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Mushroom Tortellini in Curry Cream Sauce

1. Ingredients

   • 1 shallot, finely chopped
   • 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
   • 2 teaspoons curry powder
   • 1 garlic clove, minced
   • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
   • 1 (14 1/2 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
   • 1 (14 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
   • 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated mushroom tortellini
   • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, snipped
   • 1 medium tomato, chopped

   Directions

   1. In a medium saucepan cook shallot, jalapeno pepper, curry powder, and garlic in hot oil about 1 minute or until shallot is tender.
   2. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
   3. Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 5 minutes.
   4. Stir in coconut milk, tortellini, and basil.
   5. Cook and stir about 5 minutes more or until pasta is tender but stil firm.
   6. Stir in the tomato and cook until heated through, but do not boil.
   7. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

it's cold outside

The best cold weather food...STEW!! Nathan was in the mood for stew a couple of days ago and we had some deer meat, so.....viola! Venison Stew. It was DELICIOUS!! Here's the recipe:

Venison Stew

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds venison stew meat
• 1/4 cup flour
• Essence, recipe follows
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cups brown stock
• Salt and black pepper
• Crusty bread

Directions

In a large pot, over high heat, add the olive oil. In a mixing bowl, toss the venison with flour and Essence. When the oil is hot, sear the meat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, basil, thyme, and bay leaves to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the brown stock. Bring the liquid up to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the stew for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the meat is very tender. If the liquid evaporates too much add a little more stock.

Remove the stew from the oven and serve in shallow bowls with crusty bread.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

peanut gallery says:

Delicious!! We still have some left if y'all want to try it. Nathan added several extra ingredients and didn't use all the Emeril's Essence. (other reviews said it was a bit spicy if you used too much Essence) I think he added parsley, potatoes, and hot sauce. He used dried thyme and basil instead of fresh, since ours died with the frost. It was beyond delicious!! I can't wait to have more tomorrow!

a colonial dish

This is the best corn pudding recipe ever!! But don't take my work for it. Try it yourself!!

Colonial Corn Pudding

(via myrecipes.com , a Cooking Light recipe)

Corn pudding evolved from the popular colonial Indian pudding, which was itself a cornmeal adaptation of flour-based English porridge. Nantucket farmers raise fabulous summer sweet corn, which local cooks freeze for a holiday pudding or chowder. You can substitute store-bought frozen corn in this custardy baked side dish. When it's done, the edges should be a little crusty and the center still slightly soft. If time is an issue, make the dish ahead, refrigerate, and then reheat before serving.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen whole-kernel corn kernels, thawed and divided
• 3/4 cup evaporated fat-free milk, divided
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• Dash of freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 6 tablespoons oyster crackers, crushed and divided
• 3 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine 1 cup corn, 1/4 cup evaporated milk, and half-and-half in a blender; process until smooth. Combine remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and egg white in a large bowl. Stir in pureed corn mixture, remaining 2 cups corn, 3 tablespoons crackers, and cornmeal.
3. Spoon mixture into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Combine remaining 3 tablespoons crackers and butter in a small bowl; sprinkle cracker mixture evenly over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 145 (32% from fat)
Fat: 5.2g (sat 2.7g,mono 1.6g,poly 0.6g)
Protein: 6.9g
Carbohydrate: 19g
Fiber: 1.7g
Cholesterol: 34mg
Iron: 0.7mg
Sodium: 277mg
Calcium: 122mg

peanut gallery says:
We LOVE this dish. Although when we first made it Nathan and I inadvertently used 3/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk! Oops! But it was DELISH!! So in light of that fact, I used 1/2 cup of evaporated milk and 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk to give it a little sweetness. Nathan also uses two eggs instead of one egg and one egg white. It's so good! We had zero leftovers. {tear}

perfect for fall

Last night Nathan and I hosted a small dinner party with some friends from church. Since I needed something yummy, quick and easy, I chose this: Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney. It's truly delicious and so easy!

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

(via myrecipes.com, a Cooking Light recipe)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and about 1/3 cup chutney)

Ingredients

• Chutney:
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled apple (about 3 apples)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 
  Pork:
• 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. To prepare chutney, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cranberries and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until apples are tender; stir occasionally.

2. To prepare pork, while chutney simmers, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); sprinkle over pork. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chutney.

Slender haricots verts are a pretty and quick-cooking complement to the meal. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces haricots verts to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 321

Fat: 9.6g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.7g)

Protein: 24.4g

Carbohydrate: 34.6g

Fiber: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 72mg

Iron: 1.1mg

Sodium: 520mg

Calcium: 45mg

peanut gallery says:

This is the second time I've cooked this dish. It got RAVE reviews for all our guest and Nathan thinks it was even better the second time around. I think it's a keeper! I didn't deviate from the recipe at all. It's perfect just the way it's written. The chutney is the best part to me. If you like apple pie filling, I think you'll love this. Plus pork and apples are a great combo. For side dishes, I made green beans and Colonial Corn Pudding (see the next post for the recipe). We also had yeast rolls (but those were reheated not made from scratch;)). It was the perfect Fall dinner.

not what I wanted to hear today

My loving husband sent me an email today titled " Put that Coke down".

Funny right?!... wrong. He was serious. The link within the email gives you a better understanding of what soft drinks do to your body. Yes, that includes diet soft drinks as well. It's quite sobering. Now I know why the extra five lbs appeared around my mid-section. :)

Check out the article here. It's definitely worth reading and gives great alternatives to soft drinks.

Let me know what you think and which alternatives you like!

great advice

A good friend of mine posted this quote on her blog today and in the spirit of staying healthy, I felt it appropriate to share. (read the full article here)

"I plead with you young women to please be more accepting of yourselves, including your body shape and style, with a little less longing to look like someone else. We are all different. Some are tall, and some are short. Some are round, and some are thin. And almost everyone at some time or other wants to be something they are not! ... sisters, you are our greatest examples and resource for young women. And if you are obsessing over being a size 2, you won't be very surprised when your daughter or the [young woman] in your class does the same and makes herself physically ill trying to accomplish it. We should all be as fit as we can be--that's good Word of Wisdom doctrine. That means eating right and exercising and helping our bodies function at their optimum strength. We could probably all do better in that regard. But I speak here of optimum health; there is no universal optimum size."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the 12 Apostles

Here's to ALL BEAUTIFUL ladies, the young and the wise!!

can't leave my Maggie out of this tribute. she's too cute!