Ham is the New Turkey

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without being thankful that you can eat what you want.

I'm sure there were wild and domestic hogs to be found in the 1600's.

Ham, baked sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese made with the healthier pasta and low fat cheese and milk, sweet corn, fordhook lima beans, yeast rolls, chocolate pecan pie and pumpkin pie.

A feast for the eyes and the stomach.

Cheap,Easy and Healthier Creamy Chicken and Rice

What You Will Need:

Large 4 Quart Pot of Boiling Water With Lid
One Medium to Large, Whole Chicken
Two Bags of Boil in Bag White Rice
One Bag of Boil in Bag Brown Rice
One Sweet Onion - Chopped
One or Two Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
One Tablespoon of Butter

Seasonings to Taste:

Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Poultry Seasoning
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried or Fresh Celery (I use dry)

Add the seasonings to the pot of boiling water and then put the whole chicken into the pot and cover.

Cook on a gentle boil until done. I checked every 15 minutes.

The meat is cooked when it falls apart easily. Maybe 40 minutes.

Remove the chicken with two tongs or forks for security and put into a dish or bowl large enough to give you room to remove the meat from the bone.

After the chicken is removed, cut open the bags of rice and pour all of the contents of the bags into the boiling chicken broth. Cook according to instructions, usually 10 minutes.

Add the chopped onion with the rice.

While these boil I like to stand next to the stove to pull the chicken apart, removing the skin and bone and then drop medium size pieces of it into the boiling water with the rice and onion.

Check frequently because boiling chicken and rice has a tendency to boil over the sides just like chicken and dumplings.

Let simmer for several minutes together and then add the flour and butter stirring until it's well incorporated and not lumpy.

The flour and butter mixture is what gives the creamy texture to the dish.
The little bit of extra starch gives it a chicken and dumpling or even a risotto texture and taste.

Let simmer until it starts to thicken then take it off the heat and let sit for several minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

I usually need to add more salt and pepper and I like to use sea salt with iodine and fresh cracked pepper.

Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers, if you have any.
This is great the next day for lunch or supper.
It's also a great cold weather dish.

Easy Tender Chicken Tenders

What You Will Need to Feed Four:

Four Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts
Oil for Frying Heated Over Medium Heat
Flour for Dusting the Chicken

Seasonings to Taste:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Onion Powder
Paprika
Poultry Seasoning

The secret to making tender chicken tenders using white meat which tends towards dryness due to less fat content than dark meat, is to soak the chicken in a bowl of salted water for several hours before cooking.

I use kitchen scissors to cut the breasts into strips and then add them to a bowl of room temperature water to which I've added a scant palm full of salt.

Let this sit in the fridge for at least two hours and then drain, season but don't use much salt because the meat has absorbed some from the salt water bath, then dust with flour and add to the preheated oil and let cook until just done.
About 20 minutes or according to thickness. Smaller, thinner pieces will cook faster.

Overcooking will make the chicken taste dry.

Use a slotted utensil to remove the cooked chicken tenders from the hot oil and place on paper towels to drain and cool.

This recipe is adaptable for different ways of eating including low carb or low fat by using whole wheat flour to dust and by using less oil or a mix of healthy oils to brown the meat.

Baking the dusted chicken in a very hot oven would produce a nice end result also.

A nice honey mustard sauce for dipping and a side of freshly, microwaved broccoli make this a nice lunch or dinner.

Salad for Supper

One head of lettuce torn into bite sized pieces.

One medium cucumber sliced into circles after peeling down three sections to make it pretty.

One half of a medium large sweet Vidalia onion sliced thinly.

Four ounces of mild cheddar cheese sliced into thin squares.

Sixteen ounces or one pound of baked sandwich ham sliced into thin squares.

Salt, cracked pepper, Ranch dressing, Ritz crackers made with wheat and you're all set.

I'm really glad I had the ingredients handy because I felt a little sick and didn't feel much like cooking.

I try to always keep some ingredients handy for times like this.

Things for an easy soup made with beef or chicken for pot pie kept in the freezer will get used since these are on my frequent menu rotation.

Mini Cheesecake Muffins

These yummy gems have no flour. Just cream cheese, egg , sugar or Splenda and a splash of vanilla.

Lose Weight Eating Eggs

I'm trying to eat eggs for breakfast more often because I keep hearing that they are good for you and they help keep you full longer helping you eat less and lose weight.

My favorite way to eat eggs is to scramble over medium heat in a little olive oil. I also add a little water, maybe a teaspoon, to the eggs before I beat them with a fork. It helps them mix better and keeps them moist.

A little salt and fresh ground black pepper and I am happy for several hours.

If I'm really hungry, a slice of toast with a little real butter and jelly made with fruit and no added sugar usually does the trick. It gives a bit of the quick carb energy and tastes slightly sweet which I like.

The 125 Calorie Sandwich

I like to call this my "snack time" sandwich because it's so light in calories that it doesn't add too much portion to my portion controlled life. But, since it has great volume, it is usually very filling and satisfying.
I try to only eat things I really like and this is my newest addition to that long list except I am trying to make the list healthier.

What I Used:

Two slices of those new white wheat breads, soft like white but healthier = 50x2=100 calories Yellow mustard on both slices = 0 calories...I wonder how they do that?
Three thin slices of chicken = 25 calories
One cup or more of iceburg lettuce leaves = 6-8 calories per cup

OK, it is a 131 calorie sandwich and since it all adds up, I will remove one lettuce leaf or just jiggle my foot a few times to make up for the extra 6-8 calories.

Grilled BBQ Chicken with Cheesy Rice and Baked Beans

This going into the meal recipe rotation. I don't know how often we will have it but it's good enough to keep the ingredients handy.

I usually just add Parmesan cheese to the rice but after deliberating we decided to add some Cheddar and it was really good. Not mac and cheese good but good and it went well with the baked beans from a can.

Our favorite barbecue sauce recipe is a red hickory flavor. It seems to blend well with chicken that's been grilled or baked.

Keep a little skin on the chicken for some extra flavor. It crisps on the edges and flavors the meat nicely.

Hello Risotto

To some it is a sacrilege but to me it is a very good thing.
Yes, I cook risotto in the microwave.
YIKES!

It is good. Not perfectly good, not just good enough, but very good.

No standing, watching, stirring, waiting, adding hot liquids, stirring , watching some more.

I do watch and stir but the main thing about microwaving risotto is to use a high bowl. Risotto in the microwave has a tendency to bubble over and it's a hard mess to clean.

So, watch a little, stir a little, enjoy a lot.

Easy Pannini

A stovetop grill and a sturdy spatula work as well as any machine to make a pretty pressed sandwich.

What I Used:

White wheat bread
Deli Sliced Ham
Low fat Monterrey Jack with Colby cheese, pre-sliced
Butter
Spray Oil

How I Made It:

Pre-heat the grill pan over medium low heat
Assemble the sandwich
Put a little butter on the outside
Place on the grill
Press down with the spatula for several seconds then let sit and cook until a crispy brown
Flip and repeat

Good served warm with baked chips and/or raw vegetables.