Holiday Greetings from Seattle

I'm sitting in a Starbucks at Pioneer Square in Seattle. I’m looking out the huge windows onto First Ave. and it’s packed with 6 or so inches of snow. The snow is absolutely beautiful but because of all the snow it has shut the city down. The streets are full of people and while I was walking I passed a guy cross country skiing! - Which I thought was a bit over the top, but it is Seattle. When I attempted to go to downtown Seattle yesterday, I walked a mile to the bus stop where I waited one and a half hours for a bus that never came. I walked back home in the freezing weather. After I played blissfully in the snow I decided to make Orange Cranberry Totties. The snow has reached almost eight inches at my parents place in South Seattle. More snow is expected and I’ve heard this is the worst snow storm in twelve years. Lucky me! Thank god I made it when I did!

My plan today is to hit up the Pike Place Market to pick up some salmon and crab for tonight’s dinner. I’m going to the fish bar for lunch and get a halibut sandwich. After my lunch I am going to head over to Uwajimaya Market and get lost in the most fantastic food market in the city!

Christmas is coming up fast and I want to share my Tottie recipe with you for a little warm holiday cheer! This is a great beverage served just like it is or with a splash of your favorite libation!

Wishing all my Oklahoma friends a Wonderful, Warm and Loving Holiday Season! Even though I am 2026.33 miles away, my heart is right there in Oklahoma with you!






Orange and Cranberry Hot Tottie
1 lb Fresh Cranberries
4 ea Satsuma or Tangerines Pealed (discard peal)
½ cup Honey
1teapoon Nutmeg
2 ea Cinnamon sticks
½ gallon Water

In a large sauce pot combine all ingredients and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cranberries become very soft (15 minutes) strain into another pot to keep warm on your stove. Yum. If you so choose you can also add a splash of your favorite whiskey, rum, or brandy just to thaw the ice off your family ;) (use as needed)

How ‘bout…

A BIG hello from winter!

I have written a little poem in honor of my Carhartt overalls:

Winter may bring wind, snow and rain,
Freezing mornings, evenings of ice and even freezing rain.
Cold chills up and down the prairie grass fields,
And little chickens and goats huddle up behind the barn shields.
But lucky for me I frolic as I wish,
Bringing good cheer putting hay and feed in their dish.
I Take care of my babies like a good mother,
I can stay out for hours and feel cozy all over.
Bringing out buckets of water, and loading wood in my two wheel cart,
I do what I need happily, as long as I have on my trusty Carhartts

That’s all I have so far, but I must say the amount of gratitude I have for my Carhartts is humongous!

What I need when I come out of the cold is food that will warm me to the bone and make me feel good inside and out. Here are two recipes that…. If I don’t say so myself, KICK BUTT!
Chicken and herbed dumplings are wonderful, not to mention very easy and fast. The Cornish game hens with sweet potatoes are fabulous! From start to finish it only takes 45 minutes max - that included me checking the computer regularly for weather updates!

I just know you’ll enjoy these!
So please, stay warm, safe, and go outside and play!

Chicken and Herbed Dumplings

1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into large cubes
2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 red potatoes, diced small (not peeled)
3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
2/3 cup dry sherry (not cooking wine from the grocery store)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry rubbed sage
⅛ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven 425º. Toss the chicken in the flour coating well. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large cast iron skillet. Brown chicken, add the mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots cooking on medium high carefully scraping bottom of pan; add the herbs, spices, and salt; mix well. Add the sherry and chicken stock. Let this come to a heavy simmer while making the dumpling mix.

1 cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup corn meal
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
⅛ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
2 green onions, sliced very thin.

Mix the flour, corn meal, baking powder, and herbs together. Add the oil and mix until crumbly; add the chicken stock making a batter. With a spoon, drop batter into the hot chicken mixture. (about 12 dumplings) place chicken and dumplings in the oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy!
Serves: 5 Calories: 450 Protein: 32g Carbohydrates: 50g Total fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 2.5g Cholesterol: 55mg Fiber: 6g Sodium: 490mg Total time 45 minutes.

Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University

Chef: Lisa Becklund

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Sweet Potatoes

2 Cornish game hens, cut in half and skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 carrots peeled and sliced on the bias
½ pound green beans, cleaned and stemmed
2/3 cup dry sherry (not cooking wine from the grocery store)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Toss the game hens in the following marinade while preparing the vegetables:
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dill
2 teaspoons olive oil

In large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil; add the hens and sear briefly to brown. Remove hens from skillet; add the vegetables, the garlic, salt and pepper. Mix the spices evenly with the vegetables. Add the sherry and stock to the vegetables; next place the hens on top of the vegetables. Bake at 400⁰ for 20 minutes.
Serves: 4 Calories: 330 Protein: 18g Carbohydrates: 31g Total fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 2g Cholesterol: 65mg Fiber: 6g Sodium: 170mg

Seretean Wellness Center at Oklahoma State University
Chef: Lisa Becklund

The Cast Iron Pan

It’s been cloudy days with some sleet, snow, and ice in the forecast. It’s also the anniversary of the ice storm which thankfully for me left Stillwater virtually untouched. During that time the Seretean Wellness Center became my refuge, a place for a hot shower and a place where the sense of community touched us all. I was without power at the farm for 11 days, but luckily with a great stove and lots of wood to burn I stayed warm and even cooked several excellent meals on the top of my wood burning stove. What I came to appreciate was the simplicity of ingredients I used and the limited amount of dishes I would dirty because running water had become a valuable resource I didn’t have the luxury of taking for granted. My cast iron pan and I bonded very deeply and I came to love and honor that pan like it was a religious deity. This week’s recipe I honor my cast Iron pan by sharing with you some one-pan wonders. Even if you are able to use electricity I’m sure it will still taste wonderful and get in the mood to at least eat by candle light.

Five-Star Lentil Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (canola or light olive)
1 large onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, peeled
3 ribs celery, quartered
2 carrots, peeled and quartered
1 eggplant, peeled and diced small
1 cup lentils
½ cup brown rice
1 -28 ounce can tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon chili pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 tablespoons chili powder (or to taste)
4 cups water

In a food processor with the blade attachment, combine onion, carrots, celery and garlic and chop until quite fine but not liquefied. You can also finely dice by hand if you don’t have a food processor. Dice the eggplant by hand in small dice and set aside

In large sauce pot or cast iron skillet, heat oil; add the chopped vegetables, including the eggplant and brown well. Add the chili powder, chili flakes, and salt. Let cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.

Add the crushed tomatoes, water, lentils and brown rice. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Turn heat to medium and simmer for about an hour or until lentils and rice are tender.

Serves 6. Calories: 260 Protein: 13 g Carbohydrates: 48 g Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 0.5 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 16 g Sodium: 140 mg

Green Chile Cornsticks

¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup yellow cornmeal
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces frozen corn, thawed
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

Preheat oven to 400º. Coat cast-iron cornstick pans heavily with cooking spray; place in oven for 10 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt; make a well in the center. Combine milk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in corn and green chiles.

Spoon batter evenly into preheated pans. Bake at 400º for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove cornsticks from pans immediately; serve warm.

*This batter can also be made into muffins.

Yield: 14 -16 Calories: 100 Protein: 2 g Carbohydrate: 16 g Total fat: 3 g
Saturated fat: .5 g Cholesterol: 15 mg Fiber: 1 g Sodium: 150 mg

Welcome to Cowboy Bites!

After a fabulous Thanksgiving of perfect weather it looks like winter is gracefully showing herself with the promise of very cold nights and some possible wet and cold days. What a perfect time to dust off those pots and pans and that crock pot that has been tucked away neatly for the past eight years or so. It’s time to explore some new and exciting recipes!

On that note a WELCOME is in order!

This blog is designed to help you do just that, I (Chef Lisa) will be creating healthy and quick recipes designed for overcoming the weeknight “what’s-for-dinner” blues. All of my recipes are carefully analyzed by our Seretean Wellness Center dietitian, Elizabeth Lohrman and her wonderful staff ensuring you get just what you need; delicious and nutrient dense food that will make you want to get up do a little dance after dinner (I’ll be two stepping thank you very much!).

Check in with us once a week to receive the latest and greatest in recipes, Kitchen Tips, “Green” Tips. Sign up as a follower and please leave your comments! Let us know you are out there and part of our community of good eating in the blog-sphere of COWBOY BITES!