Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy

Here’s where I’ll be posting any recipes.

Crab Dip

• 1 – 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cloves minced garlic
• pinch salt
• pinch black pepper
• 6 oz crab meat (I use real)
• couple splashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce
• 2 green onions
• a heaping ½ TBSP of mayonnaise

Mix cream cheese until soft and smooth, blend in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper.

Mix in Tabasco, garlic, onions and crab meat.

Add mayo and mix until smooth. Mayo can be added or subtracted to reach desired smoothness.

Jambalaya

• 12 shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into chunks
• 4 ounces chicken breast, diced
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning, recipe follows
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (mix up the colors for visual appeal)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (I used canned… it was what I had in the house)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (I used Tabasco Chipotle sauce – SPW likes the smokiness)
• 3/4 cup rice
• 3 cups chicken stock (salt free preferred)
• 6 ounces Johnsonville Cajun chicken sausage
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken broth – divided
3 tablespoons olive oil – divided
8 oz. white mushrooms thinly sliced
2 diced shallots (I had some in a jar, so I used those)
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used Little Penguin pinot grigio)
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup Parmesan
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives (I omitted)
sea salt to taste
coarse ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1) In a saucepan, warm the broth over low heat.

2) Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and their liquid, and set aside.

3) Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and stir in the shallots. Cook 1 minute. Add rice, stirring to coat with oil, about 2 minutes. When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, pour in wine, stirring constantly until the wine is fully absorbed. Add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente, about 20-30 minutes.

4) Remove from heat, and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, chives, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

There you have it. Just remember to be patient and keep stirring.

Mango Margarita:

approx 10 oz of fresh mango chunks
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2/3 cup tequila
2 tbsp triple sec or Cointreau
2 tablespoons superfine sugar or simple syrup
Approx 2 cups ice

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, unless you have a frozen concoction maker, in which case, put everything but the ice in the blender, load the ice hopper and flip the switch.

Makes 4 cups (approx)

Pineapple margarita

2 cups ice
1 1/2 shots tequila (preferably silver)
1/2 shot triple sec
splash of fresh lime juice
splash of sweet and sour mix (or simple syrup)
1 1/2 cups of fresh cubed pineapple (or more)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, unless you have a frozen concoction maker, in which case, put everything but the ice in the blender, load the ice hopper and flip the switch.

Makes approx 4 cups

Garlic & Herb Chicken Marinade

• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian-style seasoning
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, combine the water, vinegar, oil, garlic, thyme, Italian-style seasoning, poultry seasoning, rosemary, salt and ground black pepper. Mix well and put in a heavy zipper bag along with your chicken breast pieces. Don’t let it go more than 5-6 hours for maximum flavor.

Brian’s Meatballs

2 lb. ground beef (I use 90%)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. basil
1tsp. oregano
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. red pepper (optional)
1/4 clove garlic (at a minimum)
2 large eggs
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup parmesan

Mix ingredients well. Seriously well. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, transfer immediately to sauce and simmer. Four hours, minimum.

For sauce, I usually make a combination of whatever jarred stuff I have in the inventory. I would prefer to make my own, but I don’t really have the time or the tomatoes. Maybe one of these days I’ll get ambitious. One other thing you can do is lightly cook some Italian sausage and put it in the sauce with the meatballs. Adds some extra flavor. My usual sauce ratio is one jar of DelGrosso three cheese and two jars of DelGrosso Tomato Basil.

As far as pasta goes, one of the nutrition people I spoke to had recommended Ronzoni’s Smart Taste pasta. It’s enriched with fiber and while it’s still pasta (40g of carbs) there’s 5g of fiber to help balance it out. While the whole grain pastas might have a smidge more fiber, this wins in taste, in my opinion.

 

Turkey Chili

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped (I only had red ones… they work, too)
6 cloves of garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow corn
1 lb. ground turkey
1 can of red or kidney beans (15.5 oz) (I use kidney)
1 can of diced tomatoes (I found some with chipotle peppers in the can… perfect)
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 squirts of Tabasco
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium soup pot add some olive oil and cook onions, garlic, corn and bell pepper over medium heat, about ten minutes. Separately brown the turkey meat, drain and set aside. In a food processor, blend the vegetables and return to the soup pot. Over low heat, add the beans (drained), tomatoes, turkey meat, Tabasco, cilantro, cumin and chili powder. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt & pepper to taste. Should serve 4-5.