Teriyaki Chicken on a Bed of Spinach

My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch.  I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories.  Here is what we enjoyed this week.

This is my version of my favorite dish at The Works Brick Oven restaurant in Loveland, Ohio.  It’s very flavorful and tasty and I like to stir the spinach leaves into the hot mixture to steam them.  My version is a good substitute and low in fat/calories, but there’s nothing like being in the old building in historic downtown Loveland (Ohio) enjoying the real thing.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN ON BED OF SPINACH

• 1 tsp olive oil
• Large sweet onion, sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets, steamed fork tender
• 1 cup cooked chicken breast, cubed
• ½ tsp. sesame oil
• Dash or two of Mongolian Fire Oil (optional)
• 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
• 5 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves
• 4 tsp. roasted sunflower seeds
• 2 Tblsp. dried cranberries

In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the onion slices over medium heat until translucent.

Add mushroom slices and cook until mushrooms start to soften.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Stir in steamed broccoli, cooked chicken breast, sesame oil, fire oil and teriyaki sauce.

Divide spinach leaves among 4 plates…

…and spoon piping hot chicken mixture on top of the spinach to allow it to steam.  Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and dried cranberries.  Serve immediately.

Based on 4 servings, nutritional count per my DietPower software is:  148 calories, 5.5 g fat, 17.5 g carbs, 1.1 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Weight Watchers Plus/Points:  4

For dessert, we had an old favorite – Apricot-Nut Cookies with Amaretto Icing

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Summer Lunch for the Ladies

My two daughters were here for lunch before going swimming in my neighborhood pool.  I wanted to have something summery and light and decided to have corn-on-the-cob, Pecan Spinach Toss Salad, and Pineapple Cups.

PECAN SPINACH TOSS SALAD

• 2 cups orzo pasta
• 3 cups boiling, lightly salted water
• 5 cups fresh baby spinach (about 5 oz.)
• 5 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 1 cup toasted pecans
• 3 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1 Tblsp. lemon zest
• 3 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Grinding of black pepper

Add orzo to the boiling water, bring to a boil again and cook for 6 minutes.  Rinse in cold water and drain.

Put spinach, cheese and pecans in a very large bowl or pot and add orzo.

In a small jar, mix together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper – put a lid on the jar and shake well.  Pour this dressing over the salad and toss well.  I let the salad set for about 30 minutes and served at room temperature, although cold leftovers were also good.

WARNING:  This makes a lot of salad – it would be good to take to a potluck or family gathering.  We three each had a big serving for lunch and each one had another large serving to save for supper.

This recipe is adapted from one in Susan Branch’s AUTUMN cookbook.

I’ve been organizing my huge collection of cookbooks and this dessert recipe jumped out at me from a 1939 Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.  There are a lot of recipes in the cookbook, but my favorites are always the Round Table Recipes from readers which were clipped from the magazine and inserted in the cookbook binder.  This one is from someone in Connecticut in November, 1940.  Her comment, “Double surprise!  Comes cake, then custard hiding pineapple!”, which describes the dish exactly. This is a nice, tasty, light dessert – just right for lunch or supper.

PINEAPPLE CUPS

• 8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve juice)
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
• Dash of salt
• 1/3 cup juice drained from an 8 oz. can of pineapple tidbits
• 1-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tblsp. grated lemon peel
• 1 Tblsp. butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. milk
• 2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Have 3 small ungreased individual baking dishes at hand.  Boil water to pour into a flat pan with a lip that will hold the 3 dishes.

Drain juice from pineapple can into a cup – should measure approximately 1/3 cup.  Set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and salt.  Add the lemon juice, lemon peel, cooled melted butter and milk, whisking until smooth.

Fold in the beaten egg whites.

Place tidbits in the bottom of three individual casseroles.  Divide batter among the three dishes and pour over the pineapple.  Place the dishes in a pan with a lip containing an inch of hot water.

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Pineapple cups are best served warm or at room temperature.

The buttered corn-on-the cob, the Pecan Spinach Toss Salad and this Pineapple Cup dessert made the perfect ladies’ summertime meal.

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A November Sunday Dinner

In the past 9+ years, I’ve been able to find Concord grapes at my supermarket only twice.  This past Friday was one of those days and although I had told my daughters we wouldn’t be having pie for Sunday dinner until after Thanksgiving (to whet their appetites for holiday pies), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one of my favorites.  I posted about my Streusel Concord Grape Pie back in 2007, when I had just begun blogging.  It’s a messy looking pie, but the flavor of the grapes is just incredible.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, my husband and I lived on a two-acre plot of land that included every type of fruit that grows well in our southwestern Ohio area, including Concord grapes.  I used to have five-gallon pails of them setting in the kitchen waiting for me to cook up something delicious.  The grape jam and jelly were good but the pie was a family favorite from the beginning.  It takes some time to make, but is well worth it.  Check out the recipe.

Streusel Concord Grape Pie

Our meal was also an old standby – grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties, and Spinach and Mushroom Casserole.

Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I did try out a different recipe for a marinade, based on one I saw on All Recipes.  It was delicious.

PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE

• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tblsp. liquid smoke
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• Grating of black pepper

Mix ingredients in a 9×9 square baking dish.  Add 1/2″ thick slices of pork tenderloin and toss until coated.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from marinade and grill – I use a stovetop grill.

Above recipe is enough to marinate about 2 lbs. of sliced pork tenderloin.

I served dinner with some fresh homemade potato rolls and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day with my family.

Easy Potato Yeast Rolls

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