It's been a dicey week for my stomach, but I think it is finally back to normal. I am craving comfort food, but I could not decide exactly what I wanted. Then, I thought back to all the dishes I loved when I was a kid, and spaghetti and meat sauce popped into my brain. Eureka!!!! Perfect choice!!!! Sadly, I don't have any ground beef. I know, I know...I could have wept when I discovered this little nugget of info. So, I am trying to decide what to do. Do I want to haul my carcass to the store and buy some beef (or call the hubs to stop and get it) or do I want to make due with ground turkey?????? I am still not sure. I thawed the turkey, just in case...but the siren song o' beef is still calling me. I have never tried my traditional recipe with turkey. However, I will be grossly disappointed if it does not turn out exactly how I want it (i.e. with undercurrents of yummy, beefy, goodness). Ugh. Decisions!!!! Now, do you see why I procrastinated with my post today??? Anyway, I am still not sure what to do. It is already 4pm, so I need to think fast. Huh. Yeah.... I still don't know. Oh well, I will think about it and get back to you later.
For now, below is the recipe link for my spaghetti...
Jen's Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Garlic bread would be nice, too....
Hmmmmm...I go get beef AND I could also pick up some bread...
BUT...Turkey is much healthier....AND already thawed....
Ugh. What to do????
The Result:
Well, I didn't take a new photo. It was spaghetti and meat sauce...so not that interesting to look at. I am sure you are dying to know what I ended up doing, right???? Turkey vs. Beef???? Let me end the suspense. Laziness won out and I went with the turkey. I hate extra trips to the store, and I did not want to violate the cardinal rule of motherhood (j.e. NEVER wake a peacefully sleeping three-year-old boy unless your house is on fire.) My son actually took a really late nap, and I ended up not having time to go to the store. The whole beef thing ended up being a moot point. I couldn't have gone to the store and back, and still been able to get dinner on the table at a reasonable time. Oh well. The turkey was good...not as good as the beef would have been....but good, nonetheless. I would use turkey as a beef substitute again, if needed.
April 30, 2009
April 29, 2009
Almond Crusted Chicken
My MOMS Club had our monthly "Mom's Night Out" at a franchise place called Dream Dinners. Dream Dinners was nice enough to do a free preview night for our group, in which we got to make and bring home one of their signature 3 serving dinner entrees for free. How it works is that you go and assemble meals that you choose (the quantities and prices are based on a minimum order packages of their 3 or 6 serving meals and their menu changes monthly). Then, you schedule a time and go and assemble all your meals at once, with Dream Dinners providing all the ingredients, packaging, and cooking directions. When you get home you have a packaged meals to put in your freezer and pull out anytime you want. It's a pretty ingenious concept...saving both time and money for busy people who don't always have the time or inclination to cook. When I was working, I would have been all over this place...it would have been perfect!!! Alas, now I am a stay at home mom with plenty of time to cook. I have a well stocked pantry and I love to cook myself, so I don't think Dream Dinners would be cost effective or convenient for us (the store is quite a few miles away from our house). However, I think it is something that other people could benefit from, and I am glad I went to the preview to check it out. The meal that we prepared was this Almond Crusted Chicken, which was really simple to put together. They gave us samples of the finished dish, so we know how the final dish is supposed to turn out. Needless to say, it was very yummy!
So, I chose to make this meal tonight because it is flavorful, but there is not a whole lot of ingredients or spices to throw my stomach into a tizzy. It is tasty enough to be satisfying, but still fairly benign in flavor. I am hoping it won't upset my weak stomach. Dream Dinners gave us a sweet and sour sauce to pair with the chicken, but I think I am going to skip it, and just make the chicken without the sauce. I think the sauce would actually be too jazzy for me, right now. I am actually shooting for this meal to be a little on the bland side. I think I might serve this with some plain roasted potatoes, and some roasted zucchini and yellow squash. (By 'plain roasted' I mean with salt, pepper, and olive oil). Hopefully, this meal will help coax my sick belly back to being normal.
Almond Crusted Chicken
Adapted from: Dream Dinners
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
¼ cup of egg substitute or separated egg whites
¾ cup of Panko bread crumbs
¾ cup of sliced almonds
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
Cooking spray
2 gallon sized zip top bags
sweet and sour sauce for dipping(optional)
Directions:
Place chicken breast in a large zip top bag with egg substitute (or egg whites). Seal bag and turn until all chicken is well coated and set aside. In a separate bag add: Panko, almonds, salt, and pepper. Shake to combine and set aside. Now, take chicken bag and drain off excess egg mixture and remove the chicken. Then, add chicken pieces to the second bag with the Panko/almond mixture (discard the first bag that had the raw chicken and egg in it). Seal bag and shake to coat chicken.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Place coated chicken in casserole dish. Place excess breadcrumb/almond mixture on top of each piece of chicken. Spray tops of chicken with additional cooking spray. Cook chicken uncovered for 5-10 minutes, then cover with foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked (internal temp. of 165 degrees F). Serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side, for dipping (optional).
The Result:
This was yummy, but I had an issue with the almond topping. The almonds kept burning! At one point, I had charcoal on my hands. I ended up scraping off some of the original topping and replace it with new sliced almonds. Ugh. I will admit, I was definitely off of my game last night. I really haven't cooked in four days, so I was completely out of practice. Anyway, I solved my little burning dilemma by covering the dish with foil for half of the cook time. After that, everything turned out as it was supposed to! Yeesh! Overall, this is a simple and yummy dinner that I will probably make again on my own.
So, I chose to make this meal tonight because it is flavorful, but there is not a whole lot of ingredients or spices to throw my stomach into a tizzy. It is tasty enough to be satisfying, but still fairly benign in flavor. I am hoping it won't upset my weak stomach. Dream Dinners gave us a sweet and sour sauce to pair with the chicken, but I think I am going to skip it, and just make the chicken without the sauce. I think the sauce would actually be too jazzy for me, right now. I am actually shooting for this meal to be a little on the bland side. I think I might serve this with some plain roasted potatoes, and some roasted zucchini and yellow squash. (By 'plain roasted' I mean with salt, pepper, and olive oil). Hopefully, this meal will help coax my sick belly back to being normal.
Almond Crusted Chicken
Adapted from: Dream Dinners
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts
¼ cup of egg substitute or separated egg whites
¾ cup of Panko bread crumbs
¾ cup of sliced almonds
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
Cooking spray
2 gallon sized zip top bags
sweet and sour sauce for dipping(optional)
Directions:
Place chicken breast in a large zip top bag with egg substitute (or egg whites). Seal bag and turn until all chicken is well coated and set aside. In a separate bag add: Panko, almonds, salt, and pepper. Shake to combine and set aside. Now, take chicken bag and drain off excess egg mixture and remove the chicken. Then, add chicken pieces to the second bag with the Panko/almond mixture (discard the first bag that had the raw chicken and egg in it). Seal bag and shake to coat chicken.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Place coated chicken in casserole dish. Place excess breadcrumb/almond mixture on top of each piece of chicken. Spray tops of chicken with additional cooking spray. Cook chicken uncovered for 5-10 minutes, then cover with foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until chicken is thoroughly cooked (internal temp. of 165 degrees F). Serve with sweet and sour sauce on the side, for dipping (optional).
The Result:
This was yummy, but I had an issue with the almond topping. The almonds kept burning! At one point, I had charcoal on my hands. I ended up scraping off some of the original topping and replace it with new sliced almonds. Ugh. I will admit, I was definitely off of my game last night. I really haven't cooked in four days, so I was completely out of practice. Anyway, I solved my little burning dilemma by covering the dish with foil for half of the cook time. After that, everything turned out as it was supposed to! Yeesh! Overall, this is a simple and yummy dinner that I will probably make again on my own.
April 28, 2009
I'm Back...Sort Of...
Whew! I am back to the land of the living! It's amazing how a bout of stomach flu can make the ol' jeans fit better! I am trying to look on the bright side of being sick for two days...at least now my pants aren't too tight anymore. (What can I say, I am a "glass half-full" type of gal.) Unfortunately, my little boy is still somewhat under the weather. There is nothing as heartbreaking as a sick child. It is so pathetic. Seriously, it breaks my heart to see my little guy so run down. Ugh. Hopefully, he is at the tail end of this bug, too.
I plan on cooking something tonight, but it will probably be bland, bland, bland. My tummy is still not 100%, and neither is his...so something easy and non-controversial will be our dinner tonight. If I make anything interesting I will make sure to post it. Or if you have any suggestions for easy, bland food for people with sick bellies, I am all ears....just leave a comment. We have been eating scrambled eggs and/or breakfasty type foods for a couple days now, and I am kinda done with that. Really, I can't even stand the smell of toast at this point. If I can't think of anything, I may just go with plain spaghetti noodles and butter or something. With fingers-crossed, I should be back to normal meals tomorrow.
UPDATE:
The husband ended up making scambled eggs, again. Perfect food for soothing a sick tummy, but you really did not miss out on anything exciting at my table.
I plan on cooking something tonight, but it will probably be bland, bland, bland. My tummy is still not 100%, and neither is his...so something easy and non-controversial will be our dinner tonight. If I make anything interesting I will make sure to post it. Or if you have any suggestions for easy, bland food for people with sick bellies, I am all ears....just leave a comment. We have been eating scrambled eggs and/or breakfasty type foods for a couple days now, and I am kinda done with that. Really, I can't even stand the smell of toast at this point. If I can't think of anything, I may just go with plain spaghetti noodles and butter or something. With fingers-crossed, I should be back to normal meals tomorrow.
UPDATE:
The husband ended up making scambled eggs, again. Perfect food for soothing a sick tummy, but you really did not miss out on anything exciting at my table.
April 26, 2009
Sick
So my son has been sick all day, and now it seems that the bug has passed to me. Ugh. I went to the grocery store and came back with a fever, chills, acheness, and an upset stomach. Double Ugh. I took a four hour nap, but still no luck feeling better. I just hope it passes soon. The husband is on duty until I feel like myself again...hopefully sooner rather than later.
April 25, 2009
Lentil Burritos and Roasted Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower
I am gonna make my dinner post short and sweet today. My son's big boy bunk beds are being delivered as I write this, so I probably should stop goofing around on the computer and go attend to that business. Also, my little guy is napping and my dogs are barking their heads off....good times. Ugh.
This burrito recipe is from the $5 Dinners website and the cauliflower side dish is from recipezaar.com. I don't know how cohesive my menu will be, with one dish being Mexican-inspired and the other being Italian, but I am very excited to try both recipes anyway. I love finding promising, new, vegetarian dishes! I will let you know how it all turns out later.
Lentil Burritos
From: $5Dinners.com
Ingredients:
1 cup white or brown rice
1 cup lentils, any color
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt/pepper
6-8 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Cook rice. In saucepan, bring 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth to boil. Add 1 cup of white or brown rice. Return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. For white rice, cook for 20 minutes. For brown rice, cook for 50 minutes.
2. Cook lentils. In saucepan, add 1 cup of lentils plus water to cover lentils by an inch. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain any excess water.
3. Combine rice, lentils and can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. Stir in garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
4. Lay tortillas (corn or flour…whichever you prefer!) out and spoon rice/lentil mixture into the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Place burritos in 8×8 baking dish.
5. Place lentil burritos in a warm oven (250) for about 20 minutes, giving cheese time to melt. Don’t leave in too long or the tortillas will get crispy!
Roasted Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower
From:recipezaar.com/Recipe #59965
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, separated in florets
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper
chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease large casserole dish. Place olive oil and garlic in large resealable bag. Add cauliflower and shake to mix. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan and parsley and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown.
The Result:
I will be the first to admit...my photo is really not exciting. (I tried to sprinkle some cheese on top to make it look better, but no such luck.) Despite the boring appearance of this dish, it was fan-freakin'-tastic. I just loved it. I loved the simplicity of it all...the easy preparation, the uncomplicated ingredients, the surprising deliciousness...it was really, really good. The combo of the rice, lentils and spices were perfect. Then, I would hit a little pocket of cheese and it would just get sooooo much better. Yum! The burritos ended up pretty small, because my whole wheat tortillas were really small. We ended up having two burritos each. The husband said that he had really low expectations going into this meal, but ended up loving it, too. It was just a solid, yummy, somehow satisfying, choice. My little guy also loved it, so it was a winner all the way around. Hooray for lentil burritos!
As for the cauliflower, that was also great! I am not a huge fan of cauliflower, but it turned out perfect. I heart roasted veggies. This recipe actually made me love cauliflower!!!! I used Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parm, but that was the only change I made. The sharp Pecorino complimented the cauliflower nicely. Surprisingly, the combo of the cauliflower and burritos was awesome. I would not hesitate to make either of these recipes again....they are both definite keepers!
This burrito recipe is from the $5 Dinners website and the cauliflower side dish is from recipezaar.com. I don't know how cohesive my menu will be, with one dish being Mexican-inspired and the other being Italian, but I am very excited to try both recipes anyway. I love finding promising, new, vegetarian dishes! I will let you know how it all turns out later.
Lentil Burritos
From: $5Dinners.com
Ingredients:
1 cup white or brown rice
1 cup lentils, any color
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt/pepper
6-8 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
Directions:
1. Cook rice. In saucepan, bring 2.5 cups of water or chicken broth to boil. Add 1 cup of white or brown rice. Return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. For white rice, cook for 20 minutes. For brown rice, cook for 50 minutes.
2. Cook lentils. In saucepan, add 1 cup of lentils plus water to cover lentils by an inch. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain any excess water.
3. Combine rice, lentils and can of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles. Stir in garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
4. Lay tortillas (corn or flour…whichever you prefer!) out and spoon rice/lentil mixture into the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Place burritos in 8×8 baking dish.
5. Place lentil burritos in a warm oven (250) for about 20 minutes, giving cheese time to melt. Don’t leave in too long or the tortillas will get crispy!
Roasted Parmesan Garlic Cauliflower
From:recipezaar.com/Recipe #59965
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons fresh minced garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 head cauliflower, separated in florets
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and black pepper
chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease large casserole dish. Place olive oil and garlic in large resealable bag. Add cauliflower and shake to mix. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan and parsley and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown.
The Result:
I will be the first to admit...my photo is really not exciting. (I tried to sprinkle some cheese on top to make it look better, but no such luck.) Despite the boring appearance of this dish, it was fan-freakin'-tastic. I just loved it. I loved the simplicity of it all...the easy preparation, the uncomplicated ingredients, the surprising deliciousness...it was really, really good. The combo of the rice, lentils and spices were perfect. Then, I would hit a little pocket of cheese and it would just get sooooo much better. Yum! The burritos ended up pretty small, because my whole wheat tortillas were really small. We ended up having two burritos each. The husband said that he had really low expectations going into this meal, but ended up loving it, too. It was just a solid, yummy, somehow satisfying, choice. My little guy also loved it, so it was a winner all the way around. Hooray for lentil burritos!
As for the cauliflower, that was also great! I am not a huge fan of cauliflower, but it turned out perfect. I heart roasted veggies. This recipe actually made me love cauliflower!!!! I used Pecorino Romano cheese instead of Parm, but that was the only change I made. The sharp Pecorino complimented the cauliflower nicely. Surprisingly, the combo of the cauliflower and burritos was awesome. I would not hesitate to make either of these recipes again....they are both definite keepers!
April 24, 2009
Porcupine Meatballs and Jen's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tonight, I bring you another dinner from my mother in law. At the end of my pregnancy, when I was on official "bed rest", my mother in law came over and cooked this very dinner for us. After I had my son, I begged her to show me how to make this recipe. As with all of my mother in law's meals, it was so super-simple to pull together and totally delicious. Even now, I am still completely excited to have this dish again. I have been looking forward to this dinner all week! It is just the perfect weeknight meal to have with a salad and a serving of veggies. Yum! Comfort food at it's finest!!!!
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients:
cooking spray
2 eggs
1 lb. of lean ground beef
1/2 of an onion, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of instant white rice
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
water
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the following and mix with clean hands: eggs, ground beef, onion,instant rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Once all ingredients are combined, pinch off a bit of meat and form golf ball sized meatballs, by rolling meat between your palms. When all meatballs are formed set them aside.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, place meatballs in skillet to brown. Make sure to turn meatballs, so they get brown on all sides. Also, do not overcrowd the skillet or meat will not brown properly; you may have to work in batches. Return all browned meatballs to the pan, and cover with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/2 can of water. Simmer until sauce is thick and meatballs are cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. You can add more water to get the sauce consistency that you want, if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Here is the link for my other recipe:
Jen's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Jen's Notes:
The meatball recipe can be easily doubled. I am actually going to double both recipes tonight to bring to a friend for dinner.
The Result:
I love this dinner! It was so comforting and homey....just delicious!
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients:
cooking spray
2 eggs
1 lb. of lean ground beef
1/2 of an onion, diced
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of instant white rice
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of diced tomatoes
water
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the following and mix with clean hands: eggs, ground beef, onion,instant rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Once all ingredients are combined, pinch off a bit of meat and form golf ball sized meatballs, by rolling meat between your palms. When all meatballs are formed set them aside.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, place meatballs in skillet to brown. Make sure to turn meatballs, so they get brown on all sides. Also, do not overcrowd the skillet or meat will not brown properly; you may have to work in batches. Return all browned meatballs to the pan, and cover with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1/2 can of water. Simmer until sauce is thick and meatballs are cooked through, about 20-30 minutes. You can add more water to get the sauce consistency that you want, if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Here is the link for my other recipe:
Jen's Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Jen's Notes:
The meatball recipe can be easily doubled. I am actually going to double both recipes tonight to bring to a friend for dinner.
The Result:
I love this dinner! It was so comforting and homey....just delicious!
April 23, 2009
Take Out Pizza/Leftovers
Today, I attended a birthday luncheon party for my friend, Laura (Happy Birthday, Laura!!!). We had take-out pizza, bread sticks and marinara, some yummy cookies, cut up watermelon, a veggie tray, and delicious chocolate cake; all at our friend Kelly's house (thanks for hosting, Kelly!). The kids played and ran around like crazy, while the mommies gabbed and ate lunch. It was a blast! Since I was the one to pick up the pizza, I was lucky enough to score a whole leftover pie. Hooray!!! That means no cooking for me tonight! So, our dinner will consist of leftover cheese pizza, and I will make up a side salad to go with it. Easy, easy, easy!
April 22, 2009
Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous (CEiMB)
Tonight, I am delving into my second Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe. This weeks selection was chosen by Culinary Delights, and it looks to be both easy and delicious. I love the pairing of balsamic vinegar and chicken, and I think the creation of a balsamic/tomato-type sauce is pretty original. Hopefully, Ellie will not disappoint! I plan on following the recipe to the letter; so no major changes or substitutions to report. I will let you know how it all turns out!
Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous (CEiMB)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked
Directions:
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.
The Result:
This was just okay for us. Mainly, it was bland. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, so I really did not use any extra spices or ingredients. I did use homemade chicken stock, but this dish just didn't do it for me. Sad to say, I was actually bored while eating it. Very "eh"...which was surprising, because Ellie's recipes rarely miss! Oh well, I guess you can't win 'em all. Needless to say, I don't think I will be making this one again. Better luck next time!
Chicken with Baby Spinach and Cous Cous (CEiMB)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
8 ounces baby spinach
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked
Directions:
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.
The Result:
This was just okay for us. Mainly, it was bland. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written, so I really did not use any extra spices or ingredients. I did use homemade chicken stock, but this dish just didn't do it for me. Sad to say, I was actually bored while eating it. Very "eh"...which was surprising, because Ellie's recipes rarely miss! Oh well, I guess you can't win 'em all. Needless to say, I don't think I will be making this one again. Better luck next time!
April 21, 2009
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
It is vegetarian night again, folks! Hooray!!! Okay...maybe that is a little too enthusiastic, but I am super-excited for tonight's selection. Also, I just had to lay down on the bed to zip up my jeans. Not good. To be fair, they did just come out of the dryer. At the rate I am going, I need some more healthy vegetarian meals so my clothes fit better. Anywho...did I just over-share???? Oh well. I am just going to blame the whole scenario on the "meatfest" that we had over Easter week, and move on.
This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I am sure will be a hit. It is chock-full of ingredients that we love...goat cheese, tomatoes, basil, and puff pastry. Seriously, I don't know how this dish could be anything but a winner. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx it!!! So, now that I think about it...maybe this isn't the healthiest vegetarian recipe that I have ever made. Puff pastry is not really considered a "health food". Darn! Sigh...it looks like I am not out of the woods yet with my too-tight jeans. They will stretch, right????
Our standard, weeknight salad and veggies will be our side dishes, so at least that will be good for us! I will let you know how it all comes together.
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
By: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina Garten
Ingredients:
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Directions:
Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.
Jen's Notes:
Okay...there are a few substitutions I need to make. First, I have regular goat cheese and not herbed Montrachet. Also, I don't have any fresh thyme, so dried will have to work. Everything else I have on hand. (Is it no surprise that dry white wine is not a problem???)
I think I am only going to make 2 actual tarts-one for me, and one for the hubs. I may try and make a mini-tart from the scraps for my son, but I can't see making a whole third tart just for him. If that does not work, the boy may just have to live with chicken nuggets or peanut butter and jelly (which he adorably calls, "Peeking-na butter and jelly"). I really don't like to feed him a different meal; hopefully, I can piece together some sort of little tart for him.
The Result:
First things, first. You may notice that my tart is not a cute, little, round thing like the directions indicate. I skipped that part. I had squares of puff pastry and I decided to take the lazy way out. Also, we really didn't care if the tarts were round or cut squares or whatever. Whew!!! I am glad I got that off my chest!!! The squares behaved themselves...so I didn't have any issues with the shape.
Now, this recipe was really good. It was reminiscent of a fancy-schmancy puff pastry pizza. I wouldn't say amazing...but really, really, really good. We were all "ummmm"-ing around the table. So A+ for flavor. With that being said...I doubt I will make these tarts again, though. They would be a good item to make for a dinner party or for dinner guests, but not something I want to do again for a week night meal. This dish took way longer than I expected it to take; and frankly, that both irked and surprised me. The recipe is not that complicated, but somehow, someway, it too me an hour and a half to make. Ugh. I was peeved, to say the least! We did find it tasty, and it was very satisfying....just a little too labor-intensive for me. The worst part is that I am not even sure why it was so labor-intensive!!!! It was fairly easy and it is not like it was outside of my realm of cooking or anything. It was not brain surgery!!! I don't know...maybe I just wasn't in the mood last night or something. Anyway, if this recipe looks appealing to you, I would say go ahead and try it. You certainly won't be disappointed with the flavors. Ina delivered on taste, for sure. Just give yourself plenty of time, and maybe have a glass of wine while you are cooking.
This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe that I am sure will be a hit. It is chock-full of ingredients that we love...goat cheese, tomatoes, basil, and puff pastry. Seriously, I don't know how this dish could be anything but a winner. Hopefully, I didn't just jinx it!!! So, now that I think about it...maybe this isn't the healthiest vegetarian recipe that I have ever made. Puff pastry is not really considered a "health food". Darn! Sigh...it looks like I am not out of the woods yet with my too-tight jeans. They will stretch, right????
Our standard, weeknight salad and veggies will be our side dishes, so at least that will be good for us! I will let you know how it all comes together.
Tomato and Goat Cheese Tarts
By: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, Ina Garten
Ingredients:
1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
Directions:
Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.
Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.
Jen's Notes:
Okay...there are a few substitutions I need to make. First, I have regular goat cheese and not herbed Montrachet. Also, I don't have any fresh thyme, so dried will have to work. Everything else I have on hand. (Is it no surprise that dry white wine is not a problem???)
I think I am only going to make 2 actual tarts-one for me, and one for the hubs. I may try and make a mini-tart from the scraps for my son, but I can't see making a whole third tart just for him. If that does not work, the boy may just have to live with chicken nuggets or peanut butter and jelly (which he adorably calls, "Peeking-na butter and jelly"). I really don't like to feed him a different meal; hopefully, I can piece together some sort of little tart for him.
The Result:
First things, first. You may notice that my tart is not a cute, little, round thing like the directions indicate. I skipped that part. I had squares of puff pastry and I decided to take the lazy way out. Also, we really didn't care if the tarts were round or cut squares or whatever. Whew!!! I am glad I got that off my chest!!! The squares behaved themselves...so I didn't have any issues with the shape.
Now, this recipe was really good. It was reminiscent of a fancy-schmancy puff pastry pizza. I wouldn't say amazing...but really, really, really good. We were all "ummmm"-ing around the table. So A+ for flavor. With that being said...I doubt I will make these tarts again, though. They would be a good item to make for a dinner party or for dinner guests, but not something I want to do again for a week night meal. This dish took way longer than I expected it to take; and frankly, that both irked and surprised me. The recipe is not that complicated, but somehow, someway, it too me an hour and a half to make. Ugh. I was peeved, to say the least! We did find it tasty, and it was very satisfying....just a little too labor-intensive for me. The worst part is that I am not even sure why it was so labor-intensive!!!! It was fairly easy and it is not like it was outside of my realm of cooking or anything. It was not brain surgery!!! I don't know...maybe I just wasn't in the mood last night or something. Anyway, if this recipe looks appealing to you, I would say go ahead and try it. You certainly won't be disappointed with the flavors. Ina delivered on taste, for sure. Just give yourself plenty of time, and maybe have a glass of wine while you are cooking.
April 20, 2009
Cottage Dill and Onion Bread
I made this bread last week, and completely forgot about it! Ugh. Also, I have no idea where I got the original recipe. I have had it saved in my archives for awhile, but never made it. The planets finally aligned, and I ended up trying it out on a whim. Let me tell you...it was really good. This bread is a bit heavy (due to all the cottage cheese), but still tasty nonetheless. I have been toasting a slice every morning and smearing it with a wee little butter for a yummy, savory breakfast treat. I can tell you that this ended up being a keeper recipe!
Cottage Dill and Onion Bread
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups warm water (110 degrees max)
1 cup low-fat, small curd cottage cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 ½ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons yeast
cooking spray
Directions:
Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes. Add cottage cheese, butter, and egg. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine bread flour, dill seed, minced onion, and salt. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir until dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until dough has elastic, smooth consistency. Place dough into a clean bowl coated with cooking spray and let rest for 1 hour.
After the rest period, place dough in a greased casserole dish (I used a glass 8 x 8 in. dish). Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until bread is done. (Check doneness with a clean toothpick, by inserting it into the center of the bread loaf. Make sure the toothpick comes out clean when removed from the bread.)
Cottage Dill and Onion Bread
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups warm water (110 degrees max)
1 cup low-fat, small curd cottage cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 ½ cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dill seed
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons yeast
cooking spray
Directions:
Combine water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes. Add cottage cheese, butter, and egg. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine bread flour, dill seed, minced onion, and salt. Stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and stir until dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until dough has elastic, smooth consistency. Place dough into a clean bowl coated with cooking spray and let rest for 1 hour.
After the rest period, place dough in a greased casserole dish (I used a glass 8 x 8 in. dish). Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until bread is done. (Check doneness with a clean toothpick, by inserting it into the center of the bread loaf. Make sure the toothpick comes out clean when removed from the bread.)
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas and Roasted Broccoli
Here is a recipe I picked up from the $5 Dinners website. This site is dedicated to cheap, family-friendly, healthy meals. All things that are right up my alley!!! I love this frugal-cooking website, and I check it daily to see what the author has up her sleeve. I think it is great that there are so many resources out there now for ways to live more economically. I really try to be a good steward of our household income, and sites like this definitely help!
I have a surplus of tortillas, so I thought I would give this recipe a go. Normally, my enchiladas are always made with red or green sauce. My friend, Claire has a couple similar versions to this dish, where she uses a creamy white sauce. Since I have all the ingredients on hand for this meal, and the method is a little different than my normal stand-by,I am excited to try these thrifty enchiladas. I am very interested to see how they turn out! Really, can you ever go wrong with that much cheese and sour cream??? I think not!
I think I will serve these with a side of beans (not sure what kind yet), salad, and a vegetable (probably roasted broccoli). It makes a good-sized batch, so there should be enough food for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and then some. Also, I need to modify the original recipe a wee bit. I am looking forward to dinner already!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from: $5 Dinners
Ingredients:
8 ounces of low fat sour cream
8 ounces of low fat Greek-style plain yogurt
1 diced medium onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 can of green chiles
1-2 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 cooked boneless/skinless chicken breasts, shredded (1 1/2 cups needed)
1/2 tsp garlic powder for sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder for chicken
Salt and Pepper, to taste
tortillas (about 10)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
fresh, chopped cilantro and/or green onion tops; for garnish
Directions:
On a sheet pan coat chicken breasts in olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Turn chicken on pan to make sure all sides are coated with oil and seasonings. Broil on high for 7-9 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Pull chicken out of oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside. Switch oven over from 'broil' to 'bake', and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and green chiles and cook for another minute or two. Remove mixture to a plate and set aside. Do not clean skillet.
In the same large skillet, whisk sour cream, yogurt, and 1 cup of chicken stock. Add more chicken stock until it comes to the consistency you want for your sauce. Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Save 1 cup of the sour cream sauce (remove it from the pan and save seperately, before adding the chicken and onion mixture). Stir shredded chicken and onion mixture into the sauce and let simmer about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors time to infuse.
Spoon sour cream chicken sauce into tortillas. Roll and place “seam down” into a baking dish. (Note: 10 enchiladas fit comfortably in a 9×13 dish.) Take the sour cream sauce that you removed and spread it over the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Before serving, garnish with cilantro and/or green onion tops. Enjoy!
Jen's Notes:
I don't have as much sour cream on hand as the original recipe calls for, so I am substituting plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt. I have made the yogurt/sour cream switcharoo in the past, and it has always worked out fine. Hopefully, this time will be no exception.
The Result:
These enchiladas were really yummy. We loved them! For me, they needed an extra spicy element. I ended up putting some really spicy salsa on them, to balance out the creaminess of the sauce. However, keep in mind that I am a spicy food freak. When I was pregnant with my son, I actually craved 'set-your-hair-on-fire' spicy food (now my son loves spicy food, too). The husband and boy loved them, as-is, and the creamy sauce was very flavorful on it's own. My yogurt substitution worked out perfectly, too!
I did improvise on some of the other aspects of the recipe, as well. I ended up adding a diced onion and two cloves of minced, fresh garlic. The onion was actually a mistake. I could have sworn I read that there were onions in the recipe. Turns out that there wasn't. Ugh. Once I realized my error, I thought "I might as well add some garlic, too". I don't know exactly how that is logical, but it worked.
Next, I noticed that my tortillas were not average-sized, run-of-the-mill tortillas. They were more of the size and shape of a manhole cover. These babies were so big, I only ended up making four total enchiladas...that were more like the size of four large burritos. The funny thing was that four burritos/enchiladas fit comfortably in the 9 x 13 pan. I skipped the beans, since the enchiladas ended up being so gynormous. Otherwise, we would have had way too much food! Our side dishes ended up being just salad and roasted broccoli. To finish it all off, I ended up garnishing our meal with some fresh chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Yum!!! As I said, these were really good!
Now, I want to talk about the roasted broccoli for a second. Broccoli is probably our favorite veggie. We all love it, including my little guy. I usually buy frozen, steam it in the microwave, and call it an evening. Fresh broccoli finally went on sale, so I bought some for our dinner. Then, last night I roasted the fresh broccoli instead of using my frozen/steamed broccoli method. Let me tell you....roasted broccoli kicks steamed broccoli's butt! Oh man!!! I think the best part of our dinner (for me) was the broccoli! The roasted, toasty, blackened bits turned crunchy are caramelized. Seriously, it was awesome! Also, it is totally simple!!! I heart fresh, roasted broccoli. Here is what I did, for the record:
Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients:
2 heads of fresh broccoli, florets only
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of olive oil
Directions:
Place cut broccoli florets on a cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over top of all broccoli. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with clean hands, so all pieces are well coated. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Enjoy!
See!!!! The broccoli is so incredibly easy!!!! Overall, this was a great meal and we really enjoyed it.
I have a surplus of tortillas, so I thought I would give this recipe a go. Normally, my enchiladas are always made with red or green sauce. My friend, Claire has a couple similar versions to this dish, where she uses a creamy white sauce. Since I have all the ingredients on hand for this meal, and the method is a little different than my normal stand-by,I am excited to try these thrifty enchiladas. I am very interested to see how they turn out! Really, can you ever go wrong with that much cheese and sour cream??? I think not!
I think I will serve these with a side of beans (not sure what kind yet), salad, and a vegetable (probably roasted broccoli). It makes a good-sized batch, so there should be enough food for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow, and then some. Also, I need to modify the original recipe a wee bit. I am looking forward to dinner already!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from: $5 Dinners
Ingredients:
8 ounces of low fat sour cream
8 ounces of low fat Greek-style plain yogurt
1 diced medium onion
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 can of green chiles
1-2 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
2 cooked boneless/skinless chicken breasts, shredded (1 1/2 cups needed)
1/2 tsp garlic powder for sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder for chicken
Salt and Pepper, to taste
tortillas (about 10)
1-2 cups shredded cheese
fresh, chopped cilantro and/or green onion tops; for garnish
Directions:
On a sheet pan coat chicken breasts in olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Turn chicken on pan to make sure all sides are coated with oil and seasonings. Broil on high for 7-9 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Pull chicken out of oven and let it rest for 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside. Switch oven over from 'broil' to 'bake', and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add garlic and green chiles and cook for another minute or two. Remove mixture to a plate and set aside. Do not clean skillet.
In the same large skillet, whisk sour cream, yogurt, and 1 cup of chicken stock. Add more chicken stock until it comes to the consistency you want for your sauce. Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Save 1 cup of the sour cream sauce (remove it from the pan and save seperately, before adding the chicken and onion mixture). Stir shredded chicken and onion mixture into the sauce and let simmer about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors time to infuse.
Spoon sour cream chicken sauce into tortillas. Roll and place “seam down” into a baking dish. (Note: 10 enchiladas fit comfortably in a 9×13 dish.) Take the sour cream sauce that you removed and spread it over the tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over the top and bake about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Before serving, garnish with cilantro and/or green onion tops. Enjoy!
Jen's Notes:
I don't have as much sour cream on hand as the original recipe calls for, so I am substituting plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt. I have made the yogurt/sour cream switcharoo in the past, and it has always worked out fine. Hopefully, this time will be no exception.
The Result:
These enchiladas were really yummy. We loved them! For me, they needed an extra spicy element. I ended up putting some really spicy salsa on them, to balance out the creaminess of the sauce. However, keep in mind that I am a spicy food freak. When I was pregnant with my son, I actually craved 'set-your-hair-on-fire' spicy food (now my son loves spicy food, too). The husband and boy loved them, as-is, and the creamy sauce was very flavorful on it's own. My yogurt substitution worked out perfectly, too!
I did improvise on some of the other aspects of the recipe, as well. I ended up adding a diced onion and two cloves of minced, fresh garlic. The onion was actually a mistake. I could have sworn I read that there were onions in the recipe. Turns out that there wasn't. Ugh. Once I realized my error, I thought "I might as well add some garlic, too". I don't know exactly how that is logical, but it worked.
Next, I noticed that my tortillas were not average-sized, run-of-the-mill tortillas. They were more of the size and shape of a manhole cover. These babies were so big, I only ended up making four total enchiladas...that were more like the size of four large burritos. The funny thing was that four burritos/enchiladas fit comfortably in the 9 x 13 pan. I skipped the beans, since the enchiladas ended up being so gynormous. Otherwise, we would have had way too much food! Our side dishes ended up being just salad and roasted broccoli. To finish it all off, I ended up garnishing our meal with some fresh chopped cilantro and chopped green onions. Yum!!! As I said, these were really good!
Now, I want to talk about the roasted broccoli for a second. Broccoli is probably our favorite veggie. We all love it, including my little guy. I usually buy frozen, steam it in the microwave, and call it an evening. Fresh broccoli finally went on sale, so I bought some for our dinner. Then, last night I roasted the fresh broccoli instead of using my frozen/steamed broccoli method. Let me tell you....roasted broccoli kicks steamed broccoli's butt! Oh man!!! I think the best part of our dinner (for me) was the broccoli! The roasted, toasty, blackened bits turned crunchy are caramelized. Seriously, it was awesome! Also, it is totally simple!!! I heart fresh, roasted broccoli. Here is what I did, for the record:
Roasted Broccoli
Ingredients:
2 heads of fresh broccoli, florets only
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of olive oil
Directions:
Place cut broccoli florets on a cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over top of all broccoli. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with clean hands, so all pieces are well coated. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Enjoy!
See!!!! The broccoli is so incredibly easy!!!! Overall, this was a great meal and we really enjoyed it.
April 19, 2009
Leftovers
We have a ton of food leftover from the past couple days, so it looks like we will be combining our tidbits for tonight's dinner. We are having our pasta from last night, cashew chicken and brown rice, sweet potato fries (I have an unpeeled sweet potato that needs to be used), and salad. It is truly an international mish-mosh of foodstuffs! Whatever we don't use up tonight, will go in the husband's lunch for tomorrow. Hopefully, that should clear the decks. I am looking forward to trying a new recipe on Monday!
April 18, 2009
PW's Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
I haven't professed my love for Pioneer Woman lately, but tonight is the night. Oh man! I seriously think Pioneer Woman is one of the best cooks ever. I love her so much I am willing to put her on the pedestal with the likes of Giada, Ina, and Rick (de Laurentiis, Garten, and Bayless). That, dear readers, is serious l-o-v-e! All of the recipes that I have tried from PW have been great, and tonight's dish was no exception. I have been wanting to try this recipe since I saw it on her website about a month ago. I am always on the lookout for good vegetarian meals, but for one reason or another, it kept getting pushed back. This pasta dish was so fan-freakin'-tastic...I am sorry I ever put it off! How silly of me!!!
The family and I had a busy day and a huge lunch, so I wanted something that wasn't going to sit in our stomachs like a ton of lead bricks. This pasta was the perfect choice! It was substantial and flavorful without being too heavy. Luckily, it was exactly what I had in mind!!!
I had to take a few liberties with the ingredients list; based on what I had on hand. I am happy to report that even with my changes, this recipe was still a total winner! (See my notes below for changes.) I made some quick salads to go with our pasta, and that was it. So simple and good! Really, I could go on raving, but you get the idea. Since I made some significant changes, I am going to post the link to PW's original recipe and post my adaptation.
Here is the original:
PW's Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Here is my adaptation:
PW's Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Jen's Version)
Ingredients:
2 jars of roasted red peppers, drained and blotted dry on a towel
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/3 cup of evaporated non-fat powdered milk
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1 package of bow tie pasta
Directions:
Drain liquid from jar of peppers. Remove peppers to a clean kitchen towel and blot dry. Place dry peppers in food processor. Lightly toast all the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Once nuts are toasted, place 2 Tablespoons of the toasted nuts in the food processor with the red peppers. Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add salt to taste. Let simmer on low for a few minutes, so mixture is thick.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together fat free half and half with evaporated non-fat milk, making sure there are no little lumps. Pour the half and half mixture into the red pepper mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped basil and plenty of shaved Parmesan. Top with remaining 2 Tablespoons of toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top. Enjoy!!!
Jen's Notes:
If you compare the two recipes, you will see that I had to improvise on a couple ingredients. No fresh parsley for one. Thank goodness I still had some fresh basil! The basil was great. Then, I didn't have heavy cream; BUT I remembered a trick. I read somewhere that you could combine skim milk and dry evaporated non-fat milk for a similar effect to heavy cream. I was low on skim milk, so I went with our fat-free half and half instead. I just kept adding the dry milk until I got the consistency I wanted. Skim milk and/or fat-free half & half are pretty watery on their own, therefore my concoction needed to be thickened. The dry milk beefed it up nicely...so problem solved. It worked like a charm, and it was a lot healthier than heavy cream would have been!!!!
The Result:
If you haven't guessed this already...we thought this dish was AWESOME!
The family and I had a busy day and a huge lunch, so I wanted something that wasn't going to sit in our stomachs like a ton of lead bricks. This pasta was the perfect choice! It was substantial and flavorful without being too heavy. Luckily, it was exactly what I had in mind!!!
I had to take a few liberties with the ingredients list; based on what I had on hand. I am happy to report that even with my changes, this recipe was still a total winner! (See my notes below for changes.) I made some quick salads to go with our pasta, and that was it. So simple and good! Really, I could go on raving, but you get the idea. Since I made some significant changes, I am going to post the link to PW's original recipe and post my adaptation.
Here is the original:
PW's Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Here is my adaptation:
PW's Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (Jen's Version)
Ingredients:
2 jars of roasted red peppers, drained and blotted dry on a towel
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/3 cup of evaporated non-fat powdered milk
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh Parmesan, shaved or grated
1 package of bow tie pasta
Directions:
Drain liquid from jar of peppers. Remove peppers to a clean kitchen towel and blot dry. Place dry peppers in food processor. Lightly toast all the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Once nuts are toasted, place 2 Tablespoons of the toasted nuts in the food processor with the red peppers. Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add salt to taste. Let simmer on low for a few minutes, so mixture is thick.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together fat free half and half with evaporated non-fat milk, making sure there are no little lumps. Pour the half and half mixture into the red pepper mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped basil and plenty of shaved Parmesan. Top with remaining 2 Tablespoons of toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top. Enjoy!!!
Jen's Notes:
If you compare the two recipes, you will see that I had to improvise on a couple ingredients. No fresh parsley for one. Thank goodness I still had some fresh basil! The basil was great. Then, I didn't have heavy cream; BUT I remembered a trick. I read somewhere that you could combine skim milk and dry evaporated non-fat milk for a similar effect to heavy cream. I was low on skim milk, so I went with our fat-free half and half instead. I just kept adding the dry milk until I got the consistency I wanted. Skim milk and/or fat-free half & half are pretty watery on their own, therefore my concoction needed to be thickened. The dry milk beefed it up nicely...so problem solved. It worked like a charm, and it was a lot healthier than heavy cream would have been!!!!
The Result:
If you haven't guessed this already...we thought this dish was AWESOME!
April 17, 2009
Cashew Chicken
Tonight we are having an early dinner, and then we are headed out to the mall. I need to pick up a couple "special order" photos I had taken of my son, for his 3rd birthday pics. I decided on this Cashew Chicken because it comes together quickly, and it is really delicious. Plus, I have all the ingredients on hand to make it. Score! I think I will have it all ready, so when my husband gets home at his usual time, we can eat soon after. Then, it's off to the mall for us.
Here is the link to my original post:
Cashew Chicken
This is a "can't-miss" healthy and well balanced meal!!!
Here is the link to my original post:
Cashew Chicken
This is a "can't-miss" healthy and well balanced meal!!!
April 16, 2009
Veggie Pesto Pizza
Pizza night is coming early this week, my friends! I really had no clue as to what I wanted to do for dinner until about two minutes ago. I was stalling -ahem!- I mean...I was looking for inspiration on the Internet when an idea finally gelled. Really, I can't take the credit. It is not my idea. It is an idea from Aggie of Aggie's Kitchen, a food blog that I l-o-v-e. I want another vegetarian meal tonight, but I did not want another pasta dish. I decided to do a 'take' on Aggie's Roasted Veggie Pesto Pizza. Actually, mine will be a lazy version of Aggie's dish...no real roasting involved and I will be using what I have on hand. I am short on fresh veggies this week, so I am going to have to turn to the cans, jars, and frozen items that I have squirreled away in my stores. Hey, at least the pizza dough will be handmade! Okay...I am going to make my own pesto, too. But the fresh pesto is entirely by coincidence, I swear! I needed some fresh basil for a different recipe, and the store only had the huge tub o' basil available. Rather than going without, I decided to purchase the basil tub and figure out what to do with my superfluous basil at a later time (i.e. today). So, homemade pesto it will be!!! Luckily, I have some pine nuts stashed away, as well. The best part is that I can work on both the pesto and the dough right now, while my boy is down for his nap. I think a side of steamed broccoli will go nicely with our pizza, and that will be about it. Whew! Dinner is planned!!!
Veggie Pesto Pizza
For Dough:
Cooking Light Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:
Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cooking spray
Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, wheat flour, oil, and salt; stir until well blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half; roll each dough half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface.
Note: To freeze, follow directions for kneading dough and shape into 2 balls. Coat with cooking spray and place in freezer in a zip-top plastic bag. To use them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and let rise in a warm place(85º), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Shape as instructed.
Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts:(Totals are for 1 (12-inch) Pizza Crust.)
CALORIES 847 (11% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 1764mg; FIBER 12.7g; IRON 10.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 165g
Jen's Notes:
I always add flavor-enhancers to the dough mixture. Today, I added garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to the dry ingredients for a little extra zip.
For Jen's Pesto Sauce:
Ingredients:
2-3 cups of fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup of pine nuts (or 1 cup of walnuts)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
balsamic vinegar to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for oil into the food processor. Pulse until all items are rough chopped. Take lid insert out of food processor lid and drizzle in oil until pesto becomes the proper consistency. Serve at room temperature.
Jen's Notes:
Pesto freezes really well!!!
Toppings:
Ingredients:
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 can of sliced mushrooms; rinsed, drained, and dried with paper towels
1 jarred roasted yellow & red peppers, sliced; drained and dried with paper towels
2-3 sliced Roma tomatoes
1 bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
olive oil to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste
salt to taste
additional pine nuts
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated finely
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
After dough has rested, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with cheese and toppings, in an even layer. Drizzle a little more olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar on top of pizza toppings. Scatter pine nuts and minced garlic. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Grate Pecorino Romano cheese on pizza. Cut and serve!
The Result:
This was my best pizza, hands down! This was fan-freakin'-tastic! By a happy mistake, my dough did not rise very much; BUT it ended up making a thin and crisp crust. Yum! The crust complimented this pizza perfectly, and I don't think it would have been as tasty with a bready-ier crust (I don't think bready-ier is an actual word...but I am hoping that you know what I mean.) Thankfully, I split the dough as the directions indicated, so I have the other dough ball in the freezer. I will be able to make another crispy crust pizza soon! I love it when a mistake ends up turning out better than the original plan.
The pesto was such a great idea for a sauce base, and the toppings got nice and roasty on their own. The pine nuts were perfectly toasted, too. Really, I am super-excited that this pizza turned out so good! The husband said that it was his favorite so far, as well. I ended up leaving the broccoli off as a topping (I actually went back and changed my post...in case you read this earlier and were wondering where the broccoli went). Instead, we did not have a salad and just ate the broccoli as a side dish with a little Pecorino Romano cheese sprinkled on top. I heart broccoli; especially with a smattering of cheese. This pizza is a total keeper, and I will be working it in to my normal pizza rotation. Thanks for the inspiration, Aggie!!!
Veggie Pesto Pizza
For Dough:
Cooking Light Whole Wheat Pizza Crust:
Ingredients:
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Cooking spray
Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, wheat flour, oil, and salt; stir until well blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide in half; roll each dough half into a 12-inch circle on a floured surface.
Note: To freeze, follow directions for kneading dough and shape into 2 balls. Coat with cooking spray and place in freezer in a zip-top plastic bag. To use them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and let rise in a warm place(85º), free from drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Shape as instructed.
Yield: 2 (12-inch) pizza crusts:(Totals are for 1 (12-inch) Pizza Crust.)
CALORIES 847 (11% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 1.4g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.9g); PROTEIN 25.7g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 1764mg; FIBER 12.7g; IRON 10.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 165g
Jen's Notes:
I always add flavor-enhancers to the dough mixture. Today, I added garlic powder and Italian Seasoning to the dry ingredients for a little extra zip.
For Jen's Pesto Sauce:
Ingredients:
2-3 cups of fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup of pine nuts (or 1 cup of walnuts)
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
balsamic vinegar to taste (about 1 Tablespoon, more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Directions:
Place all ingredients, except for oil into the food processor. Pulse until all items are rough chopped. Take lid insert out of food processor lid and drizzle in oil until pesto becomes the proper consistency. Serve at room temperature.
Jen's Notes:
Pesto freezes really well!!!
Toppings:
Ingredients:
1/2 of a red onion, sliced
1 can of sliced mushrooms; rinsed, drained, and dried with paper towels
1 jarred roasted yellow & red peppers, sliced; drained and dried with paper towels
2-3 sliced Roma tomatoes
1 bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
olive oil to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste
salt to taste
additional pine nuts
Pecorino Romano cheese, grated finely
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
After dough has rested, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce. Cover with cheese and toppings, in an even layer. Drizzle a little more olive oil, salt, and balsamic vinegar on top of pizza toppings. Scatter pine nuts and minced garlic. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Grate Pecorino Romano cheese on pizza. Cut and serve!
The Result:
This was my best pizza, hands down! This was fan-freakin'-tastic! By a happy mistake, my dough did not rise very much; BUT it ended up making a thin and crisp crust. Yum! The crust complimented this pizza perfectly, and I don't think it would have been as tasty with a bready-ier crust (I don't think bready-ier is an actual word...but I am hoping that you know what I mean.) Thankfully, I split the dough as the directions indicated, so I have the other dough ball in the freezer. I will be able to make another crispy crust pizza soon! I love it when a mistake ends up turning out better than the original plan.
The pesto was such a great idea for a sauce base, and the toppings got nice and roasty on their own. The pine nuts were perfectly toasted, too. Really, I am super-excited that this pizza turned out so good! The husband said that it was his favorite so far, as well. I ended up leaving the broccoli off as a topping (I actually went back and changed my post...in case you read this earlier and were wondering where the broccoli went). Instead, we did not have a salad and just ate the broccoli as a side dish with a little Pecorino Romano cheese sprinkled on top. I heart broccoli; especially with a smattering of cheese. This pizza is a total keeper, and I will be working it in to my normal pizza rotation. Thanks for the inspiration, Aggie!!!
April 15, 2009
Saito Chicken and Jen's Italian Pasta Salad
I am so worn out. Seriously, spent. I have been running around non-stop for a couple weeks now, and I am getting burnt out. I really don't like being super-busy. I need "lazy times", and I haven't had many of those lately. As it has been, I ran around all morning doing errands. The boy was unusually unruly, so I think our hectic schedule is starting to get to him. I think he needs some down time, as well. At least dinner will not be too hard to pull together. I really need easy meals when our schedule goes bonkers, and tonight's dinner is a good one. We are having my friend, Claire's recipe for grilled Saito chicken, my pasta salad, and some steamed veggies. Overall, it should be a very delicious, no-stress feast!
Saito Chicken
Jen's Italian Pasta Salad
As I yawn and type this sentence simultaneously, I am thinking that this is going to be it for my witty commentary today. Sorry, I just don't have it in me to do much more with the ol' blog. Hopefully, I can get some relaxing in soon...then I can be back to my usual, hilarious self! In the meantime, we will still have easy and yummy dinners.
The Result:
Yum! (By the way...we didn't do steamed veggies, afterall. Just salad and our chicken and pasta salad. Oh...and the white cheese in the pasta salad is feta.)
Saito Chicken
Jen's Italian Pasta Salad
As I yawn and type this sentence simultaneously, I am thinking that this is going to be it for my witty commentary today. Sorry, I just don't have it in me to do much more with the ol' blog. Hopefully, I can get some relaxing in soon...then I can be back to my usual, hilarious self! In the meantime, we will still have easy and yummy dinners.
The Result:
Yum! (By the way...we didn't do steamed veggies, afterall. Just salad and our chicken and pasta salad. Oh...and the white cheese in the pasta salad is feta.)
April 14, 2009
Veggie Cheeseburgers, Glazed Carrots, and Baked Sweet Potato Fries
I am still not exactly sure what I am doing for dinner. It has been a little bit of a harrowing day, so I am shooting for a uncomplicated meal. I have formulated a rough plan, but I am not 100% certain on exactly how I am going to execute part of it. The Veggie Cheeseburgers and Glazed Carrots are both items that we have had before...so no surprises there. I am trying to decide how I am going to make the Sweet Potato Fries I have in mind. Hmmmm... I think I will just play around with the seasoning and post the final recipe in my "result" post later. So for now, this is just a template for our dinner. I will let you know how it all goes! Here are my previous links:
Jen's Glazed Carrots
Veggie Cheeseburgers on Whole Wheat Buns
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #43469
Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, cut into fries
1 tablespoon of Chili powder
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of cinnoamon
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of salt
Canola oil to coat
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put cut fries into large ziploc bag with oil and spices and shake to coat.
3. Once well coated, open bag and add corn starch. Shake again until all are coated w/ corn starch.
4. Place fries onto baking sheet leaving space between fries; make sure to use baking rack to elevate fries off bottom of baking sheet for crisper results.
5. Put in oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over.
6. Place back in for 10 more minutes.
7. They should be soft on the inside and browned on the outside.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with Spicy Lime Mayo.
Spicy Lime Mayo
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #120459
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1-2 Tablespoons of lime juice
Pinch of salt to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refridgerate and let flavors combine for at least 1/2 hour before serving.
The Result:
I call this meal "Ode To Orange Food" . Everything on our plate was orange! I don't know...it struck me as funny. This was a yummy and filling meal. As usual, I turned to RecipeZaar for ideas on the Sweet Potato Fries and I was not disappointed. The sweet potato fries were really flavorful, but I need to try and improve on the texture. They were a bit soggy. I think I will amend the recipe to cook them on a wire rack, so they get crisper. Also, I added a bunch of extra spices to make the fries my own. I will edit and post the original recipe to show my version. Other than that, this meal was really tasty and easy. I have a couple of sweet potatoes leftover, so I am going to try the fries again soon. The lime mayo was really delicious, and it paired with the fries perfectly. Both recipes are definite keepers!!!
Jen's Glazed Carrots
Veggie Cheeseburgers on Whole Wheat Buns
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #43469
Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes or yams, cut into fries
1 tablespoon of Chili powder
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 tablespoons of corn starch
1 teaspoon of cinnoamon
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of salt
Canola oil to coat
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Put cut fries into large ziploc bag with oil and spices and shake to coat.
3. Once well coated, open bag and add corn starch. Shake again until all are coated w/ corn starch.
4. Place fries onto baking sheet leaving space between fries; make sure to use baking rack to elevate fries off bottom of baking sheet for crisper results.
5. Put in oven for 10 minutes and then flip them over.
6. Place back in for 10 more minutes.
7. They should be soft on the inside and browned on the outside.
8. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve with Spicy Lime Mayo.
Spicy Lime Mayo
Adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #120459
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of light mayo
1/4 cup of light sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1-2 Tablespoons of lime juice
Pinch of salt to taste
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refridgerate and let flavors combine for at least 1/2 hour before serving.
The Result:
I call this meal "Ode To Orange Food" . Everything on our plate was orange! I don't know...it struck me as funny. This was a yummy and filling meal. As usual, I turned to RecipeZaar for ideas on the Sweet Potato Fries and I was not disappointed. The sweet potato fries were really flavorful, but I need to try and improve on the texture. They were a bit soggy. I think I will amend the recipe to cook them on a wire rack, so they get crisper. Also, I added a bunch of extra spices to make the fries my own. I will edit and post the original recipe to show my version. Other than that, this meal was really tasty and easy. I have a couple of sweet potatoes leftover, so I am going to try the fries again soon. The lime mayo was really delicious, and it paired with the fries perfectly. Both recipes are definite keepers!!!
April 13, 2009
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Goat Cheese Sauce
I never thought I would say this, but I miss our vegetarian meals. Normally, I try to plan 2-3 vegetarian meals a week for our family dinners. This practice has proven to benefit both our waistlines and our budget. However, I got away from it for awhile and now I really, really notice the vegetarian void. It seems like all we have eaten lately is meat, meat, meat. Ugh. I am completely sick of eating beef and pork!
For the past couple of weeks, I have foregone some of our vegetarian meals so I could use up some of the animal-based protein items I had stored in my freezer. This meant less room on the weekly menu plan for meatless options. The worst part is that I have really noticed a difference in how I physically feel. I just don't seem to be as healthy or energetic (read: my pants are tighter and I am tired more often). So, this week will be dedicated to getting back on the vegetarian bandwagon, and eating healthier overall.
I think I have four vegetarian dinners planned for this week, so that should get us back on track. For the rest of the month, I am hoping that I can get back to my standard vegetarian plan of the "three times per week" habit. When I do decide to cook some type of animal protein, I am going to make an effort to stick with poultry or fish. Hopefully, that will get us back to eating a more balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Of course, there is always room for flexibility...I just wanted to lay out some goals for the coming weeks and months.
Tonight is a hybrid recipe. It is literally just cooked, whole wheat spaghetti and a tomato-based sauce. I am going to make the exact same sauce from the Simply Recipes website, that I used for making Spinach Ricotta Gnocci. Then, I am going to pair it with my cooked pasta and call it dinner. It should be super-simple and very, very yummy. Best of all, it uses one of my favorite cheeses...goat cheese (just a wee little bit). I think we are just going to pair this noodle dish with a side salad and call it an evening. I am sure that this will satisfy my need for a light and tasty meal.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Goat Cheese Sauce
Adapted from: simplyrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 package of whole wheat spaghetti pasta
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or whole tomatoes that you shred as you add to the pan)
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt to taste
2 ounces goat cheese
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the tomatoes (include any juices from the can) all at once (careful, they may cause the oil to splatter as the tomatoes hit the pan). As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Stir occasionally. Use a potato masher to break up any solid pieces of tomato (you want a rough purée).
Once the sauce reduces to a medium thick consistency, add the goat cheese, stirring until it is well blended. Add more salt to taste. Serve over pasta with a some grated Parmesan cheese.
The Result:
This was good, but I think the sauce went soooooo much better with the gnocci in the original recipe. Also, I think it could have been saucier. It seems like our pasta just soaked up the sauce. Overall, this dish was what I wanted, since it was light and healthy. Plus, it had the all the flavors that I wanted...so really no complaints. I love that it was easy to put together, but I guess my final opinion is that it was just okay. Certainly not as good as I had hoped, since the original dish was fantastic. I just think that I was spoiled by having this sauce with the Spinach Ricotta Gnocci first. At any rate, I definitely needed a lighter, vegetarian meal for dinner last night. I already feel much better today!
For the past couple of weeks, I have foregone some of our vegetarian meals so I could use up some of the animal-based protein items I had stored in my freezer. This meant less room on the weekly menu plan for meatless options. The worst part is that I have really noticed a difference in how I physically feel. I just don't seem to be as healthy or energetic (read: my pants are tighter and I am tired more often). So, this week will be dedicated to getting back on the vegetarian bandwagon, and eating healthier overall.
I think I have four vegetarian dinners planned for this week, so that should get us back on track. For the rest of the month, I am hoping that I can get back to my standard vegetarian plan of the "three times per week" habit. When I do decide to cook some type of animal protein, I am going to make an effort to stick with poultry or fish. Hopefully, that will get us back to eating a more balanced, nutrient-rich diet. Of course, there is always room for flexibility...I just wanted to lay out some goals for the coming weeks and months.
Tonight is a hybrid recipe. It is literally just cooked, whole wheat spaghetti and a tomato-based sauce. I am going to make the exact same sauce from the Simply Recipes website, that I used for making Spinach Ricotta Gnocci. Then, I am going to pair it with my cooked pasta and call it dinner. It should be super-simple and very, very yummy. Best of all, it uses one of my favorite cheeses...goat cheese (just a wee little bit). I think we are just going to pair this noodle dish with a side salad and call it an evening. I am sure that this will satisfy my need for a light and tasty meal.
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tomato Goat Cheese Sauce
Adapted from: simplyrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 package of whole wheat spaghetti pasta
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or whole tomatoes that you shred as you add to the pan)
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Salt to taste
2 ounces goat cheese
Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside. Heat oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the tomatoes (include any juices from the can) all at once (careful, they may cause the oil to splatter as the tomatoes hit the pan). As soon as the mixture boils, reduce the heat to low and let simmer, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt. Stir occasionally. Use a potato masher to break up any solid pieces of tomato (you want a rough purée).
Once the sauce reduces to a medium thick consistency, add the goat cheese, stirring until it is well blended. Add more salt to taste. Serve over pasta with a some grated Parmesan cheese.
The Result:
This was good, but I think the sauce went soooooo much better with the gnocci in the original recipe. Also, I think it could have been saucier. It seems like our pasta just soaked up the sauce. Overall, this dish was what I wanted, since it was light and healthy. Plus, it had the all the flavors that I wanted...so really no complaints. I love that it was easy to put together, but I guess my final opinion is that it was just okay. Certainly not as good as I had hoped, since the original dish was fantastic. I just think that I was spoiled by having this sauce with the Spinach Ricotta Gnocci first. At any rate, I definitely needed a lighter, vegetarian meal for dinner last night. I already feel much better today!
April 12, 2009
Jen's Steak Fajitas (Happy Easter!)
Happy Easter, everyone! We have been going non-stop, so the husband and I decided to have a low-key Easter this year. We did an indoor egg hunt with the boy, gave him his Easter basket, and that is about it. We also opted for a decidedly non-traditional Easter dinner, as well. We are going to have my classic steak fajitas, pinto beans, and glazed carrots. Completely no-frills...and that is exactly how we wanted it. I am just thankful I get to relax with my family for this special holiday.
Jen's Steak Fajitas
Steak fajitas are my favorite! I am excited that this dinner will be simple and delicious.
Jen's Steak Fajitas
Steak fajitas are my favorite! I am excited that this dinner will be simple and delicious.
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
Yesterday, was my son's birthday. Sigh. Three years old. It doesn't sound like he is very big...but to me, he is soooooo grown up. It does not seem that long ago that he was a sweet, little, helpless, baby that we were bringing home from the hospital. Now, he is so much more accomplished; it amazes me. Really, all the things he says and does just blows me away. He just seems so old. He is not even considered a toddler anymore...he is a preschooler! Double sigh. My husband and I just marvel at the fact that we: a)have successfully taken care of another human being for three years, and b)are full-fledged parents that are totally broken in. By that I mean, body fluids no longer shock and impress us, and we regularly refer to them in day to day conversation.
Anyway, with all the birthday hoopla we decided to do this easy, yummy slow cooker meal. It is one of our favorites, since it is healthy and stick-to-your-ribs satisfying. After a long afternoon at a three-year-old's birthday party we decided that this slow cooker meal would be the best route to take. Thankfully, we were right. We got home from my son's party and smelled the yummy smells of Red Beans and Rice when we walked in the door. All I had to do was whip up a salad, make the rice, and dinner was on the table. Yum!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
This was the perfect meal for us yesterday. We all cleaned it up like starved wolverines...which is the highest compliment I can think of right now!
Anyway, with all the birthday hoopla we decided to do this easy, yummy slow cooker meal. It is one of our favorites, since it is healthy and stick-to-your-ribs satisfying. After a long afternoon at a three-year-old's birthday party we decided that this slow cooker meal would be the best route to take. Thankfully, we were right. We got home from my son's party and smelled the yummy smells of Red Beans and Rice when we walked in the door. All I had to do was whip up a salad, make the rice, and dinner was on the table. Yum!
Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice
This was the perfect meal for us yesterday. We all cleaned it up like starved wolverines...which is the highest compliment I can think of right now!
April 10, 2009
Jen's Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches & Favorite Mac and Cheese
We have a busy weekend planned for Easter and my son's birthday, so I need a couple easy slow cooker meals for the next couple days. My mom is visiting again, and I know she loves BBQ. I thought I would make these sandwiches with some broccoli slaw, and some homemade mac and cheese since I know she will enjoy it. I know I will enjoy it...I think I crave BBQ on a permanent basis!
These are all recipes that I have made before, so I think I will just post the sandwich recipe and link back to the other two recipe posts. Yum! Again, this is an easy and tasty meal that will use my pork shoulder leftovers.
Jen's Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 pork loin (mine is about 2 lbs.) OR pork shoulder roast leftovers
1/2 bottle of your favorite beer (I used Foster's)
1/3 cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
2 smashed fresh garlic cloves
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
About 1 teaspoon of the following spices:
paprika
onion powder
minced onion
garlic powder
Cajun blackening seasoning (I use Paul Prudhomme's Steak Magic)
Directions:
Place pork in slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle pork with spices, including salt and pepper. Add beer, water, and garlic cloves. Add Worcestershire sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours (depending on how fast/hot your slow cooker runs). With a large spoon, baste pork with juices every two hours (this step is optional--if you decide to do it, work quickly and get the lid back on fast). When cooking is complete, pull pork out of slow cooker. Pour slow cooker liquid into a separate bowl and set aside. Place pork back into slow cooker and shred the meat with fork or pull it apart with fingers. Pour 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid back into the meat (maybe more depending on how much meat you have and how saucy you like your pulled pork). Mix shredded meat with 1/2 to 1 full bottle of BBQ sauce (once again,the quantity will depend on how saucy you like your meat). Mix thoroughly. Cook on high for an additional 1/2 hour with lid on (if you need it thicker, leave the lid off). Serve mixture on buns and enjoy!
Here are the other two recipe links:
Beth's Broccoli Slaw
Favorite Mac and Cheese
I am really looking forward to our dinner tonight! I love homey, comforting food and this meal will certainly satisfy my BBQ craving.
The Result:
Fan-freakin'-tastic! That about sums it up!!! The photo of the mac and cheese looks a little wonky. My crumb crust kinda slid and got all mixed in with the rest of the macaroni. It tasted awesome, but did not photograph all that well. Sigh. So much for presentation. Luckily, everyone loved our meal and didn't notice that the crumb crust wasn't perfect. Overall, this was a yummy, yummy dinner!!!
These are all recipes that I have made before, so I think I will just post the sandwich recipe and link back to the other two recipe posts. Yum! Again, this is an easy and tasty meal that will use my pork shoulder leftovers.
Jen's Easy BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 pork loin (mine is about 2 lbs.) OR pork shoulder roast leftovers
1/2 bottle of your favorite beer (I used Foster's)
1/3 cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste
3-4 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
2 smashed fresh garlic cloves
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
About 1 teaspoon of the following spices:
paprika
onion powder
minced onion
garlic powder
Cajun blackening seasoning (I use Paul Prudhomme's Steak Magic)
Directions:
Place pork in slow cooker, fat side up. Sprinkle pork with spices, including salt and pepper. Add beer, water, and garlic cloves. Add Worcestershire sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4 hours (depending on how fast/hot your slow cooker runs). With a large spoon, baste pork with juices every two hours (this step is optional--if you decide to do it, work quickly and get the lid back on fast). When cooking is complete, pull pork out of slow cooker. Pour slow cooker liquid into a separate bowl and set aside. Place pork back into slow cooker and shred the meat with fork or pull it apart with fingers. Pour 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid back into the meat (maybe more depending on how much meat you have and how saucy you like your pulled pork). Mix shredded meat with 1/2 to 1 full bottle of BBQ sauce (once again,the quantity will depend on how saucy you like your meat). Mix thoroughly. Cook on high for an additional 1/2 hour with lid on (if you need it thicker, leave the lid off). Serve mixture on buns and enjoy!
Here are the other two recipe links:
Beth's Broccoli Slaw
Favorite Mac and Cheese
I am really looking forward to our dinner tonight! I love homey, comforting food and this meal will certainly satisfy my BBQ craving.
The Result:
Fan-freakin'-tastic! That about sums it up!!! The photo of the mac and cheese looks a little wonky. My crumb crust kinda slid and got all mixed in with the rest of the macaroni. It tasted awesome, but did not photograph all that well. Sigh. So much for presentation. Luckily, everyone loved our meal and didn't notice that the crumb crust wasn't perfect. Overall, this was a yummy, yummy dinner!!!
April 9, 2009
Jen's Easy Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
We are moving around furniture at my house to make room for my son's new, big boy bedroom set. We recently purchased a bunk bed for him, and we are now in the process of transitioning him into a new bedroom. Unfortunately, his new bedroom is our old office, so we have to find space for all of the junk we have stored in our office. Ugh. Finding new storage space is never fun...kinda like the whole round hole/square peg analogy. Needless to say, our whole house is upside down due to this major move. The husband just informed me that I need to type fast because we are ready to change where our wireless Internet is located and he needs to disconnect it. Yikes!!!
Okay, ready, set, go!
Here is what we are doing for dinner...
I made these enchiladas back in February with leftover beef, and we loved them. This time, I am amending the recipe to use some of my pork shoulder roast. I love using already-cooked ingredients in enchiladas. It makes the assembly process much, much faster. My friend, Claire just made a similar recipe for chile verde enchiladas, but adapted hers for the slow cooker. I think that is a fantastic idea, and I think the cooking method for my version could also easily be changed to work in the slow cooker. Black beans and steamed veggies will be our side dishes for this meal. Okay, I am done! Whew!
Jen's Easy Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. of leftover pork roast (depending on how much you have on hand)
1 yellow onion, diced
8 whole, canned Hatch green chiles
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar)
1 (28 ounce) can of green enchilada sauce (I use Macayos brand)
8 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 casserole pan with cooking spray. Pour some green enchilada sauce (about 1/3 of the can) into the bottom of the casserole dish. Roll meat, onion, some cheese, and a whole green chile in a tortilla, and place seam side down in casserole pan. Repeat with all eight tortillas, until all the meat and chiles are used up. Pour remaining green enchilada sauce over top of all eight rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle any remaining onions and cheese over top of the green sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. Wait 5 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy!
The Result:
So easy and delicious! Everyone loved this version, so I would not hesitate to make this again. Yum!
Okay, ready, set, go!
Here is what we are doing for dinner...
I made these enchiladas back in February with leftover beef, and we loved them. This time, I am amending the recipe to use some of my pork shoulder roast. I love using already-cooked ingredients in enchiladas. It makes the assembly process much, much faster. My friend, Claire just made a similar recipe for chile verde enchiladas, but adapted hers for the slow cooker. I think that is a fantastic idea, and I think the cooking method for my version could also easily be changed to work in the slow cooker. Black beans and steamed veggies will be our side dishes for this meal. Okay, I am done! Whew!
Jen's Easy Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. of leftover pork roast (depending on how much you have on hand)
1 yellow onion, diced
8 whole, canned Hatch green chiles
2 cups of shredded cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey Jack and Cheddar)
1 (28 ounce) can of green enchilada sauce (I use Macayos brand)
8 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 casserole pan with cooking spray. Pour some green enchilada sauce (about 1/3 of the can) into the bottom of the casserole dish. Roll meat, onion, some cheese, and a whole green chile in a tortilla, and place seam side down in casserole pan. Repeat with all eight tortillas, until all the meat and chiles are used up. Pour remaining green enchilada sauce over top of all eight rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle any remaining onions and cheese over top of the green sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. Wait 5 minutes before cutting. Serve and enjoy!
The Result:
So easy and delicious! Everyone loved this version, so I would not hesitate to make this again. Yum!
April 8, 2009
Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub (CEiMB)
I recently joined the blog group Craving Ellie in My Belly, and this is my first official recipe from that group. I am a huge fan of Ellie Krieger, so I was delighted to find an online cooking group solely dedicated to trying out her recipes. Twice a month, I will be sampling a couple of the featured dishes from that blog group. I am really excited to participate, and I think I am starting out with a really good dish to "get my feet wet".
This weeks selection is from fellow CEiMB blogger Lobster and Fishsticks. Since I have been trying to incorporate more fish in our diet, I thought this would be a great first-try recipe. I think I am going to serve my salmon with some steamed green beans and baked potato. I can't wait to report back how our meal turned out!
Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture.
Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.
Nutritional Info:
Per serving:Calories 280; Total Fat 13 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 5 g); Protein 34 g; Carb 5 g; Fiber 1 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 135 mg
Excellent source of: Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Copper, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium
Good source of: Folate, Magnesium
The Result:
This was just okay for us. Don't get me wrong...it was good. It just didn't blow our socks off. The sweet/spicy rub was nice, and the fish was perfectly cooked. Maybe I am just not in love with salmon???? I don't know...I really can't say. For a healthy recipe it did have a good flavor, but I think I have tried other comparable salmon recipes that I liked better. I really did like that it came together super-fast. Seriously, this was a breeze to make. This would be a great idea for a "go-to", "get-dinner-on-the-table-fast" type of dinner. I think I would make this again if I had all the ingredients on hand, and I needed something healthy and fast. Overall, I would say it was a solid dinner choice.
This weeks selection is from fellow CEiMB blogger Lobster and Fishsticks. Since I have been trying to incorporate more fish in our diet, I thought this would be a great first-try recipe. I think I am going to serve my salmon with some steamed green beans and baked potato. I can't wait to report back how our meal turned out!
Salmon with Sweet & Spicy Rub
2007 Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture.
Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.
Nutritional Info:
Per serving:Calories 280; Total Fat 13 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 5 g); Protein 34 g; Carb 5 g; Fiber 1 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 135 mg
Excellent source of: Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Copper, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium
Good source of: Folate, Magnesium
The Result:
This was just okay for us. Don't get me wrong...it was good. It just didn't blow our socks off. The sweet/spicy rub was nice, and the fish was perfectly cooked. Maybe I am just not in love with salmon???? I don't know...I really can't say. For a healthy recipe it did have a good flavor, but I think I have tried other comparable salmon recipes that I liked better. I really did like that it came together super-fast. Seriously, this was a breeze to make. This would be a great idea for a "go-to", "get-dinner-on-the-table-fast" type of dinner. I think I would make this again if I had all the ingredients on hand, and I needed something healthy and fast. Overall, I would say it was a solid dinner choice.
Pineapple Upside Down Muffins
I recently found this recipe somewhere online, but I have no idea where (eek!). Usually, I like to credit where I find good things. However, no matter how much I back-track for the origin of these muffins, this recipe keeps eluding me. I even googled it; but I can't seem to find this particular one that I used. It's a little frustrating, to say the least!
Normally, when I copy a recipe I am careful to include where it is from, so I can give the author a nod for their intellectual property. It is really bugging me that I cannot find it! Ugh...I give up. If this is your recipe, I deeply apologize for not giving you credit. Truly, I am sorry and it will not happen again. Sigh. Also, if it is yours...please leave me a comment so I can sleep tonight. I can always go back and edit my post to show the proper credit.
As you may have guessed, I decided to bake today. I wanted to use a can of crushed pineapple that I had in the pantry and I thought these lovely, breakfast-y, muffins would be a great grab-n'-go treat for the family. Recipe-aggravation aside, these are a lovely little treat.
Pineapple Upside Down Muffins
By: Unknown (You are out there somewhere...)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp melted butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F, grease 12 cup muffin pan
2. Spoon melted butter evenly into prepared muffin pan, sprinkle brown sugar over top, spoon pineapple over brown sugar, set aside.
3. In a bowl, Combine Flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Make a well in the center.
4. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter and buttermilk. Add quickly to flour mixture, stir just until moist and blended.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tin over pineapple. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. When cool, remove from pan and serve pineapple side up.
Jen's Notes:
I have bad luck with muffins/cupcakes sticking to my old pans, no matter how well I grease them. I think it is time for some new ones, but it just is not a priority. Today, I used paper muffin cups to avoid the whole 'stick-in-the-pan' issue. It worked like a charm!
The Result:
These are really yummy! Just like the cake version, only smaller and wrapped in paper cups. I have another can of pineapple, so I will be making more of these very soon!
Normally, when I copy a recipe I am careful to include where it is from, so I can give the author a nod for their intellectual property. It is really bugging me that I cannot find it! Ugh...I give up. If this is your recipe, I deeply apologize for not giving you credit. Truly, I am sorry and it will not happen again. Sigh. Also, if it is yours...please leave me a comment so I can sleep tonight. I can always go back and edit my post to show the proper credit.
As you may have guessed, I decided to bake today. I wanted to use a can of crushed pineapple that I had in the pantry and I thought these lovely, breakfast-y, muffins would be a great grab-n'-go treat for the family. Recipe-aggravation aside, these are a lovely little treat.
Pineapple Upside Down Muffins
By: Unknown (You are out there somewhere...)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp melted butter
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F, grease 12 cup muffin pan
2. Spoon melted butter evenly into prepared muffin pan, sprinkle brown sugar over top, spoon pineapple over brown sugar, set aside.
3. In a bowl, Combine Flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Make a well in the center.
4. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter and buttermilk. Add quickly to flour mixture, stir just until moist and blended.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tin over pineapple. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.
6. When cool, remove from pan and serve pineapple side up.
Jen's Notes:
I have bad luck with muffins/cupcakes sticking to my old pans, no matter how well I grease them. I think it is time for some new ones, but it just is not a priority. Today, I used paper muffin cups to avoid the whole 'stick-in-the-pan' issue. It worked like a charm!
The Result:
These are really yummy! Just like the cake version, only smaller and wrapped in paper cups. I have another can of pineapple, so I will be making more of these very soon!
April 7, 2009
Chalupa & Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
About a month ago, I found a 8 pound pork shoulder on "manager's special" at the grocery store, for $7. I was so stoked to get such a huge hunk o' meat for such a great deal. I love deeply-discounted meat products! I decided that I was going to just cook the whole thing today, and then split up the cooked meat for different meals throughout the week. So far, I have three meals planned with my pork shoulder bounty, and two more coming soon. Depending on how sick we get of pork this week, will determine how much of the cook meat I will freeze for later use. Tonight, we are having this recipe for Chalupa. It is another one of my husband's family favorites, and it is really simple to put together. I will serve this dish with a side salad, and dinner will be all buttoned up!
Chalupa
In case you were wondering...here is how I cooked the pork shoulder:
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder roast
1 bottle of your favorite beer
1-2 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
minced onions to taste
granulated garlic to taste
onion powder to taste
Lawry's Seasoned Salt to taste
Directions:
Trim roast of all visible fat. Place in slow cooker fat side up with all ingredients listed (sprinkle all the seasonings on top of the roast, and then just turn the whole thing around in the liquid to flavor it up). Cook on 'high' for 4 hours, then turn temp. down to 'low' and cook for an additional 4 hours. Separate cooked meat out for other meals and store in fridge or freeze.
Chalupa
In case you were wondering...here is how I cooked the pork shoulder:
Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder
Ingredients:
1 pork shoulder roast
1 bottle of your favorite beer
1-2 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
minced onions to taste
granulated garlic to taste
onion powder to taste
Lawry's Seasoned Salt to taste
Directions:
Trim roast of all visible fat. Place in slow cooker fat side up with all ingredients listed (sprinkle all the seasonings on top of the roast, and then just turn the whole thing around in the liquid to flavor it up). Cook on 'high' for 4 hours, then turn temp. down to 'low' and cook for an additional 4 hours. Separate cooked meat out for other meals and store in fridge or freeze.
April 6, 2009
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
My mother in law and I took my son to get his three year old pictures done today, so I was out until late afternoon. I can't believe how big my baby has grown! He looks like such a little man in his photos. Sigh...so big! Anyway, I planned ahead and defrosted twice the amount of chicken I needed for last night, so I could throw together this dish once I got home. Despite this dish not being a traditional Thai dish, I still think it delivers all the flavors that I love from that style of cooking. It quick and easy to put together, and best of all, fairly well-balanced. I don't think I am going to make any major changes, so I will just link back to my original post.
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
Okay, disregard the above statement...I am going to make a couple changes. I am going to use Udon noodles, instead of spaghetti; and I don't have any cole slaw greens or cilantro this time around. I am hoping that the dish will still be just as good as it was last time; despite the lack of various greens and herbs. I think I will throw some edamame into the mix, as well...just for good measure. This is one of my favorite dinners, so I am looking forward to tonight's meal!
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
Okay, disregard the above statement...I am going to make a couple changes. I am going to use Udon noodles, instead of spaghetti; and I don't have any cole slaw greens or cilantro this time around. I am hoping that the dish will still be just as good as it was last time; despite the lack of various greens and herbs. I think I will throw some edamame into the mix, as well...just for good measure. This is one of my favorite dinners, so I am looking forward to tonight's meal!
Pancakes: Jen's Version
I woke up unusually early this morning, so I decided to treat the boy and I to some homemade pancakes. Typically, I don't make pancakes so I really did not have a recipe...mornings are usually not my thing. I went to my favorite food website, recipezaar.com and found this easy pancake recipe that used ingredients that I already had on hand. It was exactly what I was looking for! I added a couple small twists, so I will note those in the ingredients list as 'optional' items. Overall, this was a fantastic and simple pancake recipe.
Pancakes: Jen's Version
adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #25690
Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
cooking spray
Directions:
Beat egg and vanilla until fluffy with an electric mixer, whisk attachment. Add the milk and melted butter. Add dry ingredients (including sugar), cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with cooking spray.(The pan is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan.) Pour a small amount of batter (approx 1/4 cup) into pan and tip to spread out or spread with spoon. When bubbles appear on surface and begin to break, turn over and cook the other side. Serve immediately.
The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but these were so good! Light, fluffy, and flavorful. I warmed up some maple syrup in the microwave and topped our pancakes with cut strawberries. So fantastically yummy! This will be my go-to pancake recipe from now on...no more mix out of the box.
Pancakes: Jen's Version
adapted from recipezaar.com/recipe #25690
Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
cooking spray
Directions:
Beat egg and vanilla until fluffy with an electric mixer, whisk attachment. Add the milk and melted butter. Add dry ingredients (including sugar), cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. Heat a heavy griddle or fry pan which is greased with cooking spray.(The pan is hot enough when a drop of water breaks into several smaller balls which 'dance' around the pan.) Pour a small amount of batter (approx 1/4 cup) into pan and tip to spread out or spread with spoon. When bubbles appear on surface and begin to break, turn over and cook the other side. Serve immediately.
The Result:
I forgot to take a photo, but these were so good! Light, fluffy, and flavorful. I warmed up some maple syrup in the microwave and topped our pancakes with cut strawberries. So fantastically yummy! This will be my go-to pancake recipe from now on...no more mix out of the box.
April 5, 2009
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
We have been really busy this weekend with errands and chores. I am going to keep this post short and sweet, so I can get back to work. Originally, I had a new recipe planned, but it got bumped back because I needed something easy and familiar for tonight's meal. The last thing I want to do after cleaning the house and doing laundry all day, is prepare a complicated dinner!
This is a variation on my recipe for Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs. I am all out of legs, so I am going to amend my original recipe to just use some chicken tenders instead. I think we are just going to have some roasted asparagus and baked tater tots to go our chicken. Overall, this is an easy dish to put together, and it is always a crowd-pleaser.
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
2 packages of chicken tenders (approx. 16 pieces)
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoon of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons of melted butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Louisiana Hot Sauce (mix with Tapito Hot Sauce for extra spicy)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1-2 cookie/cooling rack(s) on cookie sheet and spray rack(s) with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Combine breadcrumbs, onion power, garlic powder, paprika, parsley flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into a bowl.
3) In a separate small bowl beat eggs with milk.
4) Dip chicken pieces separately into egg mixture, then dredge into breadcrumb mixture, coating thoroughly. Repeat process so each piece is double coated. Set breadcrumb coated chicken aside on cookie sheet racks. Spray pieces with small amount of cooking spray.
5) Bake chicken for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees (or until chicken is no longer pink in center).
6) While chicken is baking combine melted butter with hot sauce into a large bowl.
7) Once chicken is finished, dip each chicken piece into hot sauce mixture and coat thoroughly. Repeat with all chicken piece.
8) Serve immediately with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
The Result:
This was the first time I tried this recipe with chicken tenders, and it came out just as good as the original! It was so yummy! I would totally make this version again. Another first this time, was that I made my own ranch dipping sauce (recipe below). Again, the ranch dip came out perfectly...thick and creamy with the right amount of ranch tanginess. Yum, yum, yum!
Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 package of dry ranch seasoning
splash of milk
small pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes in the fridge so it may thicken to proper consistency.
This is a variation on my recipe for Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs. I am all out of legs, so I am going to amend my original recipe to just use some chicken tenders instead. I think we are just going to have some roasted asparagus and baked tater tots to go our chicken. Overall, this is an easy dish to put together, and it is always a crowd-pleaser.
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders
Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
2 packages of chicken tenders (approx. 16 pieces)
1 cup of seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 egg, beaten
2 Tablespoon of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons of melted butter
1/2 to 3/4 cup of Louisiana Hot Sauce (mix with Tapito Hot Sauce for extra spicy)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place 1-2 cookie/cooling rack(s) on cookie sheet and spray rack(s) with cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Combine breadcrumbs, onion power, garlic powder, paprika, parsley flakes, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper into a bowl.
3) In a separate small bowl beat eggs with milk.
4) Dip chicken pieces separately into egg mixture, then dredge into breadcrumb mixture, coating thoroughly. Repeat process so each piece is double coated. Set breadcrumb coated chicken aside on cookie sheet racks. Spray pieces with small amount of cooking spray.
5) Bake chicken for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees (or until chicken is no longer pink in center).
6) While chicken is baking combine melted butter with hot sauce into a large bowl.
7) Once chicken is finished, dip each chicken piece into hot sauce mixture and coat thoroughly. Repeat with all chicken piece.
8) Serve immediately with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
The Result:
This was the first time I tried this recipe with chicken tenders, and it came out just as good as the original! It was so yummy! I would totally make this version again. Another first this time, was that I made my own ranch dipping sauce (recipe below). Again, the ranch dip came out perfectly...thick and creamy with the right amount of ranch tanginess. Yum, yum, yum!
Ranch Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 package of dry ranch seasoning
splash of milk
small pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes in the fridge so it may thicken to proper consistency.
April 4, 2009
Leftovers
There was really nothing exciting going on in our house this evening. We were out most of the day running errands, and we did not get home until late afternoon. We decided to just defrost/reheat leftover Spinach Ricotta Gnocci for our dinner. The boy was unusually tired and cranky today, so we let him slide with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some strawberries drizzled with vanilla yogurt. I am not sure what the game plan is for the rest of the weekend, but I should be back tomorrow with a new recipe.
April 3, 2009
Dinner Out
No cooking for me tonight! The family and I are going over to my in-law's for dinner and a visit with my husband's aunt and uncle that are in town. I am certainly looking forward to having the night off! I will be back tomorrow with the new recipe that I had planned for tonight. Catch ya later!!!
April 2, 2009
Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
I know that we just had pizza last week, but when I saw the photo for this recipe in my new Cooking Light cookbook called 5 Ingredients 15 Minutes , I knew I had to try it right away. Just as the title promises, there are only five ingredients and the cook time is less than 15 minutes (not including the time it takes to brown the beef). Overall, this looks like a really yummy and easy recipe.
I am actually going to amend this dish a little and make the Quick Homemade Pizza Crust recipe I used the other night, instead of using the pre-made stuff as suggested. I just can't bring myself to: a) spend extra money on something I can make easily, b) make an extra trip to the store for a "convenience" item, and c) use processed pizza dough that has all sorts of unnatural junk in it.(I am not saying that I would never use store-bought dough...I am just not going to make an extra trip and spend extra money today. If I was in a pinch, I would use it.) Even with my modification, this recipe is still quite easy and fast. I will post the recipe as written and then include the recipe for the Quick Homemade Pizza Dough below it in my notes. It think we are just going to serve this with a side salad and some steamed veggies. This recipe looks really promising, so I hope it delivers.
Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound ground round
1 (15 ounce) can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce
Cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (OR QUICK HOMEMADE DOUGH; See notes below)
6 (1 ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions:
Cook meat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet. Add tomato sauce, and cook until heated.
While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Line bottom of pizza crust with 3 slices mozzarella cheese. Top with meat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes.
Top with remaining 3 cheese slices, and bake 5 additional minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Jen's Notes:
Here is the recipe for the dough. This is my friend, Jen A.'s recipe, and it has become my favorite pizza method. Seriously, this is really easy and delicious!!!
Quick Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
For Dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce and cover with toppings in an even layer. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!
The Result:
This was fan-freakin'-tastic! Great recipe!!! This is the best, easy casserole that I have tried in quite awhile. We all loved it! I added some spices to the ground beef, such as onion powder, garlic powder, minced onion,Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and some leftover diced onions that I had in the fridge. (I added maybe 1/2 teaspoon each.) I did not have a jar of spaghetti sauce, so I used a can of diced tomatoes, a little water, and a small (8 oz) can of no salt added tomato puree. I had some leftover shredded cheddar cheese from tacos last night, so I threw that on top too. I liked the mozzarella/cheddar combo. What can I say...I just love cheese, period!
The homemade dough was awesome,as well. I actually stretched the dough over the sides of the casserole dish, then loaded in the cheese and meat, and finally rolled the crust top down on top of the filled casserole dish. The crust ended up puffing and browning, forming the edge that I wanted. It turned out perfect...soooo yummy!
This recipe is definitely family-friendly; my son kept taking bites and making "ummmm" noises. In my opinion, earning the approval of an almost three-year-old is certainly a great endorsement for this meal! We had some broccoli and our standard, weeknight salad for side items; which went really well with this dish. I am ridiculously pleased with the results of this meal tonight. We will certainly be making this recipe again and again!
I am actually going to amend this dish a little and make the Quick Homemade Pizza Crust recipe I used the other night, instead of using the pre-made stuff as suggested. I just can't bring myself to: a) spend extra money on something I can make easily, b) make an extra trip to the store for a "convenience" item, and c) use processed pizza dough that has all sorts of unnatural junk in it.(I am not saying that I would never use store-bought dough...I am just not going to make an extra trip and spend extra money today. If I was in a pinch, I would use it.) Even with my modification, this recipe is still quite easy and fast. I will post the recipe as written and then include the recipe for the Quick Homemade Pizza Dough below it in my notes. It think we are just going to serve this with a side salad and some steamed veggies. This recipe looks really promising, so I hope it delivers.
Cooking Light's Deep Dish Pizza Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pound ground round
1 (15 ounce) can chunky Italian-style tomato sauce
Cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough (OR QUICK HOMEMADE DOUGH; See notes below)
6 (1 ounce) slices part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Directions:
Cook meat in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet. Add tomato sauce, and cook until heated.
While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Line bottom of pizza crust with 3 slices mozzarella cheese. Top with meat mixture. Bake, uncovered at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes.
Top with remaining 3 cheese slices, and bake 5 additional minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes before serving.
Jen's Notes:
Here is the recipe for the dough. This is my friend, Jen A.'s recipe, and it has become my favorite pizza method. Seriously, this is really easy and delicious!!!
Quick Homemade Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
For Dough:
1 package of active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups of flour
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon of Italian Seasoning (optional)
1 Tablespoon of garlic powder (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes). Stir in flour, salt, & olive oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan dusted with corn meal. Spread evenly with sauce and cover with toppings in an even layer. Bake 15-20 min. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut and serve!
The Result:
This was fan-freakin'-tastic! Great recipe!!! This is the best, easy casserole that I have tried in quite awhile. We all loved it! I added some spices to the ground beef, such as onion powder, garlic powder, minced onion,Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and some leftover diced onions that I had in the fridge. (I added maybe 1/2 teaspoon each.) I did not have a jar of spaghetti sauce, so I used a can of diced tomatoes, a little water, and a small (8 oz) can of no salt added tomato puree. I had some leftover shredded cheddar cheese from tacos last night, so I threw that on top too. I liked the mozzarella/cheddar combo. What can I say...I just love cheese, period!
The homemade dough was awesome,as well. I actually stretched the dough over the sides of the casserole dish, then loaded in the cheese and meat, and finally rolled the crust top down on top of the filled casserole dish. The crust ended up puffing and browning, forming the edge that I wanted. It turned out perfect...soooo yummy!
This recipe is definitely family-friendly; my son kept taking bites and making "ummmm" noises. In my opinion, earning the approval of an almost three-year-old is certainly a great endorsement for this meal! We had some broccoli and our standard, weeknight salad for side items; which went really well with this dish. I am ridiculously pleased with the results of this meal tonight. We will certainly be making this recipe again and again!
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