EWE: Calzone

Elle Krieger has some wonderful healthy recipes in all of her cook books. I have so many marked I may never make all of them. Thank goodness for Thursdays…and Eating with Ellie,. The Broccoli and Cheese Calzone recipe comes from Comfort Food Fix page 211. Since I am trying to get back on KETO I modified the recipe just a tad. Instead of using store bought pizza dough I made my calzone with KETO fathead dough. Pretty darn good!

I used all the ingredients for the filling since they are all KETO friendly. I added the marinara and basil leaves into the calzone rather than leaving them for dipping. And this was delicious. I added garlic powder to the dough for extra flavor. The recipe for the fathead dough is enough for two calzones. Eat and enjoy!!

Check with Kayte and Gaye so see if they made anything this week.

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Eating with Ellie: Stew

The coldest days we have had are coming up this week. Lows will be in the upper 20s this week and that is chilly for Central Louisiana. And it is perfect weather for comfort foods – like Ellie’s Hearty Beef Stew.

It is chock full of beef, potatoes, carrots, peas and flavor. I did make a few changes. I used venison instead of beef and left out the rutabaga. Not a fan.

¼ c all-purpose flour
¼ tsp paprika
1 lb lean stew beef (round or chuck shoulder) venison, cut into cubes
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 sm rutabaga or turnip (10 oz), peeled and cubed
1 lg carrot, chopped
1 lg russet potato (12 oz), cubed
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 1/2 c dry red wine
21/2 c reduced-sodium beef broth
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen green peas

Mix flour, paprika, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Coat meat well.

In a large pot (or Instapot) heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in large over medium-high heat. Brown meat.

Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add carrot, and potato and cook until vegetables begin to soften.

Add tomato paste and cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, and boil for 3 minutes. Add broth and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer covered until meat is tender, about 90 minutes. Add peas and cook 5 minutes longer

The original recipe can be found in Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix (pg 136) or here.

Ellie’s stew is filling, flavorful, and comforting on a cold night. You should try it!

See what Kayte, Peggy, and Gaye had in their kitchens this Thursday.

 

{EWE} Picnic Day!

Summer is the perfect time for a picnic – unless you live in Louisiana.  But picnicing we went – down to the pond with the kids and a fan. And it was a perfect time because Gaye’s theme this week was Picnic Day.

Hamburgers, hotdogs, and cookies.  That was all we needed.  The cookies were Ellie’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  

And they were so good.  I could have eaten all 2 dozen.  Sweet but not as sweet as usual because the chocolate in them was only 60% – 70% chocolate.  Just a hint of sweet.  The brown sugar added a great flavor and texture to the cookie.

There are none left.  Wonder why?  Because they were great cookies.  Crispy on the outside.  Soft in the middle.

The recipe is from Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix (page 257).  If you want to try them, I found the recipe on Kitchen Flavours.

For more picnic treats visit Eating wit Ellie.

 

{EwE} It’s a Garden Party!

This week, thanks to Peggy, we are having a Garden Party at Eating with Ellie.  And what better time than late Spring before it gets rather warm for the summer.

A Garden Party doesn’t have to be fancy.  It can be just good  food shared with friends outdoors.  In light of that I brought a simple Apple Crisp for dessert.

Not bad.  I used Fugi, Golden Delicious, and Pink Lady Apples.  The topping is supposed to be a dough of sorts but, since I wasn’t totally focused when I made it, it turned out to be a sweet oatmeal topping.  How on earth I forgot the butter and oil and water is beyond me.  I didn’t have my mis en place ready I supposed. But it was still good.  It was especially good with some Vanilla Ice Cream melting on top of the warm crisp.

I bet some blueberries would be good in this….

I will make this again – with ALL the ingredients next time.

The recipe is from Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix. {page 280} Also HERE!

More dishes for the Garden Party?  Visit Eating with Ellie.

 

{EwE} What is your Your Heart’s Desire?

That was the question we were asking ourselves when Kayte came up with this week’s theme – Your Hearts Desire.Tuesday was Valentine’s Day.  The day for lovers.  The day for flowers.  The day for Chocolate!!  Well not for Kayte!! 

 I thought long and hard and decided it wasn’t a food that was my Heart’s Desire.  It was The Man in my life.  HE is my heart’s desire.  We’ve been married 43+ years.  We’ve had hard times and great times.  I almost lost him once.  Do. Not. Want. To. Do. That. Again!  So because of him it was easy to choose a recipe for this week.  Why?  Because his favorite small sweet treat is Peanut Butter Cookies.  And since I deny him almost nothing when it comes to food that is what I made. 

These were good.  Very good.  It is the first time I have made PB cookies with natural PB.  I usually use the name brand stuff.  You know the ones –  with lots of sugar.  Sugar we don’t need.  And while the recipe did call for 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup regular {for which I subbed in 1/4 cup Splenda and a dash of Stevia}  they didn’t need the extra sugar in the PB.  Don’t get me wrong, we love PB and eat it with jelly on sandwiches.  Or melted over ice cream or chocolate cake.  Or out of the jar!!! But we know the extra sugar is bad for us.

Make these cookies.  They will be your faves.  Crunchy! Full of PB flavor (DUH!).  Trust me on this one.

The recipe is on page 260 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix.  130 calories in 2 cookies.  2 gm fat.  14 gm cholesterol and 14 mg of fiber.

What, or who, is the Heart’s Desire for the rest of the EwE Group? Visit Eating with Ellie and see.

 

{EwE} Soup’s On!

It’s still not cool outside. We hear cooler temps are coming but….

I really don’t care for soup unless it is cooler outside. Somehow it’s just not comfort food.

But despite that I did make some soup for today –

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

I’ve been wanting to make this soup for ages.  I have always enjoyed it when I get it out but never think to  make it at home.  .

Broccoli, cheddar, chicken broth, onions, garlic, nutmeg – how can you possibly go wrong with that ingredient combo?  The nutmeg was a definitely plus in the flavor.  Just a hint of it in the background that didn’t overpower the broccoli and cheese.  Definitely going to enjoy this one more often.

Thanks, Ellie, for a healthy version of the soup. {320 calories. 170 mg cholesterol, 9 gms fat}   And the fact that it is ready in about 30 minutes.

I found the recipe on page 95 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix.  But it also on her website.

More Soups on Eating with Ellie.  Want to join us?  Just follow the themes on Eating with Ellie and leave your link on the site.

NOTE:  In our posts, we do not publish the recipes from Ellie Krieger’s books as those belong to her, we like to honor that and encourage you to buy her books to get the recipes. There are also many of her recipes at her site here.  We know you will enjoy using Ellie’s books again and again as we all do and that your money will be well spent.

 

{EwE} Celebrate the New Year.

Every January I am probably one of millions who resolve to lose weight and eat healthier.  Right?  This year I am simply NOT going to do it.  Not make the resolution that is.  I am simply going to do it.  Period.

And what better way to do it than cooking with Ellie Krieger?  Her recipes are tasty, filling, and healthy.  Like this version of AMBROSIA!!

My grandmother would make ambrosia every Christmas.  Then my mother would make it.  Me – not so much.  Not that I didn’t love it.  I just forgot about it.  And then thumbing through Ellie’s  Comfort Food Fix one day I ran across this healthier version made with yogurt and just a tad of whipping cream. Only about 240 calories a serving rather than 400+. Ellie, you are my hero!

There is also coconut, fresh cherries, pineapple, mini marshmallows, and mandarin oranges.  {I used some fresh satsumas from our tree.} It was the perfect side to the ribs, black eyed peas, cornbread, and cabbage.

The recipe is on page 290 of Comfort Food Fix. You can also find the recipe HERE.

For more Celebrations -> Eating with Ellie.

 

{EwE} It’s Beginning to Look a lot like…

…Christmas! 

Such a fun time of year.  Lots of presents.  Lots of decorations.  Lots and lots and lots of baking!

So. Many. Calories.  Until you bake with Ellie.  She always has something for you for any occasion.  Including Christmas.  Like Pumpkin Pie!  

We always have pumpkin pie and pecan pie for Christmas.  It’s just a tradition.  But Ellie’s is about 1/2 the calories since it uses a Whole Wheat Crust, low fat {I used no fat} Evaporated milk, and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar instead of the usual 1 cup sugar.  

How does it taste?  It’s way too early to cut this pie so I saved just a smidge and baked a small ramekin.  It was GOOD!!  Just right on the sweet.

I think I will make her Angelic Ambrosia, too, (page 290) but it’s way too early to make it for now.  I’ll let you know how it is.

The recipe is on page 275 of Ellie’s Comfort Food Fix.

For more Christmas goodies ->   Eating with Ellie.

Have A Blessed One, Y’all!!

 

{EwE} This Spud’s for you!

The potato!

Plain Jane.

One of the ultimate comfort foods when it’s filled with bacon, cheese, sour cream, etc etc etc.  But do you have to fill a potato with lots of calories to make it good? Ellie doesn’t think so.

Her smooth and creamy mashed potatoes are just a simple mix of steamed {I baked mine – sweeter} potatoes, sour cream, milk, salt, and a singe Tbl of butter.  The potatoes are wonderfully smooth because they are pressed through a ricer before mixing with the other ingredients.

Perfect flavor – mild but tasty – and just right with some steak and gravy.

Thanks, Kayte, for this weeks pick.  I needed a better mash recipe.

The recipe is on page 233 of Comfort Food Fix.

More potato dishes on Eating with Ellie.

 

{EwE} It’s Peachy!

Summer means peaches in the Deep South.  Sweet.  Run down your arm juicy.  Full of summer flavor.  Peaches are just good.  Except now it’s fall and the GOOD peaches are all gone.  When Gaye chose It’s Peachy for our weekly theme I was a little discombobulated because there are no good peaches now.  Then I remembered – Gaye is ‘down under’ and their season may just be starting.  Bring out the frozen peaches – almost as good… for baking anyway.

Good enough for Ellie’s Peach Cobbler.

While I like the idea of using frozen peaches it just isn’t the same.  They lacked the sweetness of fresh, ripe peaches.  I would add a little more brown sugar to these because it wasn’t very sweet.

This was okay but there were too many things we didn’t like about it  – the crust.  the lack of sweetness which meant lack of taste.  Sorry, Ellie.  Not a hit.

The recipe is from Comfort Food Fix – page 278.

Check out more Peachy-ness on Eating with Ellie.