Antipasta with bread

Tonight's dinner will be an antipasta spread with a half loaf of good artisan bread with Smart Balance "butter" on the side. If I can get it, I'll get a loaf of Tuscan garlic bread from Publix. If not, it will be Asiago cheese bread or Ciabatta (Italian version of French bread). I warm up the Smart Balance for about 10 seconds in the microwave. I buy the kind with added Omega 3's.

Antipasta Platter for Two
2 eggs, hard boiled and chilled
1 bottle artichoke hearts, chilled
1 small can sliced beets, chilled
1 small jar roasted red peppers
3-4 small gherkin pickles, chilled
1 small cucumber, thickly sliced
1/4 lb proscuitto, thinly sliced
1/4 lb smoked gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
2-3 leaves fresh basil

Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with a good vinaigrette dressing (I use Newman's Own or make my own) and chopped fresh basil. Serve chilled.

Beef Stroganoff

We make this stroganoff every couple of weeks and it's a big hit. This "recipe" makes enough for both of us to have 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:
1/2-1 lb ground beef
1/2 bag whole wheat egg noodles
1 can cream of mushroom soup (can use reduced sodium or reduced fat)
1/2 can milk (we use 1% or skim)
1-2 whole onions, peeled and chopped coursely (we use Vidalia sweet onions)
fresh garlic, to taste (we use about two tablespoons diced, we like it very garlicky)
1/3 container cream cheese (can use fat free)
4 oz sour cream (can use fat free)
Worcestershire sauce (to taste, a few good shakes)
Soy sauce (to taste, about half as much as the Worcestershire sauce)
Salt (to taste, not much)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste, a good bit)
Parsley, fresh or dried (we use dried) (a good bit)
Garlic powder (to taste, a few shakes)
Onion powder (to taste, a few shakes, a little less than the garlic powder)
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Boil the noodles as directed on the package for "al dente" firmness. You can cook the noodles at the same time as you are working on the sauce. Keep in mind you'll need the colander for both the noodles and for the ground beef.

Brown the ground beef and the onion together in a large skillet with high sides. Drain into a colander and rinse to remove most of the grease, return to skillet. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not burnt. Add the cream of mushroom soup and milk, mixing well to combine. Add the remaining, stirring well to combine. Allow the sauce to come to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for five minutes to heat fully. Serve noodles with generous portions of sauce poured over.

Pork Chops Marsala with Butternut Squash Casserole

I found this pork chop recipe on a blog somewhere and I have tried in vain to find it again. Luckily I copied and pasted it at the time and it was such a hit that I added it to the recipe binder. The first time I made the pork chops, I paired them with a roasted acorn squash recipe from the same blog. This time we're having roasted butternut squash casserole, which is enhanced with parmigiana-reggiana cheese and cream.

Pork Marsala
3-5 thinly sliced pork chops
2-3 shallots, sliced into thin rings
Marsala cooking wine
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Start the shallots in a saute pan with olive oil. When they begin to look clear and slightly golden, add the pork chops. Saute for 3-4 minutes on each side, adding salt and pepper when you flip them. Remove the pork to a plate and keep warm in the oven while finishing the sauce. Add 1/2 cup Marsala wine to the pan and cook it down until it reduces by at least half. When sauce is ready, serve pork by placing chops on a plate and drizzling with sauce.

Antipasta (?) with oat bread and butter

Tonight I threw together an easy antipasta (?) platter with some shaved maple ham slices and smoked Gruyere cheese, and added a loaf of "oat nut" bread with Smart Balance "butter." It was satisfying and delicious, and most of all EASY.