quick & easy – Page 4 – OwlCat Designs

April 12, 2012December 16, 2017

Lighter Spinach Artichoke Dip

This proves that Spinach Artichoke Dip does not have to be a totally unhealthy indulgence. Well, it’s not quite diet food either, but besides being much lower in sodium than any restaurant version out there, this also has a lighter hand on piling on the fat calories and you get a good bit of veggies.

Plus you get waaaaaaaaaaayyy more Artichokes when you make it yourself 😉

Make extra, it makes a terrific layering ingredient to so many things (like Fish Wellington, and Spaghetti Squash Bake)

Ingredients

1 pack frozen chopped spinach (10 oz), thawed
1 pack frozen artichoke hearts (9 oz), thawed or canned (if using canned, drain and rinse)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup thick fromage blanc (or sour cream)
1 cup Italian cheese blend, shredded (mine had 5 cheeses in it) + some for topping …sometimes when I am really hungry, I use 2 cups 😉

Directions

Squeeze the defrosted spinach until mostly drained. set aside.
Chop the artichoke hearts into small pieces (chunks are fine, just remember you have to be able to ‘dip’ it up)
In a pan, heat a tablespoon oil, then add the minced garlic and stir, cooking carefully until golden, but not brown.
Add the Spinach, Artichokes and the Fromage Blanc, stir then add the cottage cheese and heat until it gets stringy.
Add the Italian cheese mix, and heat until melted, pour into a serving dish or oven proof form and sprinkle with some more cheese, cover and allow the cheese topping to melt. Serve with veggies or corn chips for dipping.
Can be made in advance, cover and refrigerate, then reheat in the oven at 350 until hot and melted, or microwave until hot.

April 3, 2012December 16, 2017

Banana Chocolate Raw Pudding

There are days when chocolate is the only thing that will do. And today I had one of those days. To make up for it, there is nothing like treating yourself with something yummy, delicious even decadent! Yay, treat time! Decision made, but good things don’t have to be bad for you. And yes, you can have this even if you don’t eat sugar. The only sweetness comes from the bananas! Let them get nice and ~~ripe~~ ~~over-ripe~~ brown, and you’re in business! Easy to make and guilt free too 🙂

Ingredients

2 over ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
about 1/2 cup milk (dairy or almond)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds

Directions

Mash the banana with a fork
Add the milk, stir until well blended
Add the cocoa powder, flax seed and chia seed and stir it all together until mixed
Refrigerate overnight

March 28, 2012December 16, 2017

Tomato Kale and Cheese Omelette

Not much words, just quick food 🙂

For those mornings, or lunch time, when there is not much time, but you are hugely HUNGRY, (or you will be hungry later if you don’t knock something out quickly and run), and there is no time to make a big production.

You need:

a handful of grape tomatoes, cut in half
a scant cup cooked kale with garlic
1 egg
3/4 cup egg whites
1″x 3″ pc of cheese, (the size of a pack of gum) I think I used asiago, but anything that melts would work
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

How to make it happen

Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet
Scramble the egg with the egg whites and pour into the heated skillet.
Add the cooked kale, the tomatoes and add the chopped cheese over top, cover with a lid and cook until the top of the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. (About 3 minutes)
Grind some black pepper over your omelette and serve

March 25, 2012December 16, 2017

Kale #1 with Golden Raisins

Kale is one of my favorite no-brain vegetables. Not because it isn’t good for your brain or you, no, but because I find it’s so easy to make it yummy that there isn’t a whole lot of thinking involved in figuring out how to prepare it.

In case you’re doubting me on the healthiness of kale, here are some facts:

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
In fact, researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale’s flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.
Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Now that’s quite a track record, don’t you think?

This time, I sweetened the deal with some golden raisins that I found hiding in my cupboard, it was just a little handful, had to be used up, as space can be at a premium around here, with all the different food things I want to try. And have you ever noticed how you can almost never find just enough for one meal, as in ‘just to try it’? Yep, so I end up with a whole box of this and a bag of that, barley couscous and mochiko (sweet rice flour) are prime examples of that. So using up and finishing up things always makes me feel good since I might get to try something else!

So simple, healthy and quick, here we go!

Feeds 2 as a side (around here though, I have been known to polish off a bunch of kale by myself, so use your judgement)

Ingredients

1tbs oil
1 bunch kale, washed and de-stemmed
1-2 tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Directions:

Strip the leaves off of the stem (discard hard stems) and tear into smaller pieces if necessary. Wash and spin dry using a salad spinner
Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the washed and torn kale leaves. Sprinkle some salt over top.
Add water and raisins and cover with a lid (even if the lid does not fit down onto the pan, juts balance it atop the kale)
Cook until the kale is soft and reduced in volume. 5-10 minutes. (This depends on the age of the kale plant: If you have fresh kale from your garden in the early spring, it will take a lot less than mid winter, kinda tough plants that overwintered in your garden)
Add cider vinegar, cover and cook another minute or two, then uncover and finish cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.

March 13, 2012December 16, 2017

Raspberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Quick ‘Cake’

This chewy little treat can be eaten as much as a quick breakfast, on those gray and cold days, where the snooze button is your BFF and your feet are deadly afraid of the cold floor outside the cozy covers. You could even try to tell yourself it is all healthy by serving it topped with some greek yogurt. Or you can just face the facts that everyone needs a treat sometime, morning or night, and enjoy it as a quick desert or snack bake anytime you need a ‘cheer me up’. Very similar to the Snack Bakes shown here, it uses a ripe banana for sweetness, but I am splurging and adding white chocolate chips and some frozen raspberries that miraculously turned up in my freezer today 🙂 Isn’t is great when you find things you didn’t know you had? Like the $20 bill in the pocket of your winter coat when you take it out of ‘summernation’ (yes, I just made that up) in October

Because heart-shaped things make me happy 🙂

Makes 2

Ingredients

1/2 really ripe banana
1/2 cup rolled oats*
2 tbsp white chocolate chips,
2 tbsp frozen raspberries * you can also use rolled quinoa or other rolled grains

Grease 2 ramekins or other heat proof little bowls/forms
In a larger bowl, mash the ripe banana with a fork, until it doesn’t look dry anymore.
Mix in the rolled oats, then add the chocolate chips and the frozen raspberries.
Divide among prepared ramekins, and microwave for 3-4 minutes, depending on the power of your device, until the top looks no longer moist and the sides pull away from the ramekin. Like in the picture below. (Mine usually take 3 minutes)
Let cool down before quickly eating all enjoying, whoever you are trying to hide these from will smell them anyway 😉

You can flip it over on a plate to serve or just eat with a spoon right out of the bowl after you have given it enough time to cool down a bit.

My ‘sweet seduction’ speed cooking contribution is ready in under 10 minutes! That should be an incentive to enjoy life and have desert, even after a long day or week!

This is my contribution to a blog event over in the German speaking world of food blogs. Every submission has to be prepared in under 30 minutes, or the time it takes the average pizza delivery to get to you. Here is the whole list of all the goodies that can be made super quick! This sweet treat is ultra quick, and I am hoping it will sweeten up many a tired after work meal!

Nachwort auf Deutsch: Leider hatte ich keine Zeit den ganzen Beitrag auf Deutsch zu = Übersetzen, hier nur kurz: Oatmeal/Rolled Oats= Haferflocken, eine ‘1/2 cup/ ist etwa ein Deciliter, white chocolate chips= weisse Schokolade, in kleine Stücke oder Würfelchen geschnitten. Ich hoffe das diese kleine süsse Verführung hier manchen langen Tag erträglicher macht, wenigstens im Rückblick oder aber da man schlauerweise geplant hat, von wegen transportfähig und so 🙂 Einfach einpacken und mitnehmen!

March 1, 2012December 16, 2017

Chicken with Capers and Feta

Part IV of the series: Chicken for every day of the week!

Look here for Part I and II & III

This time we travel to the islands of the Mediterranean. Sounds nice, what? Haha, no, it’s just a simple week day recipe that can be whipped up in no time. But it borrows greek flavors hence my mind wandered off to sunny shores and white washed houses against blue skies. To make your taste buds experience the same image, we’re using feta and capers, and slices of lemon, if you like. It just looks so pretty with it 🙂

Serves two

Ingredients

1 skinless boneless chicken breast half, pounded flat using a meat mallet
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2 tbsp capers
1 lemon, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions

Season the flattened chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides
Heat some olive oil in a skillet
Cook the chicken over medium high until browned on one side and starting to look opaque, then flip it over, crumble the feta cheese on top and ‘sprinkle’ with the capers. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook until the chicken is cooked through and browned on the second side.
(If you are using the lemon slices, place on the chicken for about 2 minutes to heat up, best way is to add it just a little before the chicken is all the way done, and cover the pan back up)

February 15, 2012December 16, 2017

Lazy ‘South of the Border’ Soup

You’re wondering on the lazy part here? Well it all started out with me not feeling like doing much but having to eat like everybody else. So from what I had on hand, I concocted a soup, and here is the real lazy part about it: using up half a jar of tomato sauce that was leftover from a ‘quick-take-to-a-friends-house-Lasagna’. Even I, who make most everything from scratch, (often including tomato sauce) do have some jars of good store bought sauce on hand. A word of caution here: Read the labels, I never buy any jarred sauces with sugar or cornstarch or vegetable protein or really anything other than what you would put in it at home. Lets face it, when is the last time you reached for that soy isolate or sprinkled some monosodium glutamate on your food? Alright then, you might not want to eat that I am guessing. I am even weary of ‘spices’ as they can legally stick all kinds of stuff in there under that label, but I am getting off the subject here.

Where were we? Lazy, oh yes, so I made a soup for a cold winter day when the soul is longing for some sunshine but you really don’t want to put a lot of thought or energy into the food making process…

I added spices and peppers, eggplant and cumin, and I had a name picked out and everything! Life was great. Until I bit myself eating the soup three (yes, 3) times!!? Montezuma apparently misunderstood the title, I mean it was in English and all… ‘~~Lazy Mexican-soup~~‘ there, happy?

Well I do have to say, I ate all the rest of the soup and no more biting myself…

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, diced
4 ribs celery
1/2 medium eggplant, cut into cubes
1 lb campari tomatoes (they are about ping-pong ball sized), quartered
1 red bell pepper, diced (optional: roasted)
1/2 a jar Marinara (Spaghetti) Sauce (about 12oz)
1 tbsp cumin seeds, whole
1 tsp marjoram, dried
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp chili powder, medium or hot, depending on taste
2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp salt
2 qts plain beef stock (for vegetarian option, use vegetable broth)

Directions

If you are roasting the red pepper: Spread the peppers on a line baking sheet and roast in a 400°F oven until blackened in spots. (You can do this alongside other vegetables, like while making the cumin roasted carrots) or alternately, place under the broiler with the door ajar until some brown spots appear.
Add some oil to a large stockpot, add the diced onion, stir and then cook until softened and browned in parts.
Add the celery, eggplant and cumin to the pot. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add the tomatoes, pepper and all the spices. Stir and wait about 1 minute until adding the broth so the spices have toast a bit and time to release their flavor.
Add the Marinara Sauce and bring to a boil.
Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Enjoy!

See? It doesn’t get much easier, lazier or cheaper than that!

February 12, 2012December 16, 2017

Chicken à la moutarde

Part III of the series: Chicken for every day of the week!

Chicken à la moutarde (chicken with creamy mustard sauce)

A staple in French kitchens and served all over Europe is mustard sauce, or Dijon sauce. A creamy flavorful sauce usually served with chicken or rabbit. And as fancy as it sounds, my version here be made very simply and even better, quickly. I used home made white wine mustard, (yes I’ll do a post on that soon) but any Dijon style mustard would work. I generally like to have both a creamy and a whole grain version on hand, but this sauce works well with just the smooth style as well.

Ingredients

1 boneless chicken breast half, pounded flat between two sheets of cling wrap
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp mustard, divided
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine (or water)
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Rub the chicken breast all over with 1 tbsp of mustard (I like to use the old fashioned kind for this)
In a shallow dish combine the flour with 1 tsp salt and dredge the chicken breast until covered in a thin layer of flour. Season with pepper and thyme.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet, then add the chicken and cook undisturbed until the edges start to look cooked and the bottom is browned. Turn the chicken breast and cook until cooked through.
Add the wine to the pan, gently stir to loosen up any browned bits. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside, keeping it warm.
Mix the additional tablespoon of mustard with a tablespoon flour until a paste forms, add to the pan, and add the milk.
Stir to dissolve any pieces of flour and mustard and bring sauce to a boil, simmer until sauce thickens, and serve over chicken

February 1, 2012December 16, 2017

Spinach and Pomegranate Salad

What to take for lunch? Since most of us here don’t get to go home and have a home cooked meal, and PB&J really isn’t a healthy option (I can hear you all scream right now), take out and fast food… well I don’t think I need to go into detail on that (no, salad from McDonald’s isn’t health food either). I got the idea to add pomegranate seed to a spinach salad from a local Mediterranean deli. But at a whopping $4 for a small container, what’s a girl on a tight budget supposed to do? You got it, try to make a similar concotion myself! And let me tell you, the flavor combination it amazing, it’s definitely a winner!

So here is a fun and yummy winter lunch box salad that would be a great side for the chicken with pepper and mushrooms, or add some fromage blanc to make it a light lunch, like I did the other day. No good picture exists to proof that, was too good, didn’t stick around long enough 🙂 And, please, don’t use just any dressing, make your own it will be infinitely better, I will of course give you one that will fit this salad perfectly!

Spinach and Pomegranate Salad with Pine Nuts

Serves 4

5 oz baby spinach
1 pomegranate seeds *
1/4 cup pine nuts
Lemon Olive Oil Dressing (see below)

* to get the seeds out of a pomegranate, cut in half and gently pry the seeds out of the white flesh/lining using your fingertips. I usually do this over the sink in a colander. Careful with the splatters if you pop a seed, it’s highly staining. Totally worth the effort.

January 28, 2012December 16, 2017

Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch white pepper (in a pinch you could use black pepper)
1 tsp parsley, dry
1 tsp thyme, dry
1 tbsp finely minced shallots
1/2 cup olive oil (about 1 1/2 to 2 time lemon juice amount)

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a lidded container and shake well then pour over your salad.

Great on Spinach Salad or try over roasted Brussels sprouts!