Hello to all you gentle readers. Silver Blue, Jonathan Everyday, The Wannabe Gourmet…all in one wrapper, John Barker. After a far-too-long sabbatical, I have returned…hoping to share lower fat, taste enhanced recipes with you.
Easy to make meals using regular ingredients. Stress free dishes!
Lots of tasty treats, the perfect end to a meal! (Some even low-fat!)
Bounty from the sea to your plate!
What’s on Jonathan’s mind.
Those items in my kitchen that I simply cannot live without!
Gingerbread (sauce recipe below)
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup boiling water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Cream the …
Savory Crab Cake
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 large egg
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 lb fresh crab meat
1 cup panko bread crumps
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 …
Welcome to The Wannabe Gourmet…I’m Jonathan Everyday (or Silver Blue, or John Barker, depending on how you arrived here. LOL!), and I’m here to show that good, healthy cooking doesn’t have to be expensive, time …
Sesame Encrusted Tuna Steaks (served with sautéed Chinese cabbage and brown rice)
3 six-ounce tuna steaks
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil (separated)
2 oz sesame seeds
In a zip-top bag, place tuna steaks. In a bowl, combine …
Coquilles St. Jacques (Scallops au gratin)
1.5 lb bay scallops
2 cups dry white vermouth (or dry white wine)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped shallots or scallions
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp quality butter
3 tbsp …
Egads. Where on earth did 2009 slip to? I mean, I know I had a lot going on in my life, but that was no reason to let everyone think that The Wannabe Gourmet had …
Shrimp, Asparagus & Farfalle
Asparagus preparation:
1 lb of Asparagus, trimmed
2 tbsp olive oil
Heat oven to 425F and toss asparagus with olive oil. Place on cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes. Remove …
Had my laptop blow up (remember last October when the hard drive went? — well, I didn’t lose anything this time!), my desktop blow up, and had Dell replace both, both with superior machines. The …
Sage and Herbes de Provence Stuffing
1 loaf Herbes de Provence bread
1 tablespoon dried ground sage
2 cups hot chicken stock
1 medium onion, diced
3 ribs of celery, sliced into 1/8″ to 1/4″ slices
2 tablespoon butter, 1 tbsp …
…well, I haven’t managed to update the blog as I had wished. There’s been housing renovations, job issues (fortuantely, not my own, but with others, in this economy), and of course, a lot of cooking …
So, it’s been a while since I’ve posted — there’s been lots going on in my life that has kept me out of the kitchen and away from the blog. 2009 has started with a …
Orange Chocolate Breezes
1 cup fat free half & half
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup freeze squeezed orange juice
1 4″x1″ orange rind (no pith)
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup Orange Cognac
Place half & half, milk, orange …
Now that the elections are over, it’s time to get back to cooking, enjoying life, and looking forward to the future.
Whether or not the person you voted for was elected, you can look at the …
Polpettone del Tacchino (Turkey Meatloaf)
3 lbs ground turkey breast
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups medium salsa
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup steak sauce (A1 or equivalent)
4 ounces egg substitute (or 2 …
It’s a day where kids get trucked into neighbourhoods where they don’t belong, to obtain sugared treats that mom and pop are going to toss in the trash and give a “safe” bag of candy …
Braised Onions, Potatoes & Spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp minced, peeled ginger
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 …
After having a year with basically no winter to speak of, Mother Nature has decided that it is well beyond time for those in my part of the world to “chill out”, as it were, …
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 cups raisins
8 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp …
I had such great plans for my kitchen time this weekend — and I’m not going to let some rain keep me from making a dish that I’ve really been craving — a simple thing, …
Double Chocolate Apricot Muffins
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch Process Cocoa (sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
5 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped …
Cranberry Sage Stuffing
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5 large celery stalks, chopped (if you have the leaves, chop them too)
2 cups dried cranberries
4 cups white bread, toasted and cut into …
Weekend French Toast
12 pieces sliced white bread
8 oz egg substitute
1/2 cup non-fat skim milk
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp real vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
For best results, if possible, place bread …
Finally! A return to cooking and new recipes! – Jonathan (The Wannabe Gourmet)
1 1/2 cups of dried cranberries (divided)
2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
4 slices naval orange (including rind)
4 slices lemon (deseeded but including rind)
4 tbsp …
Beef Daube Provençal is basically a fancy way of saying a rustic beef stew served over noodles. The above shot is shown served with the Gorgonzola Asparagus Slice (recipe here) – please see note at the …
Hearty enough to be a main course in itself, use this recipe as a springboard to your own favourite creation!
1 lb of tri-colour rotini pasta, cooked to al dente.
1 lb artichoke hearts in brine
4 tbsp olive …
You can use fat-free half and half, and reduced fat Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses. Serve with a green salad and/or garlic bread. – Wannabe Gourmet Jonathan
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.5 pounds fresh shrimp without shells or tails, …
This recipe has been “lightened up” slightly and is a wonderful soup that, while meat-free, is able to satisfy the carnivores in your life!
Cranberry Wild Rice Soup (Lighter Version)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large carrot, …
An All-In-One dish, perfect served with fresh baked bread and a mandarin orange spinach salad .
4 six ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb lightly steamed asparagus
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 medium onion, minced
dried spices of …
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