The Unbelievable Brined Birdy

"Brining" just does not sound all that pleasant. Definitely not something one would want to do to a defenseless little chicken thigh. But my husband just deemed tonight's dinner as "unbelievable." All I did was make a brine for the chicken thighs I used tonight. I have done this with the turkeys I make for the holidays, but never for a simple family dinner. I guess from the reaction of my men, this won't be that last time.

I got the recipe method while researching grilling for this month's newsletter. Not being the griller at our house, I am woefully ignorant in this art! It sounded like a great idea. I knew brining made a marvelous Thanksgiving bird, so I gave it a try. With only a package of thighs to deal with, I didn't have to bring out the giant pail to accomplish the soaking. Nor did I have to give it so much time and worry about keeping the contents safe from bacterial invasion!

This is from the July 24/7 Low Carb Diner Newsletter:
"For a basic brine, use 1/4 cup kosher salt to each quart of water. It is easiest to dissolve the salt in very hot water, so dissolve salt first in a cup of boiling water. Then add this concentrated solution to a quart pitcher and add cold water to top it off. Many people add spices, vinegar or wine to this brine as well. Experiment with flavors you enjoy."

Tonight, I soaked the thighs in the brine only for one hour, although most meal sized portions can be brined for up to six hours. Larger meats, such as turkey, benefit from longer brining. Amazingly, the poultry does not taste overly salty, but it is extremely juicy and flavorful. Brining is not about seasoning; it is about chemistry tenderizing on the cellular level. I won't get into that!

I added a touch of vinegar to my brine solution, then sprinkled the chicken with McCormick Rotisserie Seasoning. I intended to have the hubby grill these out, but he ended up working overtime, and I wanted to let him rest. Instead, I turned these into a "George" meal. Not being one who appreciates meat on the bone as much as some, I am a bit inexperienced at knowing when they are fully cooked. Glad to have that trusty meat thermometer!For sides tonight, I added some Nana's Coleslaw With a Kick, some sugarfree sweet pickles, and for the carbavore boys, some cheesy mashed potatoes. It's all good--well except for the pseudo potatoes. One day, perhaps they will see the light!

Mexican Minute Beef Salad

My "Freezer Favorite" selection for this week was Mexican Minute Beef. Brown five pounds of ground beef, add some Mexican seasonings, and pack it up in freezer bags. Now I have the base for several delicious Tex-Mex favorites, and I only had to cook once. Today's lunch is a salad.

Doesn't it look fabulous? I simply topped my romaine salad fixins for the week with the Mexican Minute Beef. I added some cheese and some diced red onion. I have to say, this home made salad is SOOO much better than fast food salads which always run short on meat. One of the Mexican fast food places has an ad out now that says just that. You know, that one that asks how it is a salad if the guys can't find the lettuce? The lettuce is under the beans, she says. That technically makes it a salad. (and carries the perception of being healthy) Well, this salad really is healthy, but it certainly is not rabbit food!

Mexican Minute Beef is also very handy to have around as omelet filling, for tacos and enchiladas, nachos and casseroles. Don't forget about the recipes in the e-book, Chili in a Flash, 2 E.Z. Enchilada Skillet, and Taco Pizza! Got a minute? Gotta great lunch!

Now I am off to finish up the July newsletter. It is filled with ideas for the grill. Don't miss it.

Better Than Hot Pockets

Generally, sandwiches are a no brainer. At least I thought so. But then, think about the number of frozen sandwiches that are on the market today. While browsing at Sam's for some lunch items for my working boy, I am constantly amazed that these frozen, undersized, less than tasty and thoroughly over-processed foods are so expensive. Just about everything is a least a dollar a serving, and a serving is far too small for a young man's appetite.

These turkey roll ups that I assembled today for lunch, are prepped, cooked and eaten in under five minutes. Really. Well, you can take longer to eat them, but cooking is a breeze. Just take a sheet of Joseph's Lavash bread and cut it into 4ths. Sprinkle a handful of shredded Jack cheese, and plop on a slice of smoked turkey. Add a line of ranch dressing. No need for a knife, just squirt it on! Roll 'em up and put them in the microwave to cook for one minute. The cheese is all melty and oozy. The ranch dressing goes great with the turkey. It really is better than a hot pocket! What could be easier than this? Add a bowl of coleslaw or some veggies and dip, and you have a hot lunch with no hot oven.

My youngest son's film project is premiering tonight. The kids are walking the red carpet, arriving in a limo and the works. I had better get in the kitchen and make the family some low carb movie snacks for the show--Cheese Crisps.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

The Signature Pizza section of the e-book gives lots of ideas for pizzas, some of which are a bit unusual. Tonight, I chose to bake up a barbecue style pizza. It is a great change of pace from the norm. To make it, heat up a bag of Chicken Cubes, or grill some tenders and dice them. I also sprinkle the chicken with some rotisserie seasoning and a Knorr Cilantro cube.

I happened to have some home made barbecue sauce still in the fridge, but you can use KC Masterpiece Classic if you can find it. It has disappeared from the shelves around my town. I also diced up some red onion. Our low carb crust of the night was Joseph's Pita bread. Not having to bake a crust kept me from having a hot oven for too long. Very important when it is over 100 degrees outside! Just spread on the sauce, top with shredded cheese, chicken, onions and another layer of cheese. Bake for about 8 minutes and dinner is served. I added a bagged salad. We had eaten so much salad this week, my supply from last weekend had run out.

I'm tired now; the heat really drains me. Maybe I can talk someone else into doing the dinner dishes...

Candy Cane Latte

It is so hot! I wanted something soothing and cool. I happen to still have some Christmas flavors from Celestial Seasonings; I stock up in November. This morning, I made a cup of double strength candy cane tea. Once it was cool, I added about 1/4 cup of cream, sweetened it with my liquid sucralose and added some ice cubes. All this went into my new blender. I added a drop of red food coloring just to make it pretty, but that is optional. Now I am enjoying a really refreshing summer drink. If you want it even thicker, make up the tea and freeze it in an ice cube tray before blending. Mmm...

Now on to an afternoon of crafting. I am making awards for the student actors in the film project my youngest son is in. The premiere is Saturday, and we are all very excited to see the student version of Lord of the Rings. Stay cool!

Crockpot Jambalaya Diner Style

It is certainly the time of the year when it is too hot to be in the kitchen at dinnertime. Unfortunately, we still want to eat. The crockpot meets both of those needs. This morning, I took advantage of that purchase of smoked sausage to make up a crockpot version of Jambalaya. Ours isn't quite authentic because my oldest is allergic to shellfish. The shrimp would do a number on his lip worse than that dog bite. BTW, his stitches are out now and he looks great--no complications.

Here's my recipe to add the "What a Crock" section of your e-book.

Crockpot Jambalaya

This is one of the recipes included in my new cookbook project, Low Carbing Among Friends.

This recipe is available in the book, along with over 60 additional 24/7 Low Carb Diner recipes. By ordering the book, you get more than 300 favorite gluten free recipes from four other well known low carb cooking experts…Jennifer Eloff of Splendid Low Carbing cookbook fame, Kent Altena, the Atkins Diet Geek and You Tube star, nutritionist and author Maria Emmerich of Maria’s Nutritious and Delicious Journal, and popular blogger and food stylist, Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food. Unlike any other cookbook you may own, this one is a compilation of mini cookbooks featuring the talents of these well known low carbers. Think of it as a “best of” project.

Low Carbing Among Friends also features recipes from numerous other talented low carbing friends and recommendations from the medical community who recognize the health benefits of low carb, gluten free living. To preorder your copy, visit http://www.amongfriends.us The official release date is 11/11/11, so pre-order now for a discount.

Everybody liked this, and with one boy gone, we managed to finish it up with only four. It would also be good with some hot wing sauce or Tabasco stirred in.

White Turkeyladas

Today I had a terrible day. Somehow I managed to misplace some mail, which in turn cost my boys some college money. Why is it my mistakes are so expensive, while those of others seem to just get shrugged off? Oh well, water under the bridge now, I suppose. My sweet youngest son wanted to run out and buy me some barbecue potato chips--my comfort food. Chocolate just doesn't do the trick for me. I abstained, but no promises tonight.

Maybe this yummy casserole will keep me filled up and away from carbs. Maybe I will learn not to comfort myself with food. That is one of the tricks to be thin, yes? Maybe you could send up some prayers that we can find our way out of this financial mess I have gotten us into.

I liked this dish. It is interesting. I got the idea from Shelly over at The World According to Eggface blog. I changed it up quite a bit, but she is an inspiring cook. Using my new blender, this went together quickly. Now if I could just figure out a way to make it without an oven!

Turkeyladas

20 ounces of sliced turkey, oblong slices, not round
24 ounces cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 Knorr Cilantro cubes
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 diced zucchini
1/4 cup diced onion
optional: one seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper

Saute onion and zucchini in a pan. While that is browning, make the filling. In a food processor or blender, blend cottage cheese until smooth. Add the cilantro cubes and chipotle powder and blend until incorporated. Add about 1/2 cup of veggies to the cottage cheese puree and blend again. Stir in 1 cup cheese to complete the filling.

Spray a large casserole dish with non stick spray. Place a large spoonful of the cheese mixture inside a slice of turkey. Top with a spoonful of zucchini. Roll up to make a short roll, not lengthwise. Place the roll in the pan. Repeat with remaining slices. (I got 18) Spread remaining cottage cheese mixture over the rolls. Top with the last half cup of shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for at least five minutes. Use any moisture in the bottom of the dish to spread over the top of the meat rolls.

These were just hot enough for my pepper hater hubby. If it was just for the rest of us, I would add a chopped jalapeno pepper to the zucchini. Serves 6-8

Next time, I think I will double this recipe and make it a Multiple Meal. I will freeze the leftovers and see how they do. Tonight, I served it with a green salad, and homemade black refried beans for my carby boys. Other than one complaint from my zucchini hater, everyone liked it. John told me to make it again.