The Queen's Lemon Pepper Dosey-Do Chicken

When asked the name for her delicious chicken recipe, The Queen said that you just can't name chicken sprinkled with lemon pepper AND dosey-do'ed in tomato baste just one name. That is confusing. How about...The Queen's Lemon Pepper Dosey-Do Chicken. Enjoy eating like a Queen.

Nutrition facts were designed at About.com.

The Queen's Lemon Pepper Dosey-Do Chicken

Ingredients:

4 (6-8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 oz can of tomato sauce 

8 oz water 

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions 

1/2 cup chopped green onions 

1/4 cup Hunt's tomato paste 

1 Tbsp Basil 

1 Tsp apple cider vinegar 

1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning 

1 Tbsp minced garlic 

Sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

The nutrition facts for this delicious Japanese curry were made at Calorie Count!

Corinn’s Katsu Curry

Ingredients:

The Tonkatsu:

8 thin-cut pork chops, boneless

Panko bread crumbs

All-purpose flour

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp shichimi togarash (seven-flavor pepper powder) (you can sub cayenne pepper for this, but reduce to 1/2 tsp)

2 eggs diluted with milk or water

The Veggies:

8 red-skin potatoes or new potatoes (waxy potatoes work best), diced into large-ish cubes

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small sweet onion, sliced

2 carrots, sliced thinly on the bias

3 green onions, chopped finely

1 red hot chili pepper, sliced very thinly (optional if you like heat)

Splash of soy sauce (in the boiling water)

The Sauce:

3 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin, just regular olive oil)

1 tbsp butter

All-purpose flour (to thicken, amount used varies based on desired thickness)

3 tbsp good-quality yellow curry powder (get this from an Indian grocer if you can, the quality difference is HUGE)

1 tbsp shichimi togarash

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup soy sauce

Water to your desired consistency

Directions to make the curry:

First, you want to get the veggies boiled off. Cut up the potatoes and carrots, since they need to be boiled first. Put them in a pot and boil them with a splash of soy sauce. While this is going on, you can start breading and frying your pork chops.

Set up a breading station with a dish of flour (seasoned with garlic powder, pepper, salt and shichimi togarash), a bowl with the egg and milk mixture and a dish with plain panko breadcrumbs. Bread the pork chops normally and fry off in vegetable oil until crisp and golden brown. Store these in the oven, wrapped in foil, to keep them warm.

By this time your veg should be done; remove from heat and strain off. Start making the sauce. In a large saucepan, add the olive oil and butter and melt it down. Add the onion and bell pepper (and chili peppers if you want it spicy) and cook them until the onions are translucent. Add curry powder, shichimi togarash,  garlic, ginger and (if necessary) more butter. Add the flour and cook it off to make a roux. Add cold water and whisk vigorously, cooking until thickened. Add boiled potatoes and carrots to the sauce; reduce heat to low and cook slowly for another five minutes.

Remove from heat and add finely chopped green onions.

To plate:

Slice two breaded pork chops into long, thin strips and arrange on a mound of white or brown rice in a shallow bowl. Ladle a few spoons of sauce over the top; garnish with pickled ginger and a sprinkling of shichimi togarash.  Serve immediately. Feeds four-six rather hungry individuals.

Michael's Cucumber Yogurt

This is a delightful garnish for lamb, beef, burgers or other sandwiches... or just eat it right out of the bowl!

Michael's Cucumber Yogurt
nutrition facts

Ingredients:

1 large cucumber
1 cup plain yogurt
1 pinch dill
1 T white wine vinegar
Optional: 1/2 t sugar or packet of Splenda

Directions:

Rinse and slice a few pieces of cucumber to serve as the garnish. Then peel and slice the cucumber in half. Remove seeds with melon baller - or just use an English or seedless cucumber.

Dice the cucumber and mix with the plain yogurt. Add a pinch of dill, a bit of chives, and/or a splash or two of white wine vinegar and stir.

Marg’s Summer Tomato Sauce

The directions below are for two servings-- I multiply batches and can the extra. What's the point of 2 measley servings? Today's canning session was 14 batches, using half a bushel of fresh roma tomatoes.

Adapted from this recipe (nutrition facts in the recipe link). Great way to use up all those fresh tomatoes, basil, and oregano in August.

The wine and paprika cut the sweetness of the tomatoes and leave just a zesty tomato taste.

14 batches from a full day of canning!

Summer Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 cups tomato

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 cup onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic (small; 2 cloves if big), minced

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

2 tbs fresh basil (1 tbs dry)

2 tsp fresh oregano (1 tsp dry)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

3 tbs parmesan (fresh)

Directions:

Blanch and peel the tomatoes, or use canned tomatoes. Puree 8 at a time in food processor and put them in a stock pot. Start heating.

That's one thick sauce!

Add wine, paprika, and onion and cook until onion is soft.

When water has mostly evaporated from the tomatoes add the garlic, olives, basil and oregano and heat through.

Stir in parmesan and serve over capellini or shell pasta. 

When I can the sauce I add the paremesan when I'm serving it, not before.

Marg's Pomodoro Sauce

This is a thin sauce, but so very flavourful! The balsamic vinegar is the ingredient that adds the flavour. Makes 12+ generous servings; I freeze it in empty yogurt tubs that hold roughly 4 cups each, and I get enough to fill 4 yogurt tubs with about a cup left over for the cook's portion for dinner that night. ;-)

The nutrition facts for this delicious sauce were designed at Calorie Count.

Pomodoro Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

2 onions, chopped

16 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

5 cups chicken broth (I just use a box of the broth [eg Campbell's, Knorr] from the supermarket)

2 chicken bouillon cubes (I use McCormick chicken flavoured All-Vegetable bouillon cubes, but that's just me)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, ground (or 1/8 tsp cayenne)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tbs dry basil (or 4 tbs fresh)

Directions:

Blanch the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water until you see them start to split. Carefully remove from the water with a scoop and cool a bit. in some cold water The skin will then slip right off.

Pulse tomatoes, about 8 at a time, in food processor to chop roughly.

Pulse garlic in food processor (after washing it out) until finely minced. 

Chop onions.

Heat oil in a stock pot, then add onions and garlic and cook until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, vinegar, broth, and bouillon cubes, bring to a boil, turn down heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Stir in red and black peppers to taste and the basil.

Simmer until about an inch of the liquid has evaporated off and sauce is getting thicker, about 45-60 minutes.

Let cool a bit, then puree with an immersion blender.

Serve over pasta and top with grated Parmesan or ladle into tubs and freeze for fresh tomato sauce all winter long!

Michael's Spaghetti or Lasagna Sauce

Michael says he won his bride with this awesome recipe. This recipe makes 16 – 20 large servings, so start with a large pot. The sauce freezes very well and makes an excellent quick dinner for working folk.  The first time you prepare a meal with the sauce, count the number of ladles you use and put an equal amount into freezer containers.  After the first meal, there are usually about 8 containers of three servings each for later use. Serve with whole grain pasta.

The surprisingly awesome nutrition facts are at Calorie Count.

Michael's Spaghetti/Lasagna Sauce

Ingredients: 

                       

1/4 cup good olive oil

1/4 stick of butter or margarine     

4 – 5 large garlic cloves, minced  

1 large onion (or 2 med.) chopped

4 small cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained

2  28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes 

5  6-oz. cans unsalted tomato sauce

2 12-oz cans tomato paste

1  6-oz. can water (use a tomato sauce can)

3/4 cup of good burgundy wine (never use “cooking” wine)

1/2 cup dried parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. granulated beef bouillon

1/4 cup dried oregano leaves                               

1 packed Tbsp. of brown sugar

3 Tbsp. dried basil                                                               

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese            

1/2 tsp. garlic salt                                                    

1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

2 tsp. salt

a pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp. ground celery seed

3 lbs. lean ground beef

1/2 tsp. each EXTRA pepper and garlic powder used when browning the beef

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and margarine or butter in the pot, and sweat the onion and garlic until transparent.  Add all tomato ingredients, water, mushrooms, and wine.  Stir until blended.  Add all the dry ingredients, including parmesan cheese, and blend.  Cover and set aside on low heat, gradually bringing to a slow boil.

In a separate pot, brown the ground beef with a bit of oil.  As it cooks, sprinkle in an EXTRA 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder and an EXTRA 1/2 tsp. of black pepper.  Once the meat is brown, DRAIN IT THOROUGHLY or the sauce will be oily.  Then add the drained meat to the sauce.

Cover the meat/sauce mixture and simmer for at least three hours, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Notes:

Here are several things I do that are optional, but which I believe add to the flavor:

Before adding the mushrooms, take the time to mince one of the cans of stems and pieces.  This gives a uniform mushroom flavor to the sauce.

Sliced fresh mushrooms can improve the appearance of the sauce.  If you elect to use them, lightly sauté about 1/2 to 3/4 of a lb. with the onion and garlic, rather than adding them later on.

Just after draining the ground beef, return it briefly to the browning pot, add a generous splash of burgundy and mix for an additional minute or so before adding the beef to the sauce mixture.)

Hollandaise Sauce

This is the lightly lemony sauce you find on Eggs Benedict or vegetables (think asparagus!). There are many ways to make it, most involve a lot more butter. The recipe below is lowers the calories of the traditional sauce quite a lot but retains the wonderful flavor.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup hot water

1/4 t pepper
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 T lemon juice
Optional: salt, up to 1/4 teaspoon

Directions:

In a small saucepan with the burner set to low or medium, melt the butter, water, and pepper.

In a separate bowl, beat the yolks slightly and add to the butter mixture. Set the burner to low and whisk vigorously with a wooden spoon until it is thick and smooth.

Blend in the lemon juice, taste and add salt if you need it.

If the sauce curdles on you, beat in a teaspoon of very hot water.

Enjoy over every veggie you can find!

Veloute Sauce

Veloute is a lower calorie version of Bechamel sauce (that thick white sauce made with milk). You make it in the exact same way as a Bechamel except that you substitute the stock of your choice for the milk. You can still add a little bit milk if you want it to be a "cream of" sauce. The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Veloute Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T butter, unsalted
3 T flour
2 cups hot stock (beef, chicken, veggie, fish - or use meat juices to create a fantastic gravy)
salt to taste
black or white ground pepper to taste
Optional: substitute some of the hot stock with hot skim milk. How much depends on how light in color you want the sauce to be.


Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until it is thoroughly incorporated into the butter - about two minutes will help remove the "floury" taste and that's where many people mess up when making thickened  sauces or gravy.

Remove from heat.

Heat the stock in your preferred way - in a small pan or in the microwave. Either way is fine but get it hot. It should be heating while you are prepping the butter and flour.

Dump the hot stock into the butter/flour mixture and vigorously stir or whisk to make sure the sauce is not lumpy.

Return it to the medium heat and bring it to a boil - stir or whisk the entire time it is coming to a boil.

Then lower the temp and simmer for another two minutes. Season with the salt, pepper.

Pasta Sauce Made With Water

yup, from water...ok, there are other things. Using pasta water allows you to cut the amount of fat you would otherwise use in an olive oil or butter tossed pasta dish which will save you a lot of calories! You may want to add more spices, the amounts listed below are "starter" amounts. Be creative with the other ingredients. If you are not vegetarian or have room for the calories, a bit of meaty bacon or prosciutto is fantastic in this sauce.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

Ingredients:

1/2 onion diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 T pure olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 t Rosemary
1/2 t fresh cracked black pepper
2 cups water taken from the boiling pot of pasta after about 4-5 minutes of boiling.

Directions:

shrooms starting to caramelize!

Heat a tablespoon or so of fat in a pan (butter or pure olive oil works well), saute onions until they start to brown, then  add slices of mushrooms and saute until they start to brown and caramelize. Stir in chopped garlic and saute another couple of minutes. Add a teaspoon or so of Rosemary and some fresh cracked pepper. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the reserved pasta water, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a strong simmer until the liquid reduces a bit and the flavors blend. Toss with pasta and if you have room for the calories, some fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese. If the mixture seems dry, add some of the remaining pasta water.

Lighter Pesto

Did you know you can search recipes at Calorie Count? That's where I found this fantastic light pesto with a lot less oil and a whole lot of flavor!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Lighter Pesto

Ingredient:

Serves 4

3 cups  basil leaves

3 tbsp.  grated Parmesan cheese

2  garlic cloves, peeled

1 tbsp.  lemon juice

3 tbsp.  extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

In a food processor, combine basil, Parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, and 3 tbsp. water; season with salt and pepper. Puree until a paste forms.

Stream in oil while motor is running. Process until smooth - about 1 minute.

Suggestions for variations include:

more garlic (is there such a thing as too much garlic?), substitute lime juice for the lemon juice, add a dash of cayenne, or a few toasted hazelnuts!

Freeze in Pam sprayed ice cube trays, then pop out and put in a freezer bag. Then all you have to do is pull out as many lumps as you like!

Janice's Broccoli and Carrot Alfredo

This light version of Alfredo is great on anything, but I particularly love it on pasta or baked potato!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

whenever possible, use organic vegetables

Broccoli and Carrot Alfredo

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Cups fresh broccoli florets
2 Cups carrots, slice thinly
2 T butter
1/2 Cup onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 T flour
2 tsp low sodium instant bouillon
pinch pepper
2 Cups fat free milk
6-8 oz 0% fat Plain Greek Yogurt (calories based on 8 oz)
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

Steam, microwave, or boil broccoli and carrots until crisp tender (about 6 minutes), drain and set aside to keep warm.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat and add onion. Saute til soft (several minutes). Add garlic and saute 2 minutes.

Stir in flour, bouillon, salt and pepper til there are no lumps. then gradually stir in milk.

Cook on medium until the mix boils and thickens - stir constantly.

Stir in the cooked broccoli and carrots, yogurt and Parmesan

Toss with pasta or serve over baked potato.

Notes:

Get creative with vegetables and add whatever is seasonal to the sauce. Pearl onions rock. Peas too.  Mushrooms are superb.

Jam it full of veggies and treat it as a saucy veggie side dish!

Janice's Gnocchi in Cacciatori Sauce

these filling delicious puffy little bundles of potato and flour are wonderfully versatile and an excellent candidate for one of my favorite "comfort foods" so it's a good thing each serving is so low in calorie. Look for white or wheat gnocchi in boxes or tightly sealed plastic containers in the dried pasta section of your store.

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

gnocchi

Gnocchi in Cacciatori Sauce

Serves 4 for dinner or 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 T pure olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped (or more)
4 garlic cloves, chopped or crushed
30 oz tomatoes*, crushed with your hands cuz it's fun
1/4 C parsley, fresh, torn or chopped
1/4 C basil, fresh, torn
1/8 cup red wine**
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 T pure olive oil
16 oz gnocchi, white or wheat

Ingredient Notes:

*If using canned tomatoes, dump them into a bowl and crush them with your fingers. Do not strain the juices. If you don't have enough canned, just make a mix of fresh and canned tomatoes. You can peel the fresh ones if you like. I don't as I love the peel!

**use up to 1/3 cup of wine. The nutrition facts were set for 1/8 of a cup. Always cook with wine good enough to drink. Use your favorite most flavorful variety.

Sauce Directions:

Heat 1 T pure olive oil in a medium pan. When it is hot and shimmering and add the onions, saute til soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute or so. Add all the ingredients except the gnocchi and the second 1 T olive oil.

Heat to a simmer, partially cover, and stir every now and then. Taste after 10 minutes or so and adjust seasonings. You will notice that I do not add salt. I'm used to that. But you may not be, so add salt if you need to. Also, depending on the tomatoes you use, you may need to add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar to counter the acidity. If the sauce is thin (some tomatoes are super juicy!) add a squish of tomato paste... but not too much.

Once you have the flavors as you prefer, just keep it going on low heat until the gnocchi are done.

Gnocchi Directions:

To make the gnocchi, heat 1 T pure olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add the gnocchi and toss or stir every now and then allowing the little puffy pillows of deliciousness to soften and turn a beautiful brown. Should take about 10 minutes or so depending on your stove. Let them sit every now and then for a minute or two as this encourages browning. Constant stirring prevents browning.

Serving:

Either serve in separate bowls for people to fix on their plates, or arrange the gnocchi on a serving platter and top with sauce. Fresh grated parmigiana is perfect on this. Great with a salad, or make a nice antipasto plate.

Notes:

To turn this into a casserole dish, combine the sauce and gnocchi, place in a pam sprayed casserole, top with a bit of parmigiana or mozzarella and heat in the oven til the cheese browns.

Tomato, Wine, and Feta Sauce

Use this traditional Greek recipe for shrimp, chicken, fish, and your favorite pasta! The original recipe can be found here on a beautiful blog by Joan Spaven called Dinner on the Web. The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count!

Tomato, Wine, and Feta Sauce

Serves six

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp  parsley (or 2 T fresh)
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 – 3/4 cup crumbled feta
(calories based on 1/2 cup feta)
fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil and butter, add onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Add the tomatoes, wine and herbs and simmer until thick

Add feta and warm on low a minute or two.

Notes:

Simple and fast. Serve over anything you want!

Wonderful on pasta, veggies, rice, chicken, etc...

Janice's BBQ Sauce with Lemon

This is my go-to BBQ sauce for chicken, pork, and ribs. Adjust the cayenne (or Tabasco) sauce to your heat preferences.

The nutrition facts are at Calorie Count!

BBQ Sauce with Lemon

Ingredients:

2 T butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 C celery, finely chopped
2 T vinegar
4 T lemon juice, juice some fresh lemons instead of using it from a jar!
2 T brown sugar
1/2 t cayenne pepper - or Tabasco sauce
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 C ketchup, read the labels - you can get no HFCS ketchup!
1/2 T ground mustard
1 T celery seed
2 T olive oil
up to 1/2 C water

Directions:

Combine butter, onion, pepper, and celery in a saucepan and simmer for a few minutes. Add everything but the water and simmer on low stirring every now and then for about 12-15 minutes. If the sauce looks too thick, thin it a bit with water - this sauce works wonderfully as a "glaze".

Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Notes:

I do not cook with salt, you may want to add a little at the end, but try it this way first and be judicious with the salt.

Janice's Fresh Cacciatore Sauce

Delightful, fresh and fast. Wonderful on gnocchi (those terrific little potato pastas) or over chicken breasts and rice.

Taste the sauce after about 10 minutes of simmering and decide if you would prefer more garlic, crushed red pepper, or if it is too acidic and needs a pinch more sugar (this depends on the type of tomatoes you use). Almost impossible to put in too much fresh parsley or fresh basil, so just go outside and grab bunches of the lovely things!

The nutrition facts can be found at Calorie Count! Four generous servings of sauce with only 136 calories!

Fresh Cacciatori Sauce

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil
1/2 cup onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed - large crush or big slices
30 oz tomatoes, fresh or two cans of tomatoes, chopped
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 C fresh basil, chopped
1/2 t brown sugar
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes

optional: extra garlic powder, more red pepper flakes, or more basil, etc....

Directions:

place the olive oil and saute the onions til soft. Then add the crushed garlic cloves and let it go until golden brown. Remove and discard garlic (you won't get it all, just get the bigger hunks).

Add the rest of the ingredients to the, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings and simmer until the rest of the meal is done and ready to be sauced.

If you want to serve it with gnocchi, boil the gnocchi right before making the sauce and let it sit in a colander until the sauce has simmered. You can make the sauce in the same pot. Add the gnocchi to the sauce and allow it to simmer a few more minutes. Serve as is or with a little Parmesan.