Just when I think I have everything figured out...BAM!...something throws a monkey wrench into my plans! The boy, husband, and I have all come down with a mysterious illness that may or may not be H1N1. What we have is mild flu-like symptoms, that could or could not be the afore-mentioned virus. Since we have had our seasonal flu shots, and since I am pregnant, our medical providers are treating our collective case as H1N1...although, it is not bad enough to be formally tested. I have been put on Tamiflu as a precaution, and subsequently,I am feeling pretty decent despite my flu-like symptoms.
So, I can almost anticipate what you are probably thinking. What does this have to do with my menu plan for the week, you ask??????
Well, we basically scraped the last part of our weekly meal plan and have been playing it by ear since Tuesday. So, you will probably see a lot of repeat dinners that we were supposed to have this week, on next weeks menu plan. At least, carry-over meals means that I have a light grocery list this week. In the meantime, I have substituted a big pot of Hungarian Mushroom Soup and another big pot of Jen's Spicy Beef Chili into the mix. One night was Breakfast for Dinner, too...that was our low point.
So, stay tuned for next weeks meal plan that will certainly have a familiar ring to it.
October 29, 2009
October 25, 2009
Weekly Menu Plan: 10/25-10/31 (and a bit of 'twins' news)
I have had a busy couple of weeks, so my blog has taken a backseat to life once again. Ironically, I was just reading my friend Claire's blog and she has noticed that a lot of bloggers that she follows are just not posting as frequently as they have in the past. I have also noticed that trend; and I have admittedly slowed down on my own blog, as well. For me, it seems that this time of year always gets hectic. From October 1st through the end of the year seems to move at a frantic pace. This year I have the added issue of being totally consumed with all-things "pregnancy" and "twins" related.
Speaking of twins...my husband and I found out that we are having 2 little girls to add to our family!!! We are excited and happy to report that they are developing on track and growing normally without complications, so far. Needless to say, I have been completely distracted by all things frou-frou and girly. I have also started the huge project of converting my son's old nursery to a female-friendly version. I can't say that I mind, because 'girl stuff' is so much fun!
So, to coincide with my busy schedule I have kinda developed a new way to handle the ol' blog here. I don't want to let it fall by the wayside completely, but I am having a hard time posting every day. As I mentioned before, I am just going to post complete versions of 'new/never tried before' recipes (with photo and review, as usual). For weeks that I don't have anything new slated on the menu plan (like this week), I think I will just do a weekly post with my menu plan and link back to the recipes I am using for that week's dinners. We will see how that works, and maybe revise the format again later, if needed. So, this post will be the only one that you see from me for the week, unless I make changes and sneak something new in the mix. I am thinking that this new style will just be more efficient. I hope everyone has a great week!!!
Weekly Menu Plan: 10/25/09-10/31/09
Sunday 10-25: Faux Niman Ranch Burgers, baked potatoes, glazed carrots
Monday 10/26: Dinner Out
Tuesday 10/27: Homemade Margherita-Style Pizza (with Mushrooms), salad with homemade dressing (vegetarian meal)
Wednesday 10/28: Falafel Pitas with Tzatziki sauce (vegetarian meal)
Thursday 10/29: Cooking Light's Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, salad with homemade dressing
Friday 10/30: Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken, sweet potato fries, green beans
Saturday 10/31: Dinner Out...Happy Halloween!!!
Speaking of twins...my husband and I found out that we are having 2 little girls to add to our family!!! We are excited and happy to report that they are developing on track and growing normally without complications, so far. Needless to say, I have been completely distracted by all things frou-frou and girly. I have also started the huge project of converting my son's old nursery to a female-friendly version. I can't say that I mind, because 'girl stuff' is so much fun!
So, to coincide with my busy schedule I have kinda developed a new way to handle the ol' blog here. I don't want to let it fall by the wayside completely, but I am having a hard time posting every day. As I mentioned before, I am just going to post complete versions of 'new/never tried before' recipes (with photo and review, as usual). For weeks that I don't have anything new slated on the menu plan (like this week), I think I will just do a weekly post with my menu plan and link back to the recipes I am using for that week's dinners. We will see how that works, and maybe revise the format again later, if needed. So, this post will be the only one that you see from me for the week, unless I make changes and sneak something new in the mix. I am thinking that this new style will just be more efficient. I hope everyone has a great week!!!
Weekly Menu Plan: 10/25/09-10/31/09
Sunday 10-25: Faux Niman Ranch Burgers, baked potatoes, glazed carrots
Monday 10/26: Dinner Out
Tuesday 10/27: Homemade Margherita-Style Pizza (with Mushrooms), salad with homemade dressing (vegetarian meal)
Wednesday 10/28: Falafel Pitas with Tzatziki sauce (vegetarian meal)
Thursday 10/29: Cooking Light's Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice, salad with homemade dressing
Friday 10/30: Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken, sweet potato fries, green beans
Saturday 10/31: Dinner Out...Happy Halloween!!!
October 19, 2009
PW's Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes
Ah...you may have noticed that I am slacking again on my postings. Sigh. Really, I am getting tired of posting the same recipes over and over again. I decided that I would spare you the repeats and just give you the new and/or really interesting stuff. For example, last night's dinner was steak fajitas. I have posted the recipe, or various links to the recipe, several times. So I ask you, why be redundant???? I am just trying to keep things fresh around here. Besides, if you really, really, really want my steak fajita recipe again, then just click on the appropriate tag on my sidebar. Otherwise, it is new and fresh and interesting from here on out, man. Whew! I am glad I got that all out. It is important that we can be honest with each other.
Anywho...
Tonight is a "I need to come up with dinner and I don't have anything thawed, and I don't really feel like cooking, but I have some cooked leftover spaghetti noodles in the fridge that I need to use up so I better do something with those" kinda nights. ('Holy run-on sentence, Batman!') Quite the dilemma, as you can see. (I am in rare form today, you will have to pardon my crazed and slightly sarcastic mood.) I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman's website, and actually emailed it to my friend, Claire to try out. Once I realized that I needed a fast and easy dinner for tonight that did not require thawing frozen items, I remembered this dish/email. Ha! Instead of Claire trying it for me...I will try it out for her. Double ha! It also helps that I have everything on hand to make it.
Are you still with me?
Okay, here is the link to PW's recipe. I don't like to re-post her stuff, because she does it so well on her website; it would be a crime for you not to see the original.
PW's Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes
As I indicated earlier, I am using already-cooked spaghetti noodles. Also, I am going to need to substitute in half & half mixed with dry evaporated milk to get the consistency and flavor of heavy cream. I don't regularly stock heavy cream, but I do have the others on hand. I find the mixture of half & half and dry milk to be a great switcharoo. I will let you know how we like this meal later on.
The Result:
Yum. This was soooooo easy and totally tasty! It was a perfect choice for a "I need to get something on the table, but don't want to spend a whole lot of time cooking" night. It was great! Simple, clean, and delicious flavors that all blended together nicely. We really liked this dish! I didn't have any fresh herbs, but it was still good without them. I can only imagine that fresh herbs would make this dish even better. I will certainly make this part of my easy cooking/vegetarian meal repertoire. Thanks again, PW!!!
Anywho...
Tonight is a "I need to come up with dinner and I don't have anything thawed, and I don't really feel like cooking, but I have some cooked leftover spaghetti noodles in the fridge that I need to use up so I better do something with those" kinda nights. ('Holy run-on sentence, Batman!') Quite the dilemma, as you can see. (I am in rare form today, you will have to pardon my crazed and slightly sarcastic mood.) I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman's website, and actually emailed it to my friend, Claire to try out. Once I realized that I needed a fast and easy dinner for tonight that did not require thawing frozen items, I remembered this dish/email. Ha! Instead of Claire trying it for me...I will try it out for her. Double ha! It also helps that I have everything on hand to make it.
Are you still with me?
Okay, here is the link to PW's recipe. I don't like to re-post her stuff, because she does it so well on her website; it would be a crime for you not to see the original.
PW's Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts and Tomatoes
As I indicated earlier, I am using already-cooked spaghetti noodles. Also, I am going to need to substitute in half & half mixed with dry evaporated milk to get the consistency and flavor of heavy cream. I don't regularly stock heavy cream, but I do have the others on hand. I find the mixture of half & half and dry milk to be a great switcharoo. I will let you know how we like this meal later on.
The Result:
Yum. This was soooooo easy and totally tasty! It was a perfect choice for a "I need to get something on the table, but don't want to spend a whole lot of time cooking" night. It was great! Simple, clean, and delicious flavors that all blended together nicely. We really liked this dish! I didn't have any fresh herbs, but it was still good without them. I can only imagine that fresh herbs would make this dish even better. I will certainly make this part of my easy cooking/vegetarian meal repertoire. Thanks again, PW!!!
October 17, 2009
Laura's Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Since last Tuesday, our meals have been nothing but leftovers. Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers. We did a total fridge clean out, so tonight is really the first night of coming up with a new dinner idea. I have been feeling pretty run down these past couple of days, so I have been trying to take it easy. I don't think I am getting sick, I just think I maybe got a little too ambitious during the week. Ugh. Now, I am just worn out. Darn pregnancy is slowing me down again! ;) Anyway, I wanted an easy dinner that didn't require a whole lot of cooking. I remembered we really liked this meatball dish from my friend Laura, so I thought we would give it another go. After all, it is so simple to put together and the results are pretty tasty.
Laura's Sweet and Sour Meatballs
I plan on pairing the meatballs with some rice and frozen Asian-style veggies, again. It worked well the last time we had this dinner, so why mess with a good thing!?!?
Laura's Sweet and Sour Meatballs
I plan on pairing the meatballs with some rice and frozen Asian-style veggies, again. It worked well the last time we had this dinner, so why mess with a good thing!?!?
October 13, 2009
Jen's Chicken Noodle Soup
I have been craving homemade chicken noodle soup lately, and I thought that tonight would be a good night to experiment with a recipe. I think I will play around with the flavors until I come up with what I want. After all, I know approximately what goes into chicken noodle soup...how difficult could it be, really?!?
I don't have traditional egg noodles stocked in my pantry, but I do have fun alphabet shaped pasta from Trader Joe's. I figure the boy will like the letter shapes, and I will have a better chance of escaping dinner time without an ensuing battle. I think I will keep things simple and just bake up some canned biscuits to go on the side. Yum...comfort food at it's best!
I will have to post a recipe after our meal, since I am not exactly sure how I am going to put the soup together. Wish me luck...I will let you know how it all turns out later!
********************************************************
Here is the final product!
Jen’s Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Canola oil, more if needed
2 chicken breasts, cubed
½ cup of flour
1 small onion, diced finely
2 stalks of celery, diced finely
1-2 cups of cooked, sliced carrots (I used leftovers)
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoons paprika, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Onion powder, divided
1 teaspoon Garlic powder, divided
½ teaspoon of Dried thyme
6 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
Pasta of your choice (I used organic alphabet pasta,but egg noodles would be ideal)
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour, 1 tsp paprika, salt, pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Brown chicken pieces in oil and remove to a separate dish. Add a little more oil, if needed. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soft. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan and mix in with the vegetables. Make a spot in bottom of pan and add garlic. Sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant (do not brown or burn garlic). Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pot, and stir to combine. Add chicken stock. Add remaining paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add white wine vinegar. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, bring a pot full of salted water to a boil and cook desired pasta. When pasta is cooked al dente, add to soup mixture. Stir to combine. Serve with hot buttered biscuits and enjoy!
The Result:
This was soooooo freakin' yummy! My soup turned out exactly how I wanted it...I love it when that happens! This was a hearty, comforting soup that went perfect with our buttered biscuits. Again, yum. I am debating if I want to have the leftovers for lunch this week, or freeze them for an other meal. Hmmmm... either way, this soup was delish.
I don't have traditional egg noodles stocked in my pantry, but I do have fun alphabet shaped pasta from Trader Joe's. I figure the boy will like the letter shapes, and I will have a better chance of escaping dinner time without an ensuing battle. I think I will keep things simple and just bake up some canned biscuits to go on the side. Yum...comfort food at it's best!
I will have to post a recipe after our meal, since I am not exactly sure how I am going to put the soup together. Wish me luck...I will let you know how it all turns out later!
********************************************************
Here is the final product!
Jen’s Chicken Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Canola oil, more if needed
2 chicken breasts, cubed
½ cup of flour
1 small onion, diced finely
2 stalks of celery, diced finely
1-2 cups of cooked, sliced carrots (I used leftovers)
2 cloves of garlic, minced finely
2 teaspoons paprika, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Onion powder, divided
1 teaspoon Garlic powder, divided
½ teaspoon of Dried thyme
6 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
Pasta of your choice (I used organic alphabet pasta,but egg noodles would be ideal)
Directions:
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. While oil is heating, combine flour, 1 tsp paprika, salt, pepper, ½ tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Brown chicken pieces in oil and remove to a separate dish. Add a little more oil, if needed. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soft. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits stuck on the bottom of the pan and mix in with the vegetables. Make a spot in bottom of pan and add garlic. Sauté garlic for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant (do not brown or burn garlic). Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pot, and stir to combine. Add chicken stock. Add remaining paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and dried thyme. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add white wine vinegar. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While soup is simmering, bring a pot full of salted water to a boil and cook desired pasta. When pasta is cooked al dente, add to soup mixture. Stir to combine. Serve with hot buttered biscuits and enjoy!
The Result:
This was soooooo freakin' yummy! My soup turned out exactly how I wanted it...I love it when that happens! This was a hearty, comforting soup that went perfect with our buttered biscuits. Again, yum. I am debating if I want to have the leftovers for lunch this week, or freeze them for an other meal. Hmmmm... either way, this soup was delish.
October 12, 2009
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs
My mom is visiting from out of town, and I wanted something easy to put together for dinner. These chicken legs are tasty and very family-friendly (assuming your family likes spicy food, as mine does). I think I will serve these legs with some glazed carrots and baked potatoes. Simple and delicious!!!
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs
Yum! Yum! Yum! This is one of our favorite easy meals.
Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Legs
Yum! Yum! Yum! This is one of our favorite easy meals.
October 11, 2009
Tacos
There is nothing really exciting to report at our house dinner-wise this weekend. Yesterday, we went over to my in-law's house for dinner. The husband needed to do some work on his truck with his dad, so we ended up staying all day and having an easy dinner of take out In n' Out burgers, fries, and vanilla milkshakes. It was really good, and kinda hit the spot.
Today, we are working on getting our house-and piles of laundry-in order. It seems that laundry is my number one household nemesis. Sigh. Anyway, I want something easy for our dinner tonight and tacos fit the bill. As I said before in an earlier taco post,there is not a certain taco "recipe" that I follow. I literally buy pre-made shells, follow the instructions on the back of the taco seasoning packet, and make condiments, such as fresh chopped lettuces, tomatoes, and onions. Yum! Along with my tacos, I will probably doctor up a can of refried beans and call it a night. Tacos are simple and family-friendly...perfect food for a busy day of cleaning and organizing.
Today, we are working on getting our house-and piles of laundry-in order. It seems that laundry is my number one household nemesis. Sigh. Anyway, I want something easy for our dinner tonight and tacos fit the bill. As I said before in an earlier taco post,there is not a certain taco "recipe" that I follow. I literally buy pre-made shells, follow the instructions on the back of the taco seasoning packet, and make condiments, such as fresh chopped lettuces, tomatoes, and onions. Yum! Along with my tacos, I will probably doctor up a can of refried beans and call it a night. Tacos are simple and family-friendly...perfect food for a busy day of cleaning and organizing.
Sour Cream Banana Bread
It seems that I always have three overripe bananas on hand when I think of this recipe. I was re-reading the original post from this quick and easy bread, and I indicated in my commentary that I had three overripe bananas to use. Well, that is certainly the case again today. I don't know...it struck me as a little funny. Since the boy likes to help me bake, I figured this was a good way to use my three bananas and entertain my son at the same time. Nothing like a little project to get us through mid-morning.
Sour Cream Banana Bread
This recipe is great, since I usually have everything on hand for it. The sour cream really keeps the bread moist and delicious, and delivers a little bit of a tangy flavor. Yum! This has become my go-to banana bread recipe, for sure.
Jen's Notes:
I did not have any walnuts on hand today, so I just substituted sliced almonds. I think pecans would also work nicely.
Sour Cream Banana Bread
This recipe is great, since I usually have everything on hand for it. The sour cream really keeps the bread moist and delicious, and delivers a little bit of a tangy flavor. Yum! This has become my go-to banana bread recipe, for sure.
Jen's Notes:
I did not have any walnuts on hand today, so I just substituted sliced almonds. I think pecans would also work nicely.
October 9, 2009
Ina's Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
This is a recipe that makes a great quick dinner. I have made it several times in the past, but for whatever reason, I have never posted this recipe to my blog. It is shameful, I know! This is easily one of our favorite shrimp pasta meals, with clean, simple flavors that are just delicious.
We had some leftover cooked spaghetti noodles from the other night, so I decided to incorporate them into this dish. I added some sauteed mushrooms and omitted the fresh parsley (I didn't have any on hand). This recipe still turned out great, and totally hit the "spot". Really, it is hard to go wrong with one of Ina's recipe.
Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
Copyright 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Directions:
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
Jen's Notes:
As I mentioned, I made a few minor changes. I added sauteed mushrooms, omitted the fresh parsley, and used cooked spaghetti noodles instead of the linguine. Also, I used 1/2 of a finely diced onion instead of the shallots. We had the last little bit of a bottle of dry white wine, so that was thrown into the mix, too. I would say it was about a 1/2 cup. We just let it reduce until it almost evaporated.
The Result:
Oops! In my haste to eat dinner, I forgot to take a photo of the dish. Sorry! I will make sure to get one next time.
This dish turned out great, as usual. This meal is so fast and yummy...a total keeper in my book!!!
We had some leftover cooked spaghetti noodles from the other night, so I decided to incorporate them into this dish. I added some sauteed mushrooms and omitted the fresh parsley (I didn't have any on hand). This recipe still turned out great, and totally hit the "spot". Really, it is hard to go wrong with one of Ina's recipe.
Linguine with Shrimp Scampi
Copyright 2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
3/4 pound linguine
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, zest grated
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Directions:
Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.
When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.
Jen's Notes:
As I mentioned, I made a few minor changes. I added sauteed mushrooms, omitted the fresh parsley, and used cooked spaghetti noodles instead of the linguine. Also, I used 1/2 of a finely diced onion instead of the shallots. We had the last little bit of a bottle of dry white wine, so that was thrown into the mix, too. I would say it was about a 1/2 cup. We just let it reduce until it almost evaporated.
The Result:
Oops! In my haste to eat dinner, I forgot to take a photo of the dish. Sorry! I will make sure to get one next time.
This dish turned out great, as usual. This meal is so fast and yummy...a total keeper in my book!!!
October 8, 2009
Leftovers
I am not feeling too hot tonight, so it is leftovers again for us. Tomorrow is a new day, so hopefully I will be back on top of my game, dinner-wise. I need to rearrange my menu plan, so we will just have to wait and see what I come up with for the rest of the week! Catch y'all later!
October 7, 2009
Jen's Slow Cooker Lasagna
I decided not to post yesterday, since our meal was comprised of take out food. I figured that no one would be really upset if I did not do a full post on something that was obtained through a drive thru window.
Actually, the husband's parents brought a bucket o' chicken over for dinner last night...so the nice part was that I was off the hook for cooking. We went the super-lazy route and even did paper plates! Not only did I not have to prepare a meal, but there were not any dishes either. It was quite a sweet deal, let me tell you!!! I really appreciate "no cooking" nights.
I am going to go the easy route again tonight, and do a slow cooker lasagna recipe. I have never tried to make slow cooker lasagna before, so this will be an adventure for all of us. Basically, I plan on taking my mom's lasagna recipe and adapting it for crock pot cooking.
On another note...I have discovered that I break slow cookers' like nobody's business. I just broke another one last week...one that I have had for only about a year! So, once again I find myself with a brand new slow cooker. Sigh. I did my research and I hope this new one will be a little more forgiving than my last one. Seriously! I cannot believe that this will be my third slow cooker in just over a year. Double sigh. Oh well, I will let you know how the new one performs and how my lasagna turns out!
Jen's Slow Cooker Lasagna
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 box of lasagna noodles, no boil
2 Tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. of Italian sausage (use 1/2 lb. of hot and 1/2 lb. regular)
2 small cans of tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of water (use empty tomato paste cans) OR chicken stock
1 can of tomato puree or plain tomato sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon of dried oregano
1 Tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 ball of mozzarella, shredded
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and set aside.
2)In a large skillet make meat sauce as follows: Brown sausage over medium-high heat with diced onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, chili powder,garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Drain grease. Make a space in hot skillet by pushing meat aside. Add tomato paste to empty space in skillet, and let cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until tomato paste starts to brown. Add water and tomato puree (or sauce). Add bay leaves and fresh tomatoes. Let simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until desired sauce consistency is achieved. Set aside meat sauce.
3)Start layering, by adding tomato sauce in a thin, even layer into the bottom of the slow cooker. (Just use liquid tomato sauce without meat; separate sauce and meat with a spoon.)
4)Add noodles over the sauce in bottom of the slow cooker; approximately 3-4 whole noodles covering the bottom. You may need to break the noodles up to ensure all area is covered.
5)Spoon about 1/3 of the layer of meat sauce onto noodles.
6) Add 1/3 shredded mozzarella and 1/3 Parmesan cheeses over the meat sauce layer.
7)Add another layer of noodles, covering meat sauce layer. Break up the noodles again to fit the slow cooker, if needed.
8) Add the ricotta cheese over the noodle layer, by using your hands to crumble ricotta over the noodles. Then, press ricotta gently with fingers to spread ricotta out evenly over all of the noodles (I find that using your hands is the easiest way to do this).
9) Add another layer of noodles, covering the ricotta.
10) Add another layer of meat sauce, covering the noodles.
11) Add 1/3 shredded mozzarella and 1/3 Parmesan cheeses over the meat sauce layer.
12)Add remaining noodles on top, creating a roof.
13)Add remaining sauce on top of noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
14) Cook in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
Jen's Notes:
This still proved to be a labor-intensive method, so I don't know how much of an "easy time saver" this is by doing it in the slow cooker. I didn't have to boil noodles, so that is a plus. Also, the slow cooker allows for a little more flexibility while cooking. Basically, you load everything up and forget about it until it is time to eat. I guess this recipe would be a lot easier if you did not make the sauce from scratch. Then, all you would need to do is mix your favorite jarred sauce with the browned onions, sausage, and garlic and call it good. That would certainly save a lot of steps and ingredients for this dish. I am really curious as to how this version is going to stand up to my regular baked lasagna.
The Result:
This tasted just as good as the original version, but it did not save me any time by doing it in the slow cooker. Removing it from the slow cooker to portion out was a bit tricky, too. It didn't hold together as well as it normally does. So, instead of lasagna squares we got a lasagna pile on our plates. Alas, it was still everything lasagna should be, and I am excited to have the leftovers. I don't know if I will try this method again, or just stick to my original way of doing it by baking it in the oven.
Actually, the husband's parents brought a bucket o' chicken over for dinner last night...so the nice part was that I was off the hook for cooking. We went the super-lazy route and even did paper plates! Not only did I not have to prepare a meal, but there were not any dishes either. It was quite a sweet deal, let me tell you!!! I really appreciate "no cooking" nights.
I am going to go the easy route again tonight, and do a slow cooker lasagna recipe. I have never tried to make slow cooker lasagna before, so this will be an adventure for all of us. Basically, I plan on taking my mom's lasagna recipe and adapting it for crock pot cooking.
On another note...I have discovered that I break slow cookers' like nobody's business. I just broke another one last week...one that I have had for only about a year! So, once again I find myself with a brand new slow cooker. Sigh. I did my research and I hope this new one will be a little more forgiving than my last one. Seriously! I cannot believe that this will be my third slow cooker in just over a year. Double sigh. Oh well, I will let you know how the new one performs and how my lasagna turns out!
Jen's Slow Cooker Lasagna
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
1 box of lasagna noodles, no boil
2 Tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. of Italian sausage (use 1/2 lb. of hot and 1/2 lb. regular)
2 small cans of tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans of water (use empty tomato paste cans) OR chicken stock
1 can of tomato puree or plain tomato sauce
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
1 Tablespoon of dried oregano
1 Tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 ball of mozzarella, shredded
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1) Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and set aside.
2)In a large skillet make meat sauce as follows: Brown sausage over medium-high heat with diced onion, garlic, oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, chili powder,garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Drain grease. Make a space in hot skillet by pushing meat aside. Add tomato paste to empty space in skillet, and let cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until tomato paste starts to brown. Add water and tomato puree (or sauce). Add bay leaves and fresh tomatoes. Let simmer for approximately 5 minutes, or until desired sauce consistency is achieved. Set aside meat sauce.
3)Start layering, by adding tomato sauce in a thin, even layer into the bottom of the slow cooker. (Just use liquid tomato sauce without meat; separate sauce and meat with a spoon.)
4)Add noodles over the sauce in bottom of the slow cooker; approximately 3-4 whole noodles covering the bottom. You may need to break the noodles up to ensure all area is covered.
5)Spoon about 1/3 of the layer of meat sauce onto noodles.
6) Add 1/3 shredded mozzarella and 1/3 Parmesan cheeses over the meat sauce layer.
7)Add another layer of noodles, covering meat sauce layer. Break up the noodles again to fit the slow cooker, if needed.
8) Add the ricotta cheese over the noodle layer, by using your hands to crumble ricotta over the noodles. Then, press ricotta gently with fingers to spread ricotta out evenly over all of the noodles (I find that using your hands is the easiest way to do this).
9) Add another layer of noodles, covering the ricotta.
10) Add another layer of meat sauce, covering the noodles.
11) Add 1/3 shredded mozzarella and 1/3 Parmesan cheeses over the meat sauce layer.
12)Add remaining noodles on top, creating a roof.
13)Add remaining sauce on top of noodles and sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
14) Cook in slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
Jen's Notes:
This still proved to be a labor-intensive method, so I don't know how much of an "easy time saver" this is by doing it in the slow cooker. I didn't have to boil noodles, so that is a plus. Also, the slow cooker allows for a little more flexibility while cooking. Basically, you load everything up and forget about it until it is time to eat. I guess this recipe would be a lot easier if you did not make the sauce from scratch. Then, all you would need to do is mix your favorite jarred sauce with the browned onions, sausage, and garlic and call it good. That would certainly save a lot of steps and ingredients for this dish. I am really curious as to how this version is going to stand up to my regular baked lasagna.
The Result:
This tasted just as good as the original version, but it did not save me any time by doing it in the slow cooker. Removing it from the slow cooker to portion out was a bit tricky, too. It didn't hold together as well as it normally does. So, instead of lasagna squares we got a lasagna pile on our plates. Alas, it was still everything lasagna should be, and I am excited to have the leftovers. I don't know if I will try this method again, or just stick to my original way of doing it by baking it in the oven.
October 5, 2009
Ina's Corn Muffins
I saw this recipe demonstrated a couple weeks ago on an episode of Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics and I knew that I had to make them soon. They did not seem to be too complicated to put together, and I had all the ingredients stocked in my pantry. My son loves to help me in the kitchen, so this looked to be an fairly easy recipe to tackle with a 3 year old assistant.
Ina's Corn Muffins
2009, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.
Jen's Notes:
This recipe actually made 18 muffins for me; due to the size of the muffin pans that I used.
So, I ended up having to make a few minor substitutions. I did not have unsalted butter, so I used salted butter and then cut down the amount of salt used in the recipe to a little less than 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Next, I used half and half instead of whole milk (it was either that or skim, and I thought half and half would turn out better due to the higher fat content). The batter was more dough-like and dense than normal muffin batter, so it was a little tricky to get it into the muffin cups. Just be aware that you may need to use a scoop and your fingers to get the muffin papers filled to the top. They are cooling right now, so I will let you know how they taste very soon!
The Result:
These are really good muffins. The texture is slightly crumbly, but still moist and flavorful. Despite the dense batter, the actual muffins turned out light. These are going to be perfect for a quick snack or a breakfast on the go. I will probably make this recipe again, since it meets all of my basic requirements...easy, quick, and yummy!
Ina's Corn Muffins
2009, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup medium cornmeal
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 extra-large eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, melted butter, and eggs. With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and stir until they are just blended. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.
Jen's Notes:
This recipe actually made 18 muffins for me; due to the size of the muffin pans that I used.
So, I ended up having to make a few minor substitutions. I did not have unsalted butter, so I used salted butter and then cut down the amount of salt used in the recipe to a little less than 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Next, I used half and half instead of whole milk (it was either that or skim, and I thought half and half would turn out better due to the higher fat content). The batter was more dough-like and dense than normal muffin batter, so it was a little tricky to get it into the muffin cups. Just be aware that you may need to use a scoop and your fingers to get the muffin papers filled to the top. They are cooling right now, so I will let you know how they taste very soon!
The Result:
These are really good muffins. The texture is slightly crumbly, but still moist and flavorful. Despite the dense batter, the actual muffins turned out light. These are going to be perfect for a quick snack or a breakfast on the go. I will probably make this recipe again, since it meets all of my basic requirements...easy, quick, and yummy!
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
I don't really feel like typing today, so I am going to keep this really short and sweet. My son has decided to completely stop listening to anything I say, and I am running out of patience. In fact, he is sitting in "time out" as I write this. Sigh. Anyway, here is what I am making for dinner tonight...
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
I plan to pretty much follow the recipe, with a couple of minor exceptions. First, I don't have any unsalted peanuts in the house. I plan to use salted cashews instead. I think I will break them up a little so they are smaller, too. Then, since the cashews are salted, I will really have to be careful with how much salt I add to the recipe. I think I will just taste it, and see how it goes. Then, I plan on using chicken breasts instead of tenders. I think I will just cut the breast meat up into strips and proceed with the recipe as indicated.
Thai Peanut Chicken with Noodles
I plan to pretty much follow the recipe, with a couple of minor exceptions. First, I don't have any unsalted peanuts in the house. I plan to use salted cashews instead. I think I will break them up a little so they are smaller, too. Then, since the cashews are salted, I will really have to be careful with how much salt I add to the recipe. I think I will just taste it, and see how it goes. Then, I plan on using chicken breasts instead of tenders. I think I will just cut the breast meat up into strips and proceed with the recipe as indicated.
October 4, 2009
Chipotle Tamale Pie & Leftovers
I forgot to do a post for last night's dinner; so here I am, playing catch up again!
We needed to go grocery shopping so we decided to throw this casserole-of-sorts together and head out to the store after dinner. It was an exciting Saturday night, let me tell you!
Then this morning, we took the boy to the park to feed the ducks and play on the playground. The weather has cooled down some here in AZ, so it was actually pleasant to be outside. There was even a nice breeze! We had lunch at our favorite pizza place and stopped at the mall to get the boy some necessities (i.e. socks, underwear, and the like). All in all, our activities were not that exciting...but it was really nice to spend time together as a family. It won't be too long before our family outings will need to include a lot more planning and lugging a double stroller around everywhere. I am really enjoying this last little bit of time with just my son and husband.
Since we need to reorganize my son's closet to make room for his new purchases, I think we will just have this Tamale Pie again, as dinner leftovers. After all, it's very yummy and there is a lot left to go around. Why cook again if I don't have to????
Here is the recipe link to this dish:
Chipotle Tamale Pie
This dish is pretty filling on it's own, so typically I just serve this meal with a side salad and call it good. This is one of those dinners that is often requested at my house. Put a dollop of low fat sour cream on top and you won't be sorry!
We needed to go grocery shopping so we decided to throw this casserole-of-sorts together and head out to the store after dinner. It was an exciting Saturday night, let me tell you!
Then this morning, we took the boy to the park to feed the ducks and play on the playground. The weather has cooled down some here in AZ, so it was actually pleasant to be outside. There was even a nice breeze! We had lunch at our favorite pizza place and stopped at the mall to get the boy some necessities (i.e. socks, underwear, and the like). All in all, our activities were not that exciting...but it was really nice to spend time together as a family. It won't be too long before our family outings will need to include a lot more planning and lugging a double stroller around everywhere. I am really enjoying this last little bit of time with just my son and husband.
Since we need to reorganize my son's closet to make room for his new purchases, I think we will just have this Tamale Pie again, as dinner leftovers. After all, it's very yummy and there is a lot left to go around. Why cook again if I don't have to????
Here is the recipe link to this dish:
Chipotle Tamale Pie
This dish is pretty filling on it's own, so typically I just serve this meal with a side salad and call it good. This is one of those dinners that is often requested at my house. Put a dollop of low fat sour cream on top and you won't be sorry!
October 2, 2009
Jen's Double Breaded Pork Chops and Favorite Mac & Cheese
Here is the dinner that I intended for last night, but couldn't pull together. As promised, I feel better today...thanks to my little medical miracle pill. I still could not stand to handle the raw meat, so the hubs took care of making the pork chops while the boy and I made the mac and cheese. Steamed broccoli will round out our meal, and fulfill the much needed vegetable requirement at our house. I love this dinner! It definitely falls under the category of comfort food.
Here are the previous links to tonight's recipes:
Jen's Double Breaded Pork Chops
Favorite Mac and Cheese
Jen's Notes:
I did not make the full recipe of mac & cheese tonight. I only had half a bag of elbow macaroni left in my pantry, so I just decided to halve the whole dish. As it turns out, half of the recipe is still plenty for our little family. I am already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
Here are the previous links to tonight's recipes:
Jen's Double Breaded Pork Chops
Favorite Mac and Cheese
Jen's Notes:
I did not make the full recipe of mac & cheese tonight. I only had half a bag of elbow macaroni left in my pantry, so I just decided to halve the whole dish. As it turns out, half of the recipe is still plenty for our little family. I am already looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow.
October 1, 2009
Breakfast for Dinner
I ran out of my anti-nausea medicine today, and felt the wretched effects this afternoon. I thawed out some pork chops, hoping to make double breaded pork chops and homemade mac and cheese for dinner...but no such luck. The sight of the raw meat sent me running. I waited patiently for the husband to get home and nicely informed him that I was in no shape for food preparation. By this time, it was after 5 pm; so we had to come up with something super-fast and easy on the tummy. He ended up making scrambled egg, potato, and cheese, breakfast burritos. It ended up being a perfect choice for my sick belly...fairly benign, but still filling and yummy! The good news is that my doctor refilled my prescription by phone and I should have my meds by tomorrow morning. Hooray!!! Hopefully, I will be able to keep everything in check between now and then.
Jen's Chicken Pot Pie
I had a late afternoon doctor's appointment yesterday, and got home just in time to throw this pot pie together for our dinner. The good news is that my babies are doing great and growing like little weeds inside their haven. They were both hiding the "goods" so we couldn't tell what gender either of them are, but hopefully we will be able to try and peek again at my next appointment. I am always relieved when I get a good report from the doctor!
Since this was not a new dish, I am just going to post the link to my previous recipe. This is another family favorite, so I always look forward to having it.
Jen's Chicken Pot Pie
The only issue I ever have with this dish is that it is hard to get slices of pie out of the pan. It inevitably ends up getting mangled and never looks like a piece of "pie". The family and I decided we don't care what it ends up looking like on the plate, since it tastes so darn yummy. I guess you could avoid the mess by making individual pot pies. Either way, this pot pie recipe is fantastically comforting and delish!
Since this was not a new dish, I am just going to post the link to my previous recipe. This is another family favorite, so I always look forward to having it.
Jen's Chicken Pot Pie
The only issue I ever have with this dish is that it is hard to get slices of pie out of the pan. It inevitably ends up getting mangled and never looks like a piece of "pie". The family and I decided we don't care what it ends up looking like on the plate, since it tastes so darn yummy. I guess you could avoid the mess by making individual pot pies. Either way, this pot pie recipe is fantastically comforting and delish!
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