Measuring Cups, Optional

Skillet Almond Cake

Mrs. Measurement — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:06:54 +0000

In general, I’m much better at making savory foods than I am sweets. But I occasionally get a wild hair and decide to try my luck at making sweets. Most of the time, it’s because I know the Husband will appreciate it – when he doesn’t complain that I’m ruining his health kick.

Cakes aren’t really my thing. Last year, I tried to bake the Husband a birthday cake and all went well until I started frosting it and started completely falling apart. Needless to say, it was a major fail and I ended up buying a cake and sticking a candle in it. But this Almond cake is fool-proof.

Adapted From Bella Eats

Ingredients

1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

Additional Butter to grease pan

1 cup Sugar

Powdered Sugar for sprinkling

Zest from 1 lemon

2 Eggs

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Raw Sliced Almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a 9” cast iron skillet, or baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to work the zest into the sugar until it becomes moist and fragrant.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

Add the salt and vanilla/almond extracts continue whisking to combine.

Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour and then the melted butter.

Pour the mixture into your pan and smooth with the spatula.

Sprinkle the almonds onto the top, then sprinkle the powdered sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden around the edges.

Allow to cool before serving.

Serve with coffee or tea

Servings: 8

Nutrition Information: Cals 251. Carbs 27g. Fat 15g. Sugar 15g.

Kubbeh Bel Sineyeh

Mrs. Measurement — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:37:50 +0000

Arabic food is tough. It may partially be because I psych myself out before cooking. I know there’s rarely such thing as a 30-minute meal and so I reserve cooking it to the weekends – if that.

My parents have instituted a once a week rule. That is, that the husband and I are required to see them, preferably at a mealtime, one day each week at our convenience. In theory, it’s a brilliant idea! In practice, it’s a bit more tricky. This last weekend, I changed it up a bit and suggested that my parents come over for Sunday lunch. I refused to discuss the menu with my mom ahead of time and decided to consult my sisters-in-law instead. Small tidbit, we have a going group chat on What’sApp so even though one of us is in a different time zone, we can have meaningful discussions about everything from their kids, to dinner menus, to our distaste for cold weather.

So among other menu items, I tried my luck at Kubbeh Bel Sineyeh. It’s actually really easy to make once you get the hang of it. The most time-consuming part is laying out and flattening the kubbeh dough.

Kubbeh Bel Sineyeh

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef (85/15)

2 lbs Kubbeh Dough (you can find this at your local Lebanese or Halal Middle Eastern Butcher. As for Kubbeh dough)

1 Medium Onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Seven Spice

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

Salt, to taste

1 cup Water

Olive Oil, for brushing

¼ cup Pine Nuts

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat and add onion. Cook until translucent.

Add ground beef and cook until browned, making sure to break the meat up into small pieces.

In a separate pan, fry pine nuts in vegetable oil until lightly browned (be careful because pine nuts brown quickly)

Once browned, add pine nuts, seven spice, salt and cinnamon.

Continue to cook for 5 minutes to seal in the flavor.

Grease the bottom of a large baking dish.

Cut the kubbeh dough into two large halves. Use one half for the bottom and the other for the top.

Begin to make small ½ inch thick rounds of dough and flatten into the bottom of the pan. Have a small bowl with water readily available to wet hands as you mold the dough.

Using your hands, make sure that you have covered the bottom of the pan.

Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the dough.

Then begin to work the second half of the kubbeh dough like you did the first half.

Using a table knife, cut into diamond shapes.

Brush olive oil over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until browned

Serve with plain nonfat yogurt.

The full lunch spread

Caprese Salad

Mrs. Measurement — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:57:39 +0000

The Italians know what they’re doing when it comes to food. For them, it isn’t about throwing together tons of ingredients. It’s about simplicity and flavor. That’s why I love Caprese Salad. It has the simplest ingredients and yet is packed with so much flavor. Be sure to choose only the freshest ingredients – I go for organic or veggies from Whole Foods. For Italians it’s also all about presentation. I’m all about presentation of food. It makes it so much more appetizing.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients

Fresh Basil Leaves

4oz Fresh Mozzarella

2 Whole Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Directions

Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into ½ inch thick slices.

On a large serving plate, arrange horizontally by layering one basil leaf, one mozzarella slice and one tomato slice.

Continue until you have arranged all the ingredients across the plate.

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Mom’s Fruit Salad

Mrs. Measurement — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:02:51 +0000

My mom makes an amazing fruit salad, and that’s because of her secret ingredients (namely the sauce). I’ve only made her fruit salad on two occasions – one, during year one of our marriage when I invited my family over for brunch, and two this past Valentine’s Day. It’s not complicated but it packs in a lot more calories than you’d suspect. So don’t be fooled by the word “fruit.” Although I’ve measured out the amount of condensed milk and orange juice, you may have to adjust to your taste. I will warn you, however that you don’t need to add more than 1/2 tsp of orange blossom water. Too much will be flavor overload on your senses.

Ingredients

1 Apple, diced

1 Orange, peeled and diced

1 Pear, diced

½ cup Grapes, halved

½ cup Strawberries, sliced

½ medium Banana, diced

¼ cup Shredded Coconut

¼ cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

¼ cup Orange Juice

1/2 teaspoon Orange Blossom Water

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix all the fruit (except coconut) together.

Add condensed milk, orange juice and orange blossom water.

Serve chilled.

Garnish with shredded coconut.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Information: Cals 291. Carbs 55g. Fat 6g. 6. Sodium 84mg. Sugar 48g.

Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops

Mrs. Measurement — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:25:53 +0000

Weeknight meals can get extremely boring, especially when you’re trying to whip things up really fast.

The husband has totally caught onto my love notes. He was pleasantly surprised last week when he found a pair of oversized glasses staring back at him from his rearview mirror with wobbly eyes and the words “I’ll Always Watch Your Back.” I left him a Key to my Heart, and a SweetHearts love letter, among other surprises. I think I enjoy the surprises a lot more than he does. But it’s all in good fun! Tomorrow is the last day, and I’ll be whipping up a delicious dinner for two – candle light, optional.

Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops

Ingredients

10 slices Turkey Bacon, not cooked

10 Sea Scallops

Lemon Pepper, to taste

Sea Salt, to taste

Toothpicks

Cooking Spray

Directions

Turn your oven onto the broil setting (I set mine for 500 degrees).

Carefully wrap each sea scallop with one slice of turkey bacon and use a toothpick to keep it together.

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and place the wrapped scallops on the sheet.

Sprinkle with Lemon Pepper and Sea Salt (I’d used the sea salt very liberally).

Broil for 6 minutes, then flip the wrapped scallops over and broil for an additional 6 minutes.

Remove toothpicks before serving.

Servings: 2

Nutrition Information: Cals 241. Carbs 2g. Fat 16g. Protein 23g. Sodium 811mg.

Sunny-Side Up Eggs in Toast

Mrs. Measurement — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:28:35 +0000

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. I know, I’m a total sucker for all these Hallmark holidays. It gives me something to look forward to. As I was doing some research into how I would get creative this Valentine’s Day, I noticed a 14 Days of Love trend. Basically, every day from Feb 1-14 you do/make/say/send something to let your other half know how much you love them. Why not celebrate your love for 14 whole days, as opposed to one. Brilliant! I have been planning this since January, and spent an entire weekend crafting away. So I’m very excited to reveal my crafts. Throughout the month, I’ll be leaving little love notes around the house, car, etc. with ridiculously cheesy lines on them (it’s all the more fun that way). It may take him a few days to catch onto what’s going on …

Crafts aren’t the only way to show Holiday Love. We all know that the best way to a man’s heart, is through his stomach. Ah, I couldn’t have said it better myself. So in addition to my little crafts, I’ll be incorporating heart-shaped food to the menu.

Sunny-Side Up Eggs in Toast

Ingredients

1 large egg

1 slice White/or Wheat Toast Bread

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Cooking Spray

Directions

Toast the bread until browned to your liking

In the middle of the slice, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make a heart-shaped hole. Keep all parts of the bread.

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat.

Spray with cooking spray and place the bread in the center.

Crack the egg and gently place it into the heart shaped hole.

Cook egg until the whites are cooked through, and Until the yolk is done. (I like my yolk a little loose). If you want the yolk cooked all the way through, flip the toast over and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with Heart-shaped cutout on the side.

Servings: 1

Nutrition Information: Cals 150. Carbs 16g. Fat 1g. Protein 9g. Sodium 300mg.

Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb

Mrs. Measurement — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:00:14 +0000

It’s not everyday that I cook lamb. Although, it’s rare to find an Arab household that doesn’t cook lamb. I’m told it’s an acquired taste. I can’t attest to said acquired taste because I grew up eating lamb before I even knew that it was any different from beef.

I’ve noticed a trend of sorts, even the burger joints I’ve been to have introduced lamb burgers to their menus. This time, I decided to go simple with roasted lamb leg. The tricky part is trying to figure out what spices to use… to marinate, or not to marinate? That was a decision to make. I remember quite vividly the first time my dad brought home a whole lamb. Yes, a whole lamb. It was sprawled out on our round kitchen table (in a kitchen I remember to be distinctly green – must have been decorated back in the 80s), ready for mom to begin the prep. I remember coming back into the kitchen to find the lamb fully covered in yogurt, with a distinct garlic aroma. Too young to know what needed to be done next, I didn’t see the lamb again until dinner. We might have had a dinner party that night. It was delicious nonetheless.

Here I am, many years later trying to recreate mom’s amazing marinade.

Yogurt Marinated Leg of Lamb

Ingredients

Leg of Lamb, 3 lbs

1 cup Plain Greek Greek Yogurt

Sea Salt, to taste

¼ teaspoon Seven Spice

¼ teaspoon Cardamom

¼ teaspoon Nutmeg

4 cloves Garlic, smashed

Directions

Mix together yogurt, seven spice, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, seven spice and garlic.

Marinate yogurt in marinade overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place lamb leg in a deep roasting pan, or on a roasting rack.

Cook for 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers about 160-170 degrees

Serve with your choice of vegetables.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Information: Cals 646. Carbs 3g. Fat 23g.

Garlic Almond Green Beans

Mrs. Measurement — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:30:40 +0000

Because I’m always on a diet (or so it seems), I’m constantly trying to find ways to make veggie sides more interesting. Sure, I could steam broccoli and asparagus, and sauté spinach until is comes out of my ears. But in reality, how appealing do steamed veggies sound? That’s what I thought. I’ve recently starting grilling veggies. Yes, it’s winter and it’s too cold to be outside using a grill. That’s where my stovetop grill comes in handy. I’m telling you, I’ve becoming a grilling fanatic, minus the smell of food that lingers in our house long after we’ve devoured dinner.

In my latest experiment, I’ve taken your boring side of green beans and upped them to more than just watered down beans.

Garlic Almond Green Beans

Ingredients

1 lb Green beans, washed and trimmed

2 tablespoons Almonds, blanched and cut into halves

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea Salt, to taste

Directions

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat

Add garlic and sauté until fragrant

Add sliced almonds and sauté for 2 minutes

Add green beans and sauté until cooked through

Servings: 4

Nutrition Information: Cals 77. Carbs 5g. Fat 7g.

Skinny Chicken Salad

Mrs. Measurement — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 17:00:22 +0000

In general, I don’t go out of my way to make lunch unless we’re home around lunchtime on the weekend, or a three-day weekend. That’s because during the week in our morning rush, the husband and I grab something on our way out the door or simply pick up lunch at work.

The nice thing about lunch is that it’s easy. Throw together a salad, or a sandwich and ta-da! Lunch is served. This weekend, I wanted to take a stab at making some better for your chicken salad. You can trade off some of the additions, but stick with the light mayo. Mine only has 20 calories per tablespoon, without compromising taste. A nice combination could be one tablespoon each of chopped walnuts and dried cranberries. Test it out, try it out and see what works for you. I like the crunch of celery and carrots but it’s your prerogative.

Skinny Chicken Salad

Ingredients

1 Grilled Chicken Breast, 6oz (or left over cooked chicken breast)

1 Celery Stalk, chopped

4 Baby Carrots, chopped

1 tablespoon Light Mayo

Lemon Juice, a few drops

Directions

Cube the grilled chicken breast

Add celery and carrots

Mix together with 1 tablespoon mayo and a few drops of Lemon Juice

Serve on toast.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Information: Cals 58. Carbs 2g. Fat 1g. Protein 10g. Sodium 76mg.

Cheesy White Bean Nachos

Mrs. Measurement — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:01:21 +0000

Cheesy nachos at any Mexican restaurant can put a serious dent in your daily calorie count… if you’re counting. Step away from the cheesy nachos and look for something better. Before you start freaking out and guilt-tripping yourself out of cheesy nachos for life, try making your own. Oh the horror! Not having someone prepare it and serve it to you on a silver platter. Before you go complaining about how everything that tastes good isn’t good for you, try these cheesy white bean nachos. I promise, you won’t be slaving away in your kitchen for these. They’re easy for snacks or for an addition to Mexican night.

Cheesy White Bean Nachos

Ingredients

4 oz Tostitos Chips

1 Roma Tomato, chopped

2 Green Onions, chopped

1 tablespoon Light Sour Cream

¼ cups Shredded Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

¼ cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese

8oz White Kidney Beans, drained

Directions

In a baking dish, layer chips then white beans, then cheese

Bake at 400 until cheese melts (5-7 minutes)

Remove from oven, top with tomatoes, onion and sour cream

Serve warm.

Servings: 4

Nutrition Information: Cals 245. Carbs 28g. Fat 11g. Sodium 194mg.