was pretty hungry at this point and wasn't holding the camera steady enough.

It is, no doubt, the best pizza I've ever had. I really do love Moose's Tooth pizza! This one was a Chicken Ranch. Lisa has started enjoying the All American...but I still can't get over the Chicken Ranch. SOOOOOO good.

Guaranteed if you come visit us, we will take you out to the Moose's Tooth!!

Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

January 22, 2011...Back to a Weight Watchers cookbook but this is the first time we've tried this meal, the Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder. It was VERY filling and low calories.


We've tried another similar recipe before from a non-WW cookbook that was pretty good. Lisa found this one and wanted to give it a try. It worked out great.

Weight Watchers 5 Ingredients 15 Minute Recipes
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 22 minutes

3 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes (such as Ore-Ida)
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk (we used skim)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup diced ham
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) 50% less fat shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in ham and pepper; cover; reduce heat, and simmer 11 minutes. Mash potatoes slightly using the back of a spoon; stir in cheese and green onions. Yield: 5 servings (1 cup)

192 calories; 5.2 grams fat; fiber 2.4 g

Pretty easy, eh? This is another easy one that will fill you up and leave enough to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow.