On a day when we had lotss of snow and needed soup but I have to admit to being lazy and I doctored a few cans and invented

Diane's Creole New England Clam Chowder.

 

1 can good quality clam chowder (I use Snows)

1 can cream style corn

1 can clams with juice

1 Andouille sausage, diced

1 slice bacon, diced

1 onion, sliced 

1 teaspoon (or more) Creole seasoning or Emeril's essence.

 

Cook the sausage and bacon until done but not crisp, add the onion to the fat and sauté till translucent.  Add the can of chowder, clams  and corn and stir to blend.  Add the Creole seasoning and heat to serving temperature.

 

It was YUMMY!  even though it came from a can.  We used more Creole seasoning on each bowl.

Multi Bean and Pea and Lentil Soup for lunch today

I cook beans once or twice a week in my Pressure Cooker. But this package that I just bought, which was so inexpensive, was all mixed peas/beans/lentils already. Because I bought them in bulk, they had no directions on the package. We tend to avoid pre-packaged seasonings as they are so full of salt.

So here is what I did.

In my QVC MultiCooker:

Sautéed one onion and 2 jalapeno peppers (seeds and all) in 2 tablespoons of canola oil
Added 2 heaping teaspoons cumin and 2 bay leaves and 2 cups of the bean/lentil/pea mixture and stirred it around to coat.
I added enough water to cover it with a few inches extra and set it on high pressure for 25 minutes.
When done I gave it a quick release.
Added 1 large can of tomato paste, 3 tablespoons of the WOW chicken soup from the Ingredient Store, 1 pound kielbasa, 1 pound of carrots.
Back on high pressure for 20 minutes, natural release. Added quite a bit of hot sauce and stirred it in.

DELICIOUS!! We each had two bowls and there is enough left for lunch tomorrow too. The largest beans and the carrots had a bit of a bite, which we like and everything else was creamy.

Menu November 8-14

Diane's Menu November 8-14, 2008

Saturday - Shrimp Fra Diablo over Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta, Salad
Sunday - Seared Ahi Tuna Steak (rare), Shredded Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Monday - Steak Salad (for those regular readers, no Pizza night??? LOL)
Tuesday - Lentil Soup, Grilled Vegetable Panini with Goat Cheese
Wednesday - Grilled Turkey Tenderloin and Wild Rice Medley **
Thursday - Spaghetti Squash Salad with Grilled Chicken **
Friday - Red Bean, Barley and Sausage Stew **



***

Wild Rice Medley

(I will use all fat free cheeses and double the veggies)

1-3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch dried thyme
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan, combine broth and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add rice; cover and simmer for 55-60 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. In a large skillet, saute green pepper, onion and garlic in oil. Add mushrooms; saute until tender. Stir in rice and tomato. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 8 servings.

***

Spaghetti Squash Salad

1 spaghetti squash (about 2-1/2 pounds)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup sugar (Splenda)
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Fill pan with hot water to a depth of 1/2 in. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out the squash, separating strands with a fork. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl; add the squash and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with a slotted spoon as a salad with grilled chicken or as a relish with burgers and hot dogs. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings.

***

Red Bean, Barley & Sausage Stew

1 lb. uncooked red kidney beans
46 oz. can chicken broth
2 c. water
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
1 c. barley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. thyme

The night before, rinse beans, put in large bowl with water to cover and soak overnight. (I never soak my beans, I pressure cook them in my multi-function pot and then change the function to a slow-cooker and continue.)

In the morning drain and rinse beans. Put all ingredients in a large slow cooker, stir, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serves 8

Diane's Menu September 27 - October 3

Diane's Menu September 27 - October 3

Saturday - Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, Salad
Sunday - Grilled Tuna (very Rare) and Tomato Bruschetta
Monday - Weekly Pizza night
Tuesday - Chicken Pasta Salad (chicken from Saturday)
Wednesday - Mediterranean Pork, Zucchini and Orzo *
Thursday - Kielbasa Split Pea Soup
Friday - Beef Stew on Brown Rice

*Recipe below
*******

Mediterranean Pork, Zucchini and Orzo
Light & Tasty
June/July 2006 issue



SERVINGS: 3
CATEGORY: Lower Fat
METHOD: Stovetop - One-Dish
TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloins (3/4 pound each)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3 quarts water
1-1/4 cups uncooked orzo pasta
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
2 cups chunked zucchini
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Rub pork with pepper; cut into 1-in. cubes. In a large nonstick skillet, cook pork in oil over medium heat for 5 minutes and add the chunks of zucchini and garlic. Stir and cook until pork is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Stir in orzo and salt; cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook 45-60 seconds longer or until orzo is tender and spinach is wilted.

Add tomatoes to the pork; cook and stir for 1 minute or until heated through. Drain orzo mixture; toss with pork mixture and feta cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts
One serving: 2/3 cup pork mixture with 2/3 cup orzo mixture Calories: 372 Fat: 11 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Cholesterol: 71 mg Sodium: 306 mg Carbohydrate: 34 g Fiber: 3 g Protein: 31 g Diabetic Exchange: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1 fat.