Family First, Always...

As I get older, I wish that I had a really big family.  Growing up, we lived on a street that had 72 kids on it!  I only have my brother Sean, and there was only one other family on the street with 2 kids.  We had a lot of big families, one had 12 children!

My Mother has one sister, my Aunt Johanna.  She is only 16 years older than I, so we are close.  Unfortunately, she lives in Maryland.  I was about 12 when she got married and moved, and I remember crying a lot when she left.  Fortunately we have remained close.  She married a wonderful guy, Bill Kramer, and I must say, they are a really special couple.  

Johanna and Bill had 2 children, Elizabeth and David.  Elizabeth got married 2 years ago to Brian, and is expecting a baby in July.  David married Cindy this past October.  I remember when they were both babies, and find it hard to believe how fast the time has gone!  I am proud of what they both have become and accomplished, and I would expect nothing less after the guidance and love they got from their parents!

I love the ocean, which makes sense since I am a Pisces!  For the past 3 summers, Johanna and Bill have shared their beautiful home with us in Stone Harbor, N.J.  For those who have never heard of Stone Harbor, I won't tell you too much because you'll want to go there, and then it would get crowded, we wouldn't like that at all!!!  It is a quaint, beautiful town on the coast of New Jersey, about an hour south of Atlantic City.  This past summer, we were able to be there at the same time as the entire Kramer family, and it was wonderful.  

So where is this story going, oh yeah! Johanna and Elizabeth are both fabulous cooks.  We love to share recipes, and do so often.  Before Christmas, Elizabeth gave me a recipe that I have made several times, and have already given it to others.  I love brussel sprouts, and this recipe really takes them to another level.  Thank you to my cousin Elizabeth, I love you and can't wait for the new baby to come!  And to my Aunt Johanna, I wish you were closer, I love you!

This recipe is simple and oh so delicious, it will turn brussel sprout hater around!

Crunchy Brussel Sprouts

1 lb. sprouts

2 tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Slice sprouts thinly. Warm oil in a large skillet.  Add sprouts, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring until sprouts are wilted.  About 5 minutes. Add walnuts and cranberries and toss.

My new Fitbit!

Well, as you may know, I have been on a healthy eating plan since the beginning of the month.  So far, so good!  I have some friends who own Fitbits, so I thought I would give it a try, and I love it!!!  It is  a great motivator for me.  For those of you who don't know about it, it is a fitness device that tracks your steps, food, sleep, water and lots more.  You download the app either on your phone or computer and sync.  It can also be synced with My Fitness Pal which is another great app.  Here is a picture of what it looks like.

Mine is the Fitbit Flex.  I have been averaging about 13,000 steps per day.  It tells me my calories burned and what calories I have left in my bank.  It costs $99.00 and you can buy them at Best Buy as well as on Amazon or the Fitbit site.  I suggest it to anyone who is working on loosing weight.

Now, on that note, I have been coming up with some low calorie/fat recipes to help me out!

The town where I live is a very ethnically diverse neighborhood, which is fabulous, especially when it comes to food and cooking!  We have some many ethnic grocery stores to choose from, as well as fantastic restaurants.  One of my favorite Middle Eastern food to eat is Kofta Kabab. 

Kofta is usually made with either ground beef or lamb, or a combination of both.  I love mine with a tzatziki sauce which is made with yogurt, mint and cucumber.  I have lightened my version up using ground turkey, and I must say, it is just as good!  You can put the kebabs on skewers when you grill, but it is not necessary.

We like to eat the kebobs on warmed pita bread with the sauce, and some salad greens on top of that with a squirt of lemon juice, delicious!!!

Turkey Kofta Kebabs with Tzatziki Sauce

20 oz 93% lean ground turkey

1 small onion, minced

2 cloves garlic. minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp bread crumbs

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tbs. tomato paste

salt and fresh pepper (to taste)

Directions:

In a large bowl combine all ingredients until evenly blended. Divide into a heaping 1/4 cup portions so you get 12; roll into log shaped ovals. Place on a cookie sheet and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, grill on each side for about 6-8 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients:

16 oz. plain nonfat greek yogurt

2 seedless english cucumbers, seeds removed and diced 

2 tsp. olive oil

1/2 lemon juiced

1 tbs. dried mint

1 clove garlic, minced fine

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Before dicing cucumbers, slice and remove seeds.  Put them in a colander and sprinkle with salt.  Let them sit for about 1/2 hour.  This will allow the liquid to drain from the cucumber.  Lightly rinse and dry with a paper towel and dice.  Mix all ingredients together well.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors can come together.  Spoon over the Kebobs.  The sauce can also be used as a dip for almost anything!

Happy New Year!!!  One of my resolutions is to start posting more on my site, so here is my first post of 2014.  It has been a wonderful Holiday season filled with family, friends, and of course, lots of food!  I haven't stopped cooking since December 23rd!  As an added bonus, we had 2 extra days off in Massachusetts because of a great big snowstorm, which meant we had 2 total weeks off from school.  It gave me a few days extra in the kitchen experimenting.

I love soup on cold days.  This soup is unbelievably good.  I took from different recipes, tweaked a bit, and came up with this recipe. Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients, they all go in the crockpot together and cook, it's so easy!  It is worth the time and effort to make your own enchilada sauce. I have listed the recipe below, but in a pinch, you can use a can.  Make sure you buy good quality tortilla chips.You will not be disappointed, I promise!!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup with Avocado Relish

1. 1 lb. chicken breasts (no need to cut up
2. 1 15 oz. can rotel tomatoes or whole tomatoes mashed
3. 1 medium onion chopped
4. 10 oz. enchilada sauce - either canned or recipe below
5. 1 small can chopped green chile peppers
6. 2 cloves garlic minced
7. 3 3/4 cups chicken broth
8. 1 tsp. cumin
9. 1 tsp. chili powder
10. 1 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
11. 1 tsp. salt
12. 1/4 tsp. black pepper
13. 1 bay leaf
14. 1 10 oz. bag frozen corn
15. 1 16 oz. container sour cream
16. crushed tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except for sour cream in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.   Take out 2 cups of your soup and blend in a blender or use an immersion hand held blender and blend right in your crockpot.  Add your sour cream and and stir well.  Serve with Avocado relish, tortilla chips and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Avocado Relish

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 cup chopped green onion

1 tsp. grated lime zest

3 oz. crumbled queso fresco (mexican cheese - can be found in most grocery stores)

1 peeled and diced avocado

mix all ingredients well and cover.  

Easy Enchilada Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup chili powder

2 cups chicken stock

10 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings..