Mommy is in Timeout

Aside from Mommy Knows Best and Crazy Mommy Monday, another series I have at my blog is to post a recipe each Sunday.

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On Friday, I watched an episode of The Doctors while I was home for break. According to them, if I eat less and make better choices concerning food – I will lose weight. Who knew!

As I sat there in awe of this revelation, barely able to pay attention to the next segment, something else caught my eye. They started talking about foods that are negative calories. Yes, NEGATIVE. Not add another pound on and go one size up in jeans with every bite you take. This is a food that requires more calories to digest it than it provides. Amazing.

A few of these so-called freebies are cucumber, asparagus, broccoli and celery. (If you know of any others, let me know – I’ve started a list)

Since I love asparagus, I thought I’d share a recipe on how to prepare this weight loss food of the Gods.

Obviously, by adding all of these ingredients, I’m probably not going to get the negative calorie aspect anymore. I’m alright with that. Sort of.

What You’ll Need:

1 Bunch of Asparagus
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar (I use thicker balsamic vinegar)
Shredded Parmesan CheeseSalt & Pepper

Directions:Preheat the oven to 425. Wash & cut the asparagus. (Trick to cutting off the bottom of asparagus: Take one stalk and bend it so the end breaks off. Use that as your mark on where to cut the rest). On a half sheet (I cover mine in foil for easy clean up) spread out the asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle on salt & pepper. Mix it all together with your hands. Flatten out the stalks to a single layer on the sheet. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Serve on a platter with balsamic vinegar in a dipping cup on the side.

Since it’s an awards kind of day, I’m making my award-winning cocktail sauce for our Oscars cocktail party. Serve with any seafood. I prefer it with either shrimp, crab or lobster. Award winning might be a stretch. However, I would consider my cocktail sauce to be relatively famous. Not Colin Firth famous, but definitely Jesse Eisenberg famous.

It’s the one item that I’m frequently asked to bring to parties. Although, if I knew Jesse Eisenberg I’d probably be asked to bring him to parties with me instead.Well, my secret recipe is now yours to use to impress your guests. Enjoy!

What You’ll Need:

*not pictured: cayenne pepper

Ketchup
Horseradish
Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 Fresh Lemon
Frank’s Red Hot
Soy Sauce
Srirachi Sauce
Garlic Powder (or Garlic Salt)
Cayenne Pepper (not pictured)

For this recipe I will tell you rough measurements for the items listed. This version is a bit more spicy.

In a bowl, pour a good amount of ketchup (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups). Then add about 3-4 tablespoons of horseradish. Juice the 1/4 of a lemon and pour in the bowl. Add about 5 dashes of worcestershire. Then add 3 dashes of frank’s, soy and srirachi. Add in a few shakes of garlic powder & cayenne pepper.

Mix all together and taste test on a cracker. If you need more spice, add more of the spicy items. If it is too spicy, add in a little more ketchup & lemon juice.

I serve the sauce with many different types of seafood. Cooked cold shrimp, crab meat (mock crab is a cheap & good substitute), lobster claws, lobster chunks, fried clams, raw oysters or fried shrimp. Enjoy!

Since we’re expecting a snowy day in Detroit, make your family a little pot of comfort food. (if you’re not from the Detroit area, just be nice & play along)

Beef Stew served with Smashed Potatoes, Layered Biscuits or Egg Noodles

What You’ll Need:
2 lbs. stewing beef
1 package fresh carrots
1 package fresh mushrooms
1 package frozen pearl onions
1 carton beef broth (if you buy by the can, I’d say 2 cans)
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup red wine (optional)

Seasonings: Salt, pepper, white pepper, chicken granules, garlic powder, cinnamonI serve this with either smashed potatoes, egg noodles or over layered biscuits.

Follow my previous recipe for smashed potatoes, buy a tin of layered biscuits or a package of egg noodles. Whatever you prefer!

Stew directions:Preheat the oven to 200 (you will be doing a slow cook stew). Clean & peel the carrots and then cut into small carrot sticks. Slice the mushrooms. Pat the meat dry & season with salt & pepper. In a dutch oven saute the beef in a little bit of butter just to give each side a sear. You may have to segment this off and do a few different batches depending on how much your dutch oven can fit. Remove meat.

Melt the butter and then add in the flour. Stir the flour around until it soaks up the butter (it will be clumpy). Add in the beef broth slowly while whisking. I typically add in about a cup and whick until it is thick. I will then continue adding until the whole carton has been poured in (you want to keep the broth at a small boil).

Once all of the broth is poured in, continue whisking & on a small rolling boil to help thicken the sauce. Do not walk away – you will need to keep an eye on the broth & stir. Once it is to your desired thickness, add in the wine & seasonings listed above to taste. Then add in the meat, carrots, mushroom & pearl onions. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for about 2.5-3 hours. Serve with one of the options above, stay warm & enjoy!