Hurricane Irene's Damage

I wanted to talk about something different today. Florida really lucked out this time around. Many of us here were bracing ourselves as we listened to weather reports and tracked Hurricane Irene. We were relieved that the hurricane chose another path but the path she chose caused damage elsewhere. As Hurricane Irene ventured north of us, my sister and brother-in-law flew in for a visit.

Hearing that Hurricane Irene was going to hit New Jersey, they started to worry because where they live in New Jersey, Fairfield, is a flood zone. Their worrying was justified because not too long after the hurricane passed, reports and pictures of flooding in their town were released.

Hurricane Irene’s Aftermath From Above

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/photo-galleries/2011/08/29/hurricane-irenes-aftermath-from-above/

Fairfield could remain under water for another week, township officials say

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/fairfield_could_remain_under_w.html

The water level in their one-story house was growing and so was the damage. Upon returning home, they accessed the damage to find out that mostly everything was ruined. They had dreams of building on to their home later this year in anticipation of baby #2.  They lost basically everything that was low to the ground, eg. crib, baby furniture, couch, cabinets, table, chairs, etc.

My heart goes out to everyone that was affected by Hurricane Irene, as well as, Mark & Michelle.  I just can not imagine having to start over especially with another baby on its way! This is why I am asking anyone and everyone; friends, family, etc. to please help Mark and Michelle recover some of the things they lost by making a donation, small or large, to help them get back on their feet.

"There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else." Peyton Conway March

Your donation will make a world of difference in their lives and will help them start rebuilding what they lost during the storm.  Your help is sincerely appreciated. To Donate, simply click the button below. Thank you so much, in advance!

Mark, Michelle, their daughter, Jordan, & dog, Bella in happier times:

 

Sweet Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Stir Fry anyone?

This week’s dinner was something I threw together in no time and it came out tasty!  My husband was not going to around for dinner so I took out a single chicken breast out of the freezer to defrost.  I took advantage of getting some housework done while my son was napping.  I got so caught up in what I was doing that I did not even realize it was dinner time.  Not too long after my realization, I heard the cries of my hungry little man.  Knowing time was not on my side, I had to think fast! As my son’s patience grew thin, I remembered the bag of stir fry vegetables I bought the other day.  Boy, did that come in handy! I took out the bottle of Teriyaki Glaze, my wok, cut up the chicken, toasted some sesame seeds (from a Tuna Tataki I made awhile ago), threw in the veggies and had a tasty meal out on the table in no time at all!

Sweet Teriyaki Sesame Chicken Stir Fry

What you will need for 2 servings:

• 2 Boneless chicken breasts, diced
• 12 ounce bag of stir fry vegetables*
• 1 can of baby corn or fresh baby corn, optional
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup of onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame cooking oil
• 1/2 cup of teriyaki glaze
• Salt and pepper to season
• 2 cups of Minute Ready to Serve Brown & Wild Rice or your favorite rice 

Hardware:

• Wok or large frying pan
• Small frying pan
• Small bowl

*The vegetables in the bag were broccoli, carrots, snow peas and red cabbage.  If I had water chestnuts and bean spouts, I would have added them. 

Directions:

• Wash the chicken breasts and pat them dry.

• Then, cut the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and place them into a bowl.

• Add 2 tablespoons of the teriyaki to glaze the chicken and let it sit in the marinade until you are ready to use it. 

• Heat the wok or large frying pan on medium-high heat and toast the sesame seeds for about a minute.  Set aside.

• Mince the garlic cove and saute it until slightly golden, about a minute or two.

• Add the chicken and 2 tablespoons of teriyaki.  Cook for 2-4 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Set to the side.

• Add a tablespoon of sesame oil into the hot pan and add the sliced onions, baby corn, bag of vegetables (or any vegetables of your choice).

• Add 1/4 cup of the teriyaki glaze and a tablespoon of honey.  Stir to combine.

• Saute for 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are as tender as you like.

• Add the chicken, stir, and season with salt and pepper. If you are using the microwavable rice bowls, pop them into the microwave.

• Serve over rice and sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the stir fry.  

So, the time has come to say good-bye to my Social Media Marketing Class but not to worry, this does not mean that this is the end of Scrumptious Recreations.  If anything, this is a new chapter for Scrumptious. 

In the upcoming weeks, I am looking to revamp the look and feel of the blog.  Aside from making the blog visually appealing and interactive, I would like to create recipe cards and a new section dedicated to feeding the little ones in our lives. I am always searching for new and healthy foods to feed my one year old. I welcome you to share your toddler mealtime ideas and stories!

Loaded Vegetable Egg White Frittata

With Easter being about eggs, naturally, I thought to share an egg recipe this week. I have to credit my sister-in-law, Michelle, for the following Frittata recipe.  A few years ago during an annual family Myrtle Beach trip, we were all pretty much dieting so Michelle made a simple, healthy and delicious Spinach and Egg White Frittata. 

Throughout the years, I continued using egg whites but would sauté various vegetables and even toss in bacon or Canadian ham. Being that I was trying not to eat meat until Easter, I replaced the meat with Portabella mushrooms and loaded the Frittata with sautéed and steamed vegetables as well as lots of cheese. You can follow my recipe or get creative and add whatever you wish!  I mentioned using a microwave steam bag for the broccoli and cauliflower but you can steam the vegetables your way.

Loaded Vegetable Egg White Frittata

What you will need:

• 1 cup of broccoli florets
• 1 cup of cauliflower florets
• 1 bag of Baby Spinach
• 2 cups of either shredded cheddar cheese or 6-8 slices of American cheese, diced into small pieces
• 8 oz. carton of Portabella mushrooms, chopped
• 1/3 cup of onion, chopped
• Tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 32 oz. carton of Liquid Egg Whites 

Hardware:

• Ziplock Zip N Steam Bag
• Frying Pan
• Square glass baking pan
• Non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Heat up butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium high heat.

• Chop the mushrooms, onion, and tomato.

• Sauté the mushrooms in the frying pan for 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally.

• Add the chopped onions and sauté for another 3 minutes. Also, stir occasionally. 

• Add the chopped tomatoes and again, sauté for 3 minutes.

• Lastly, add the baby spinach and sauté for another 3 minutes. Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

• Rinse and chop the broccoli and cauliflower into florets, if they did not come that way already.

• Place the broccoli and cauliflower florets into the steam bag and microwave for 3 minutes.

• If you are using American cheese, cup up 6-8 slices into small pieces.

• Spray the baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

• Spread the steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets along the bottom of the baking pan.

• Sprinkle one cup of cheese over the florets and add the spinach, mushroom, onion, and tomato mixture on top.  Give everything a quick toss and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

• Pour in the 1 ½ cups of liquid egg whites and bake for 15-30 minutes, depending on your oven.  If you have a strong oven, check the frittata after 10 minutes.  My frittata took almost a half hour! You’ll know it is ready when the egg whites are solid.

Happy Easter!

Spinach, Mushroom & Italian Three Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

I’m “stuffed” after last night’s dinner! On the menu this week: Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti.  I had fresh mozzarella to use up and thought Manicotti was a nice change from the usual Stuffed Shells I make.  For the manicotti filling, I sauteed mushrooms, onions, garlic, threw in baby spinach and later combined everything with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan and basil.  The end result was delish! My 100% Italian dinner guest agreed, which was the ultimate compliment!

Spinach, Mushroom & Three Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

What you will need for about 6-8 servings:

• 8 oz. box of Manicotti pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon of sea salt for the pasta water
• About 4 quarts of water
• 2 Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• 8 oz. package of button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup of onions, finely chopped
• 1 bag of fresh baby spinach
• Salt & Pepper to season
• 2 eggs
• 2 lb. container of Ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped 
• 2 cups of shredded Mozzarella cheese (one for filling and another for sauce at the end)
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup for the filling and 1/4 cup for the sauce at the end)
• 1/2 teaspoon of Vegeta or 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt for cheese mixture
• 2 lb. jar of Prego Traditional Italian Sauce or any other sauce you like

Hardware: 

• Large pot
• Large frying pan
• Aluminum foil
• Baking dish
• Whisk or fork to beat eggs
• Teaspoon, small baby spoon, or plastic ziplock bag* 
• Wax paper, optional
• Tongs, optional but helpful
• Loaf of Italian or French bread, optional

*Before you get started, I wanted to share a helpful tip.  To make stuffing the manicotti easier on you, fill a plastic ziplock bag, cut off one of the corners and squeeze the filling into the manicotti shell.  This should be a lot easier and less messier than stuffing it with a teaspoon like I did. The directions below reflect how I stuffed them originally so if you end up using the plastic bag trick, let me know how it worked out for you.

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• Spread 2 cups of sauce along the bottom of the baking pan and set aside.

• Fill a large pot with water (about 4 quarts) according to the pasta box directions and bring to a boil.  In the meantime, prepare the mushroom and spinach.

• Cook the pasta until it is al dente, drain, and rinse with cool water.

• Spread a sheet of either wax paper or aluminum foil down and lay the manicotti on it side-by-side.

Prepare the mushroom and spinach:

• Heat up the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.

• Finely chop 1/4 cup of an onion and mince a clove of garlic.  To remove the garlic peel, place the clove on a flat surface and smash it to break apart the skin. Use the flat side of a wide knife, flat side of a meat tenderizer, or a small pot, as in my case. 

• To clean the mushrooms, wipe them down with a damp cloth and chop them up.

• Add the mushrooms, onions, and garlic to the heated frying pan.  Sauté and stir occasionally until the mushrooms have turned a darker color and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. 

• Add the bag of spinach and sauté for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Preparing the cheese filling:

• Chop about 6 large basil leaves which should produce 1/3 cup.

• In a large mixing bowl, slightly beat the eggs with a fork or whisk to combine them.

• Add the ricotta, one cup of mozzarella, half a cup of parmesan, chopped basil, half a teaspoon of Vegeta or salt, and stir to combine.

• Now, stir in the cooled spinach and mushroom mixture.

Stuffing the Manicotti:

• With a small spoon, gently stuff the filling into each manicotti shell being careful not to rip it. If it rips a little, don’t beat yourself up. It happens!

• Line all the stuffed manicotti down on the bottom of the sauced baking pan.

• Cover the shells with about 2 cups of sauce and spread mozzarella over the sauce.  

• Sprinkle about 1/4 of a cup of parmesan over the mozzarella.

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

• After 30 minutes, uncover the pan and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so to melt the cheese. 

• Cool for a couple minutes before serving so the cheese filling sets.

• Serve with garlic bread and enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Bread 

What you will need:

• Loaf of Italian or French bread
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil, spreadable butter or butter substitute
• Garlic bulb, roasted
• Chopped basil, optional
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Hardware:

• Baking sheet
• Aluminum foil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• Peel away the outer layers of the garlic and cut a half inch off the pointed end of the garlic bulb.

• Place the garlic bulb on the baking sheet with the cut tops facing up and drizzle oil over the cloves.  

• Cover with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the garlic from burning and roast for 10-12 minutes or until the garlic is soft. Allow to cool before handling.

• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

• Cut the loaf of bread down the middle and spread butter or oil over the top.

• Squeeze the roasted garlic and spread it on top of the bread. 

• Season with salt and pepper and put the bread in the oven for about 5 minutes.  You just want to slightly crisp the outside of the bread, leaving the inside soft.

• Remove from oven, spread chopped basil over the top (optional) and cut into 2-3 inch pieces lengthwise.  

Next week, I will be coloring Easter eggs and preparing my son’s first traditional Polish Easter basket for a Sunday breakfast feast!