Baked crab heaven in a wonton wrapper!

Sometimes I get these crazy food thoughts in my head. Today was one of those days. I decided to try out a recipe that I had recently just came up with, with a little twist. I really wanted crab rangoon one day, but being on weight watchers its just not the best option (grrrr). So here it goes…Oh also, there really aren’t measurements. I don’t have time to find all the measuring devices…just go by your heart! Or at least I will try to estimate. These are also pretty awesome for parties too.

1 package won ton wrappers

1 can crab meat

1 package light cream cheese

pasteurized cheese spread (like wisepride)

1 tbsp grated onion

a sprinkle of garlic and onion powder

a spoon of grated cheddar cheese

a little milk to lightly thin out the mixture

1 tsp sugar

First, cut the wonton wrappers into 4 squares. 4 wrappers will make 16 rangoon. If they are small wrappers then skip this step.

Mix all the ingredients and add just enough milk to make a soft filling, but not liquid. Take a wonton square, put a small spoon of the mix in the middle and fold into triangles, be sure to wet the edges to seal. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. When the tray is filled, you can lightly brush some olive oil on each rangoon, or spray them with the lovely cooking spray, bake til golden brown on 350F.

These come out super crispy and deliciously addictive. Oh and the twist was using pasteurized cheese spread. You can cut it out, but it adds a nice zing. I think a serving was something ridiculous like 16 of these for 5 weight watchers points.

Asian Invasion via Trader Joes

So I never know what to cook when I get home. Ok thats a lie. Sometimes I know what to cook after work, but most of the time I don’t. I usually stock up on frozen asian vegetables (the kind that come with a sauce packet) sold at Trader Joes, usually for no more than $3 and boy is it worth it!

The picture above is close, but not quite what I was looking for, yet in a way, its good enough! So I took a package of the frozen vegetables with the asian sauce packet, stir fried them in a little oil and extra garlic (I use the frozen Dorot brand Garlic from TJs), added the sauce and let it sit for a while in a cast iron pan on low, just to keep warm. Please don’t tell anyone…but I add more veggies to the mix :::gasp::

In the mean time I took out a baggie of marinated teriyaki chicken (helpful tip coming up!) and a package of terryaki chicken sausage and threw them on the grill. Sounds like teriyaki overdose eh? Nooooooooo…they all were nice together. Ok so I did overdose on the protein but its worth it and is filling, plus I made plenty to bring to work for lunch. YUM. And then of course I inhaled it all like there is no tomorrow, because it’s so delicious! (this is how bad I am, I can’t spell teriyaki so I had to look it up)

Ok so here is my tip for the day. I buy the pre-frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast in a bag for about $5.99. When I get home I get about 5 sandwich Ziploc baggies and try to come up with 5 marinades that you might want to eat the next week. The last time I did this I used a spicy teriyaki marinade, Montreal rub (for steak, but is so good on chicken!), Jerk Chicken/super spicy, Italian dressing, yogurt with indian spices…you get the idea. Whatev! So put 2 breast halves in each bag and then top it off with the marinade, pop it in the freezer and let it marinade for however long it may take til you use it. Seriously, the chicken comes out super moist and flavorful, makes being on weight watchers pretty darn easy!

Since I grilled the meats lets talk a bit about grilling. Don’t turn the heat up, ok? Cooking it over low heat for a longer amount of time tends to leave the meat moist and delicious. Also, if you don’t have the time for freeze marinating, I recommend finding a butcher you trust and getting their marinated meats (which are soooo good, and nicely priced!)

Also, I am researching cameras so I can take my own pics, so just bear with me til I find the right camera! Got it?

Fun Guy Or Fungi? Which do you prefer?

MUSHROOMS! Oh come on, why do people gasp at the thought of a mushroom? Just recently there was a mushroom pizza available for free. Thats right, FREE pizza! Yum. Well anyways, there were mushrooms on it and no one would touch it, not even with a 10 foot pole. I am shocked by this, at how many people cannot appreciate the delicate, woodsy flavors of mushrooms. Ok ok…they are only button mushrooms on the pizza, but they still add an earthy heft to the lovely Italian inspired ‘pie’. I have seen people go through great GREAT lengths to extricate mushrooms from their meal and I guess I will never understand why. Not only are they delicious, but they are good for you too (high in vitamins, minerals and low in calories). Other kinds of mushrooms are not so delicious such as the poisonous kind and the ones grown in ..well…lets just say “cow pastures.”

We are so lucky to have the variety of these shrooms available at our grocery stores and farmers markets, not all mushrooms are the same. Some of my favorite include crimini (baby portabella) and shitake. One recipe that sounded really delicious comes from one of my favorite Food Network peeps, Ina Garten, is a simple and earthy saute of wild mushrooms, as a perfect side dish (just look at the variety she uses!):

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

Directions

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Heat the olive oil in a large (11 – inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

So, in closing, I understand that people might not like the taste of wet tree bark (I certainly do!), but I wan’t to know what is it about mushrooms that creates the ::gasp:: reaction. Why does it seem like 90% of the population are not mushroom lovers? Flavor? Texture?  Help me!?

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