Breakfast cookies

I created this recipe in order to have something healthy and easy on hand for those hectic mornings.

1 c. (old fashioned) oats, pulsed into fine powder in blender or processor
3/4 c. oats
1/4 c. wheat germ (optional)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. pumpkin purée
1 medium banana, sliced
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. honey
2 eggs
Pinch salt
1/4-1/2 c. water
1/3 c. butterscotch chips (optional)

In blender, pulse 1 c. oats into fine powder. Transfer to mixing bowl; add remaining oats, wheat germ, and pumpkin pie spice. In blender add banana slices, vanilla, eggs, pumpkin purée, and salt. Pulse until banana is incorporated. Add a little bit of water and blend until smooth- you want the liquid to be about the consistency of a runny pudding. Add wet to dry and stir to combine. Drop dollops of batter about 3 Tbsp in size, and press with back of spoon to spread out in a cookie shape (these cookies don't rise and spread like traditional cookies). Bake about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool 10 minutes before eating or cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

For an even healthier option, replace the two eggs with 2 Tbsp. of unsweetened applesauce.

Twice-baked potatoes

My last post of twice-baked sweet potatoes had me thinking about twice-baked potatoes.  I love twice-baked potatoes - and aside from the amount of time they take, they are really very easy.  You can mix anything into the middle that you want - I usually keep it pretty simple.  What follows is my basic recipe.

4 mid-sized potatoes
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 c. shredded cheese, plus extra for topping
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 small onion, minced
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt

Wash and prick potatoes and then bake in the oven or in the microwave (I have a potato setting on my microwave, but it is usually about 15 minutes, or almost an hour in the oven).  Slice the tops off and scoop out the potato flesh, leaving about a 1/4 inch so your potato boats are sturdy.  Place the potato flesh into a bowl with the sour cream, 1/2 c. of cheese, butter, onion, salt and pepper; mash well and spoon back into potato boats.  Top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven (or until cheese is melted, bubbly, and brown).  Serve hot.

Twice-baked sweet potatoes

This is a recipe inspired by some of my favorite flavors and one of my favorite ways to prepare regular potatoes - twice baked.  Since the sweet potato packs the biggest nutritional punch for your money in the produce department, this is another great way to get them into your meal rotation.  It does take some planning ahead, since they take a while, but they are well worth it.

4 small to mid-sized sweet potatoes
1/2 a stick of butter (4 Tbsp.), sliced
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
miniature marshmallows

Wash and poke potatoes with a fork to pierce the skin.  Either bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes or microwave until cooked through (I have a potatoes setting on mine, but it's about 15 minutes).  Remove and slice off the top of each and scoop out most of the innards, leaving a boat (with about 1/4 inch of the flesh so your skins don't fall apart).  Place scooped out potato into a mixing bowl with butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt.  Mash well so ingredients are well mixed and butter is melted.  Scoop back into potato boats (it will be heaping full).  Carefully press marshmallows into the top of the refilled potatoes and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until marshmallows are browned and form a delicious, gooey crust on top.  Dig in and eat!

Hot ham and cheese party sandwiches

I made these for my son's second birthday party and they were a huge hit - everyone was asking me for the recipe.  Hint: make extra - they are a bazillion times more delicious as leftovers!

1 stick butter
2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1-12 oz. package of King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1/2 lb. black forest ham, finely sliced
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
2 tsp. poppy seeds
raspberry preserves

In a microwave safe dish, cube butter and add Worchestershire sauce, sugar, and mustard.  Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring often, until melted and well combined.  Leave rolls connected and slice through entire "loaf" to create a sheet of tops and bottoms.  Generously baste both sides of the rolls with the mustard glaze; layer with ham and cheese.  Place top sheet of rolls on top and baste tops with glaze.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake in 350 degree oven, tightly covered, for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, carefully slice, and serve hot!  Serve with warmed raspberry preserves on the side.

Oven stew

This is one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up.  It is simple and tastes phenomenal.  I usually serve it over cooked egg noodles.  It does take some planning ahead as it has to cook for 3 hours.

1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton's beefy onion soup mix
2 c. water

In a 2-quart greased covered-casserole dish, whisk together cream of mushroom soup, beefy onion soup mix, and water.  When thoroughly combined, add in stew meat, making sure to break up into individual pieces.  Cover with foil and then casserole lid.  Bake at 350 for 3 hours.  Serve hot.

Note: I don't like cream of mushroom soup, so I always make this with cream of chicken soup.  It doesn't taste weird, I promise, lol.

Empanadas

Most of you are probably familiar at least with what an empanada is - it is a folded pastry pocket with either a savory or sweet filling.  I discovered these while I was studying in Argentina and I love them.  Unfortunately, the only empanadas I have been able to find stateside here are nothing like the ones I grew to love while in Argentina.  Therefore, I was left to come up with my own.  I totally cheat and use crescent rolls.  Sue me.  Also, this recipe uses chicken, but these are equally delicious with ground beef.  The recipe originally calls for sliced green olives, but I omit those.  If they tickle your fancy, feel free to use them.

2 tubes crescent rolls
1 (rotisserie) chicken breast (from the deli), cooked and shredded
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten with 1 tsp. water (egg wash)

In a saute pan, melt butter; add onion and cook over medium-low heat until translucent and season with salt and pepper.  Add in chicken and stir to heat through.  Remove from heat and stir in paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and hardboiled eggs.  Spoon 1-2 tsp. of mixture into center of crescent roll triangle; fold over to create a pocket and press with a fork to seal the edges.  When all pockets have been formed, brush lightly with egg wash mixture.  Bake at 375 for roughly 20 minutes, until crusts are golden brown.  Serve hot.

Pumpkin chiffon cake

I am not a fan of pumpkin pie (*GASP*!), so I was excited to find this recipe.  I love pumpkin, but the custard of the pumpkin pie is just really too rich and heavy for my tastes.  I made this last year for Thanksgiving in lieu of a pie.  I was worried my dad would miss his usual pumpkin pie, but he loved this cake!  This gives you the same pumpkin flavor and spice from the traditional pie, but it's a much lighter dessert option.

1 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice (recipe follows)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs, separated, plus 5 egg whites, at room temperature
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 c. sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and pumpkin puree.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until smooth.  Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the remaining 9 egg whites at medium speed until foamy, about 2 minutes.  With the machine on, gradually add the sugar, increase the speed to high, and whip until stiff but still moist, about another 2 minutes.   Fold the whipped egg whites into the pumpkin batter carefully in four parts - fold each portion of whites in until no white streaks remain, being careful not to deflate the egg whites.  Gently transfer batter to a greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake until springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes.  Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.  If using a tube pan, invert pan after 5 minutes and allow to cool 90 minutes before removing from pan.  Dust with confectioner's sugar to serve.

Poppy-seed pull apart loaf

One of my favorite taste memories as a kid is this delicious bread loaf my grandmother's best friend used to make and bring to get-togethers.  Of course, as a child, I didn't like onions, so I tended to pick those out, but now, I love them!  I hope this savory side brings a note of warmth and love to your meals, too.

1 (large) loaf French bread
1 stick butter, softened
2 tsp. prepared (Dijon) mustard
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/4-1/2 cup minced onions
1-8 oz. package of sliced Swiss cheese

Begin by slicing a loaf of French bread, being careful to not slice all the way through.  Mix butter, mustard, poppy seeds, and onion in a small bowl and place a heaping teaspoon of the mixture in between each slice.  Place half of a Swiss cheese slice in between the slices and wrap in foil.  Bake on a sheet pan in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Serve hot.

I also found a recipe using these same flavors in a quick bread.  I have yet to try it, but I will post it here in case some of you get around to it before I do.

3 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/3 c. butter
1/3-1/2 c. onion, minced
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. prepared mustard

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a food processor; pulse a few times to combine.  Cube butter and add to processor bowl and pulse until mixture is crumbly.  Add onions, Swiss cheese, poppy seeds, eggs, milk, and mustard, and pulse until just combined.  Spoon batter in a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If bread starts to brown too much, tent loosely with foil after 50 minutes.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Grandma Jessie's potatoes

This recipe is very simple and yet very delicious.  The leftovers are great reheated as is, or put into a quick frittata.  If you wanted to shortcut this recipe, you could use some chunky frozen hashbrowns.  I usually cook one medium potato per person, so we'll do this as a four-serving recipe.  This recipe is special to me because it is one of the recipes from my husband's family, something he grew up eating.  It is also one of the first recipes my mother-in-law shared with me.  Grandma Jessie was actually my husband's great-grandmother, so this is a true heirloom recipe.

4 medium potatoes, peeled and largely diced
1 stick butter
2 Tbsp. (olive) oil
1-2 Tbsp. parsley flakes

Place potatoes into a saucepan and cover with cold water; cover with a lid.  Bring to a boil and remove lid - allow to cook for 20 minutes.  Drain potatoes and place into a baking dish.  Cube butter and sprinkle over potatoes.  Drizzle with oil; bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Toss with parsley flakes and serve hot.

Note: to infuse some extra flavor into the potatoes, use cold chicken stock instead of cold water to cook the potatoes.  This is a great alternative to mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

 

Guest contribution: Easy peasy (but oh-so-tasty) meatballs

This is from the same friend - she is a vegetarian, but regularly cooks meat dishes for her husband and daughter.  She doesn't eat the meatballs, but says she loves the sauce on cheese cubes!  Enjoy!

1 bag of frozen, pre-cooked meatballs
8 oz. grape jelly
1 jar Heinz chile sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar

Mix chili sauce, grape jelly, and brown sugar in a crock pot. Jelly wont mix in too well yet. Add meatballs and cook on high for 3 hours or until meatballs are done. Stir around a little and enjoy.

Note: My mom made some similar meatballs last year for a family get-together and used a small jar of cranberry sauce instead of the jelly.  She said it was delicious.  So now you really have two recipes!  And even though you use an entire jar of chile sauce, I have been assured that these aren't spicy in the least.

Guest contribution: Mediterranean brisket

My friend mentioned making this in a post on facebook - I was sold.  I love Mediterranean flavors, and I really don't know how to cook a good brisket, so when she agreed to share the recipe with me, I had to turn around and share it with you all!

1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c. dry red wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup kalamata (or other black olives) pitted and chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1-2 1/2 lb. piece flat-cut brisket, trimmed
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Place tomatoes, wine, garlic, olives, and rosemary in crock of slow cooker and stir to combine.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper to season.  Place brisket on top of tomato mixture and spoon half of it over the meat to cover.  Cover and cook on high until meat is fork tender, 5-6 hours.

Carefully transfer brisket to a foil-lined pan and tent loosely with foil, allowing to rest 10 minutes.  Skim excess fat from sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Slice brisket against the grain; spoon some sauce over the meat and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Note: to thicken the cooking juices left in your crock, mix 3 Tbsp. cornstarch in 1/2 c. cold water and stir into juices in crock.  Turn on high and cover.  After 15 minutes (enough time to let you meat rest and then slice it), you should have a thick and succulent sauce to serve with your meat!

Slow cooker beef stew

I kind of cheated on this one, lol.


1 lb. stew meat, trimmed
1 small onion, minced
3 small potatoes, diced
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 box frozen peas
1 12 oz. beer (I used a RedHook ESB)
2 c. cold water
1 packet Lawry's beef stew seasoning

In a 4 qt crock pot, put onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, and meat. And liquids and seasoning packet; stir well. Add peas, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6.

Slow-cooker beef, bacon, and lentil soup

Lentils are a great addition to your diet as they bring not only fiber but also vitamins and minerals to the table.  And, since they are pretty much a blank-canvas, tastewise, in my opinion, you can pretty much include them in anything!

1 1/2 c. dried lentils, washed and drained
5 c. cold water
8 oz. bacon, cut into lardons
1 lb. stew meat
1 large onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter OR olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. flour
2 c. warm water mixed with 1 tsp. beef soup base
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp. good vinegar (balsamic or sherry would be great)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground mustard

Brown the bacon in a skillet; remove bacon to paper towels to drain and discard most of the bacon drippings (leave just a tad bit in the pan to add flavor to the beef and vegetables!).  Turn the heat a little higher and sear the stew meat; remove to a plate to rest.  In the same skillet, without cleaning it out, quickly sear the vegetables, except the garlic, in the butter or olive oil.  When the vegetables have some nice color on them, stir in the flour, making a roulx.  Stirring constantly, allow the roulx to cook for a few minutes, otherwise your soup will taste like paste.  Then add in the salt, pepper, paprika, coriander, mustard and vinegar (standing too close when adding the vinegar will literally knock the breath out of you!).  Pour in some of the beef soup base dissolved in water to deglaze the pan (scrape all of that wonderful color and flavor off the bottom of the pan!), then combine everything in your crockpot.  Cook on low 7 hours or high for 3 hours.

Sidenotes: this recipe originally called for ground beef - I classed it up a bit with stew meat, but there is no reason you can't go back to just ground beef; the difference would be that the ground beef should be cooked completely before you put it into your crock.  A roulx is a mixture using (usually) flour or arrowroot (I've never used it) used to thicken sauces and soups; cornstarch dissolved in cold water is another technique for thickening a soup/stew or sauce.  As far as I'm concerned, they are interchangeable, as long as you know that cornstarch is ALWAYS dissolved completely in cold water before adding to a hot liquid, brought to a boil, and then allowed to simmer.  Flour and arrowroot are always added to some kind of fat in a hot pan and cooked off some before the liquid is added; to ensure that your roulx isn't lumpy, I recommend whisking as you add your liquid to the pan.  If you use a cold liquid, you deglaze your pan, pulling up all those lovely flavor notes from the bottom of the pan (as well as making clean-up easier as you've eliminated the need to scrub!).  Also, you don't need to cook/brown anything but the bacon (and ground beef, if using it) before adding it to the crock.  But the browning step adds a definite depth of flavor, so if you have the time, make sure you do it - you won't regret it!

Upside-down French toast

This is absolutely one of my favorite plan-ahead company's-here breakfasts.  It has to refrigerate overnight, so plan-ahead.  Also, it is super duper rich and filling.  I usually don't even serve anything else with it, although if we had a lot of people, I would probably make some bacon or sausage to accompany it.  I just make this with my traditional sandwich bread that I buy, but if you really want to class it up, you could buy some French bread and slice it up.  To make it even more rich and flavorful, use whole milk or a combination of milk and cream (or coffee creamer!).

1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
8 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
enough slices of bread to stack two high and completely fill a 9x13 pan

In the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex baking dish, melt butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg on stovetop and stir together.  Once the mixture is well-combined, remove from heat and allow caramel to distribute evenly along bottom of pan (you may need to don some ovenmitts and tilt the pan this way and that to help it along).

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until it is a well-combined custard mixture.  Layer bread slices two high on top of caramel sauce in baking dish - you will need to cut some slices of bread to ensure that the bread goes from end to end and side to side without any gaps.  Pour the custard over the bread, making sure to soak each slice.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until bread is golden.  When serving each slice, flip it over so the caramel sauce is on top.

Honey mustard glazed salmon

I love salmon, and I usually only get it when we're out to eat.  However, if there's a good price at the grocery store, I like to have a few tasty and easy recipes on hand.

2 salmon fillets (12 oz. total)
2 T butter
2 T dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey

Place frozen salmon fillets skin side up in a small baking dish lined with heavy foil.  Broil 4 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes.  Turn and broil another 5-7 minutes.  Brush with glaze, and broil until glaze is golden brown, approximately 3-5 minutes.

*For thawed fillets, broil 3-5 minutes, skin side up; flip, glaze and broil another 3-5 minutes.

Crispy parmesan onion chicken

A tweak on your basic chick parm recipe, courtesy of my new love of onions (thank you, pregnancy).

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (or 2 T each: parmesan, romano, and asiago)
small can of French's French fried onions

Combine mayo, pepper and cheese in a mixing bowl.  Slather on top of chicken breasts and press onions into mixture.  Bake loosely tented on a foil-lined sheet tray at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Note: not tenting (i.e. a piece of foil folded in half length-wise and just placed over the top) will cause the onions to burn.  Changes the flavor some, but also not a bad taste.

House dressing

I got this dressing recipe from my mother-in-law.  I first had it at her house one night for dinner and I couldn't get enough of it.  It is best made in a blender or a leak-proof food processor.

3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 tsp. dry mustard
5 Tbsp. honey
1 c. salad oil (I just use classico olive oil or canola oil)
1/4 c. white wine vinegar (I've also used red wine and raspberry vinegar)
dash of worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. minced onion
parsley
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients and process or blend until emulsified (the oil and mayo are no longer separated).  Chill 1-2 hours before use to let flavors marry.

Zucchini bread, by special request

So, I'm not much for baking, generally, because it tends to be very exact.  When I cook, I tend to play fast and loose with measurements.  In fact, almost all of my recipes are just guesses for measurements since I almost never actually measure anything in cooking.  However, baking??  Baking deals with chemistry.  Your measurements need to be precise so you don't totally screw up what you are baking.  But there is one thing that I always hit out of the park - quickbreads.  What's a quickbread?  A quickbread doesn't use yeast and therefore doesn't need to rise, making it quicker.

My friend's son is a picky eater.  In a bid to get him eating more vegetables, she is test driving the quickbreads with him.  Now, mind you, quickbreads can have a high sugar content, so they should not be relied upon as a sole source of vegetables.  But they are very tasty!!  So, by request from my friend, I bring you a recipe for zucchini bread (don't knock it 'til you've tried it)!

3 c. zucchini, unpeeled and shredded
3 eggs
1 c. oil (or 1 c. butter softened)
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; stir in zucchini.  Add in flour, stirring as little as possible to combine (over-mixing will result in tough bread).  Pour into loaf pans, filling only 2/3 full.  Place loaf pans onto foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Note: I usually get three loaves out of this recipe.  And if it weren't for the sheet pan, I'd also have one hell of a mess in my oven.  Do NOT skip the sheet pan, I'm telling you!!

Chimichurri

I first experienced chimichurri sauce in Argentina, while I was studying abroad.  Chimichurri is a sauce that is rumored to have been created by Jimmy McCurry or another similarly named person.  You can read the wikipedia article I linked there if you're curious.  There is apparently a green version, but I am really only familiar with the red version, which is the recipe I've included below for you.  This sauce is used on all meats, either used during cooking or afterward for dipping, and for anything else.  As a double whammy for you, I'm including my absolute favorite use for it - grilled half chickens.  Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. good vinegar (I like white wine or champagne vinegar)
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
salt
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.  Allow to sit for at least 1 hour prior to use.

 

Chimichurri chicken
1 whole chicken, bone in, skin on, halved (2 breast/thigh/leg halves)
1 batch chimichurri sauce
salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat a charcoal grill, using only about 15 briquettes and spread evenly into a thin layer once ready.  Gently slide your finger between the breast meat and the skin, being careful not to puncture the skin, and create a pocket down to the thigh joint.  Slide your finger under the skin covering the thigh from the side, again being careful not to puncture the skin.  Gently push the chimichurri down into the pockets using almost all of the mixture.  Spray or brush the skin with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and the remaining chimichurri.  Grill skin side down over low heat for about 22-25 minutes (chicken skin should be crispy and dark golden brown).  Oil back side of chickens, flip, and grill another 20-25 minutes.  Finger lickin' good!

Confused by some cooking terms?

When I first started cooking, an unfamiliar cooking term in a recipe was enough to turn me off from it.  As I've gotten more confident in the kitchen, I started feeling confident enough to tackle unfamiliar prep techniques as well.  Below are a few easy techniques that will add in understanding a recipe and getting the correct result from your food.

Chiffonade (chiff-uh-NOD) - cut into small ribbons.  For instance, I chiffonade fresh basil to top our pizzas every now and then.  You take your washed and dried basil leaves and stack them together.  Starting from one side, roll the stack up; placing the seam side down on your cutting board, start slicing through the roll of leaves.  You will have perfectly ribbonned herbs in a fraction of the time. Mediterranean stuffed chicken breasts

Lardon (lar-DOHn) - cut into small strips, usually refers to meats like bacon.  This is easiest to do with some kitchen shears - just take your slices of bacon and cut thin pieces across the strips.  If using a knife, this works best on very cold bacon.

Temper - to slightly warm an ingredient before adding it to a hot pan, reducing the risk of an undesirable texture, taste, or flavor.  This usually deals with eggs.  If you add eggs to a hot pan, you are going to start scrambling them.  Adding a bit of the cooking liquid slowly while stirring quickly will help to bring your cold eggs up to your cooking temperature without scrambling them. Bacon and eggs pasta

These are the three that come to the forefront in my mind because I just typed up some recipes using them.  If there are any more terms you'd like to have clarified, feel free to let me know!!

Bacon and eggs pasta (aka pasta alla carbonara)

This is one of my favorite Italian meals.  Before I really knew what pasta alla carbonara was, I used to make a fake version for my hubby and I; it consisted of frying up a bunch of bacon, cooking a pound of pasta, and using an entire jar of alfredo.  Definitely not a healthy meal choice!  This is true pasta alla carbonara, and us Americans may (or may not) be more familiar with the term bacon and eggs pasta.  Not every culture treats eggs as a breakfast food, and this is one dish that will bring eggs to your dinner table, instead of just your breakfast table.  Buon apetito!

1 lb. pasta
2 T olive oil
4 oz. bacon or pancetta, cut into lardons
4 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 large eggs
1 c. parmesan cheese
1/2 c. reserved pasta cooking water
parsley
black pepper

*Prepare sauce while pasta is cooking.

Cook pasta and reserve 1/2 c. of the water for the sauce (the starch from the pasta will help to turn runny eggs into a creamy sauce).  Heat oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat; cook bacon in oil for about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and parmesan; slowly add cooking water to temper eggs (prevent them from becoming scrambled when you add them to the pasta).

Drain pasta and add to pan, tossing quickly to coat pasta with bacon fat (about 2 minutes).  Remove pan from heat.  Add eggs mixture and toss quickly - the heat from the pasta will cook the eggs.  You should have pasta with bacon in a creamy "alfredo-looking" sauce.  Season with parsley and black pepper.  Serve hot.

Guest contribution: Slow-cooker ribs

This is a recipe from my friend.  She is so amazing, because she doesn't eat meat, but she dutifully prepares it for her husband and two-year-old daughter.  It is very hard to properly cook something if you don't eat it (and thereby taste what you have done to it), but she consistently hits it out of the park.  This is an easy meal for her to prepare and her husband absolutely loves it.

1 package ribs (you choice of cut, she used boneless country ribs)
1 bottle of barbeque sauce
1-12 oz. can of Dr. Pepper

Place ribs in crock and slather with 3/4 of bbq sauce and pour in can of Dr. Pepper.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Remove from crock and place on cookie sheet lined with foil; top with remaining sauce and bake at 350 until the sauce carmelizes (about 20-30 minutes).  Serve with your favorite vegetable as a side.

Sweet and smoky sloppy Joes

This recipe was inspired by my deep and abiding love for barbeque sauce.  I love the sweet and smoky flavors and how they complement just about any meat perfectly.  The carrot in the sauce, grated finely, melts away, leaving only a sweet background in the sauce but giving you (or should I say me?) some much needed vegetables.

1 lb. ground beef
1 small (sweet) onion, minced
1 large carrot, finely grated
1-8 oz. can (garlic) tomato sauce
1 heaping Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder

Put beef into cold high-sided skillet and break up to create one even layer of meat in the bottom of the pan.  Meanwhile, chop the onion and peel the carrot.  Add the onion and break up the meat some more; redistribute to again achieve an even layer of meat in the pan.  Grate the carrot over the meat and onion mixture, stirring well when finished.  Add the sugar, tomato sauce, and tomato paste and stir well.  Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to begin to thicken.  Add the spices and stir well.  Serve hot on buns.

Note: if you like spicier sloppy Joes, you could substitute chipotle pepper powder for the smoked paprika.  I think the next time I make this, I'm going to try a combination of the two, as I really love the flavor of paprika.  You could also add more black pepper and chili powder, as each form of pepper hits your tongue in a different place, thereby deepening the flavor.

Easy pizza dough

I've tried a few pizza dough recipes, and this is my new favorite one - the crust isn't dry and crumbly and if you make it thin (i.e. two pizzas from one batch instead of one), it gets deliciously crispy.

2 packets of dry active yeast (or 1 Tbsp., 1 1/2 tsp.)
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. warm water
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil

In a food processor with a dough blade, combine flour and salt.  Pulse a few times to mix.  In a large measuring cup or in a mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast.  Stir well and allow to proof for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add olive oil to food processor in a slow stream while running.  Turn off the food processor and add the water and yeast mixture in batches, making sure to pulse in between additions to combine well.  Once all water is added, pulse until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the blade (note: there shouldn't be very much loose flour along the bottom and sides.  If there is, pulse until excess flour is worked into dough.).  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead well for about 15 minutes - dough will become shiny and very elastic.  Form into a ball and put into a bowl drizzled well with olive oil, turn the ball all around in it to make sure dough is well coated.  Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm draft-free location and allow to rise at least 20 minutes (the longer it rises, the easier the dough is to work with to get a thinner crust).  Press into a sheet pan or onto a pizza pan.  Top as desired and bake in a 450 degree oven 12-20 minutes.  Allow to rest at least 5 minutes before cutting to avoid cheese that just slides off the crust.

Note: I usually turn my broiler on high for 5 minutes with the oven door closed before I start mixing.  Then, when the dough is ready to rise, I place the covered bowl in my oven that is still warm.  This helps the dough to rise, it is draft free and no one will mess with your precious dough (kids, husbands, etc.).

Easy (and I mean easy) enchiladas

One of my all-time favorite foods is enchiladas.  There is no end to the variations on the basic technique.  I almost always make mine with ground beef, though I recently tried them with chicken and they were fantastic.  I prefer the red sauce variety, so that is what you'll find here.  And you should know, I get my enchilada sauce from a mix packet.  Say what you will, but it is delicious!

1 packet (Lawry's) enchilada sauce seasoning packet
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
3 c. water
8 medium or house size flour tortillas
1 pound ground beef (or 2 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken)
2 c. shredded (cheddar) cheese

Whatever toppings you want

Combine the seasonings, water, and tomato paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes and stir occasionally.  Meanwhile, cook the beef and drain off the fat.  Add 2/3 to 1 c. of the enchilada sauce to the meat and 1 c. of cheese.  Stir to combine and melt the cheese.

In the bottom of a greased glass baking dish, spread enough sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.  Lay a sheet of wax paper down, and score the meat mixture into quarters in the pan.  Place half of a quarter (in other words, 1/8 of the total mixture) along one edge of a tortilla, roll it tightly and place seam side down in the dish.  Repeat with 7 remaining tortillas.  Top with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and golden.  Serve hot.

Can be prepared the night before to the point of baking.  When it comes time for dinner, just pop in the oven for about 30 minutes.  These also freeze well after having been cooked.  To reheat, bake for20-30 minutes at 350 and serve hot.  If you desire the chicken filling, I used chicken I cut off a rotisserie chicken I bought from the deli at my grocery store.  It was flavorful and juicy (and frankly, I'm too lazy to shred it - I just sliced pieces off of the breasts and then diced it).

Breakfast pizza

My mom found a recipe for breakfast pizza while I was in high school, I think.  So I've been eating it for a few years.  But her recipe was, no offense mom, just a little dull.  So, I've played around with it for a while, and I think that I've come up with a good and flavorful twist on it.  This is great to actually have for breakfast, to make and bake ahead for a quick weekday breakfast, or a great and different dinner.  (I'm a big fan of breakfast for dinner.  My husband?  Not so much.)  My favorite breakfast meat is bacon, but this would work with whichever breakfast meat you prefer.  If the meat is raw, cook it before using in the recipe.

9x13 pan, greased
2 tubes crescent rolls
8 large eggs
1/3 c. milk
1 Tbsp. Franks red hot sauce (more if desired)
6 slices bacon, cooked crispy (or 1/2 package of sausage meat, cooked and crumbled)
1/2 medium (sweet) onion, minced
1/2 c. shredded (cheddar) cheese
1 tsp. dill
salt
pepper

Press crescent rolls into bottom of greased 9x13 pan; ensure seams are closed to prevent egg leaking under crust.  Sprinkle onion and bacon on crust.  In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and hot sauce.  Gently pour egg mixture over crust.  Sprinkle with dill, salt, pepper and cheese.  Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes until crust is golden brown and egg is set in the middle.

Serve hot out of the oven, or allow to cool to room temperature.  Either way, it is delicious!

Black bean burgers

This is a recipe I got from a registered dietitian.  They are delicious substitutes for beef burgers, though you need to be very careful turning them.  To cook them on the grill, use foil or a heavy bottomed pan - do not cook directly on the grate - they will fall through and you will have a stinky burning mess...

• 2 cups cooked or 1 (15 ounce) can black beans


• 1 whole egg


• ½ cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs


• 1 teaspoon chilli powder


• ½ teaspoon cumin


• ¼ cup water


• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (or ketchup)


• ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)


• 2 cloves garlic


• ½ small onion


• About 2 tablespoons olive oil (if you are going to use the stove top)


• Whole wheat buns

1)      Mash the beans with a fork in a mixing bowl.  You don't want to puree them, just get them mashed so that no whole beans are left, but you should leave some half beans.

2)      Add the egg, bread crumbs, chilli powder, cumin, water, and tomato paste (and cilantro, if using), but don't mix yet.  Use a micro plane grater to grate the garlic in (a garlic press works well too.)  Use the large holes on a box grater to grate in the onion.

3)      Mix everything together with a fork, and then proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed (about a minute)

4)      Preheat the grill / or a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.

5)      Divide the burger mixture into 5-6 equal burgers

Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes per side, or until solid in center.  *Tip: to make better patties with your mixture, get two small bowls that will nest.  Line the inside of one with plastic wrap, put your bean mixture inside, fold the corners in and use the second bowl to form the patty.  Place patties in freezer for 15-20 minutes.  Patties will be firm enough to place on cook surface without falling apart

Just another note: my friend just made these for the first time and said that she formed them into balls, placed them in the frying pan, and then smooshed them down with a spatula she had sprayed with cooking oil.  Her method sounds much easier!!

A link to some quick help!

Have you ever ruined a meal?  I know I have.  I once oversalted something to the point where I thought I was going to shrivel up.  No good!  Today, Yahoo! posted 10 tips to prevent ruined meals.

You can check them out here.

Easy frittata

This works great as a meal any time, not just for breakfast.  It could also be partially prepared ahead (up until baking) and then baked off in the morning.  It is also very delicious as leftovers.  You could substitute some leftover pasta for the hashbrowns too.

1/2 package shredded hashbrowns

2 T (vegetable) oil

2 T minced onion

7 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. dill

2 tsp. Frank's red hot sauce

1/4 c. ham slices, minced

1/3 c. mozzarella

salt

pepper

In a high-sided, oven-safe skillet, heat 2 T. oil over medium high heat.  Add hashbrowns and onions, season with salt and pepper, press firmly with a spatula and let cook for 5-7 minutes.  Turn over in sections and remove from heat.  Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, dill, and hot sauce and whisk briskly.  Layer ham and cheese on top of hashbrowns and pour eggs over top.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake in skillet at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are fluffy and golden.  Serve hot, with additional hot sauce if desired.

Easy risotto

Creamy risotto depends on using a starchy rice and STIRRING your brains out - not adding cream or milk.  Also, this recipe works as a great base, so feel free to add your favorite mushroom or freshly grated cheese to add even more flavor.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

Half a medium onion, diced

1 1/2 c. arborio rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

4-5 c. (low sodium) chicken broth (can substitute one cup of dry white wine (sauvignon blanc) for one cup of broth)

In a large skillet with lid, heat oil and butter over medium-low heat; in a large saucepan, heat chicken broth.  Once butter is melted, add onion and still until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add rice and stir well to coat rice with fat; stir often over 10 minutes to toast rice.  When rice smells toasted and grains are solidly white, add in garlic, salt and pepper and stir well.  Add one cup of hot broth to pan and stir well - liquid should start to appear cloudy (this is the starch seeping out of the rice, this is what makes risotto creamy).  Stir until liquid is cooked out of pan and add another 1/2 c. liquid to pan, continuing to stir until liquid is cooked off.  Repeat process until 4 c. liquid have been used.  Test risotto to see if rice is completely cooked - if not, continue process.  Serve hot as a side dish to your favorite entree.

Note: it takes me about an hour to make this at our altitude, but it will probably take much less time (about 20-30 minutes) at sea level.

Chicken kebab marinade

So, this works best if you can let the chicken marinate for 6 hours.  I also used sweet onions, yellow peppers, and grape tomatoes on the kabobs.  And, as always, soak skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to avoid burning.

3/4 c. soy sauce

3/4 c. pineapple juice (or 1-6 oz. can)

1/4 c. cooking oil

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan. Simmer five

minutes. Cool before marinating chicken.  Marinate at least 4 hours in refrigerator.  If doing veggies, marinate veggies separately from chicken, as chicken can contaminate the veggies.  Skewer and grill for about 20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.

Wet burritos

I grew up in Michigan, where wet burritos are apparently pretty localized.  For those of you unfamiliar with wet burritos, they are your typical burrito, except they are smothered in a ranchero-type sauce and covered with cheese.

1 lb. ground beef, thawed

1 tbsp. oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 small onions, chopped

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 can Refried Beans

1 can tomato sauce + 1 can water

1 pkg Enchilada Seasoning Mix

1 Tbsp. cornstarch in 3 Tbsp. cold water

4 large (burrito) flour tortillas

1-2  bags Shredded Mexican or Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Lettuce, Tomatoes, Green/Red Sweet Peppers (optional)

Sour Cream, Salsa, Guacamole (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Brown ground beef in oil, garlic and onion.

Add Taco Seasoning and Refried Beans.

Sauce:

In saucepan, add tomato sauce, 1 can water, and Burrito Seasoning.  Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.

Slowly whisk corn starch mixture in tomato mixture until desired texture.

In bottom of 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 c. sauce.

Layer 4 large tortillas in pan....overlapping is ok.

Add meat mixture with a little sauce over it, even amounts of meat/beans over the four tortillas.

You may add veggies at this point or choose to have them on the side.

Roll burritos seperately.  First you fold in the sides, then roll it completely shut.

Pour remaining sauce on top, saturating the burritos.

Layer each burrito with a considerable amount of cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

***If you chose to have veggies on top, add them just before serving, or on the side.  Serve with your choice of sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.  You can also serve with tortilla chips for scooping up excess sauce and filling mixture.

Zucchini gratin

This recipe is my favorite with zucchini, though it also works very well with tomatoes.  You could also use different vegetables like eggplant or potatoes.  Gratin is just a technique and it translates very well to different foods.  Experiment!

4-6 zucchini, sliced

Olive Oil

bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

Italian seasoning

salt

pepper

Layer sliced zucchini in a shallow baking dish coated with olive oil.  Sprinkle over top with bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, and pepper.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.  Serve hot.

*If you use Italian breadcrumbs, you don't need to add Italian seasoning.

Mediterranean stuffed chicken breasts

I love Papa Murphy's Mediterranean chicken deLite pizza, and that definitely informed my creation of this recipe.  This is a delicious and light dinner option.  To make it truly like Papa Murphy's pizza, add some drained and chopped artichoke hearts.  I didn't have any on hand when I created this recipe, hence the omisison.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. (herbed) feta cheese

2 garlic cloves, shaved or pasted

2 slices sun-dried tomato, minced

1/4 c. raw spinach, chiffonaded

1/3 c. chicken broth

Extra virgin olive oil

poultry seasoning

salt

pepper

Drizzle 3 Tbsp. olive oil in skillet with lid over medium-low heat.  Shave garlic, mince tomato, and chiffonade spinach; combine garlic, tomato, spinach and feta.  Pat chicken breasts dry, then using a paring knife, slice a pocket into the thickest part of the breast, being careful not to slice through.  Stuff chicken breasts with feta mixture.  Season outside of breasts with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.  Place into hot skillet and allow to sit for 5 minutes before turning (should be a nice golden brown).  Allow to brown another 5 minutes, add broth, cover, and reduce heat.  Let simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.  Drizzle with olive oil and serve.

(Toddler) Cereal bars

I made these to have on hand as an easy snack or meal for my toddler for days when we need to get going right away instead of letting him laze his way through his usual 90-minute breakfast session.

1 1/2 c. oats

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

2/3 c. dates or dried cranberries, chopped

1/2 c. walnuts, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 c. orange juice

1 1/2 c. raw apple, shredded

2 Tbsp. wheat germ

Combine all ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes.  Press into 8x8 baking dish.  Bake at 375º until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Cut into bars while warm and loosen with spatula.  Serve hot for breakfast or as a snack.  **FREEZES WELL**

*Courtesy of wholesometoddlerfood.com.  Next time, I'm going to add a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.

Stuffed porkchops Florentine

In cooking and recipes, Florentine usually means something is in a cream sauce with spinach.  This is a great way to incorporate spinach into a meal plan without having to serve spinach alone as a side.  Also, whenever serving dark greens, like spinach, it is a good idea to season with some nutmeg, as this will enhance the natural flavors of the greens.

4 pork chops (bone in preferable)

1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and cooled, with all excess water squeezed out

1/4 c. asiago cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp. heavy cream (or milk)

1 egg

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. chicken broth

toothpicks

Pat porkchops dry with a paper towel, and slice into flesh opposite bone to create a pocket to stuff.  In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, cheese, cream, egg, nutmeg, and pepper - mixture will be very thick.  Stuff 1/4 of mixture into porkchop and thread toothpick through edge to seal.  Repeat for other three chops.  In a large oven-safe skillet with lid, sear porkchops over high heat (allow to brown about 5 minutes per side without disturbing - when chop is deeply golden brown, flip over and repeat).  Add broth to bottom of pan, cover, and transfer to 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes, until cooked through.

Easy and tasty vegetables

I watch a lot of Food Network.  It is family friendly (no swearing, no violence), educational (if you can't watch an hour of Food Network and learn something, you weren't really paying attention), and inspirational (they make some things, like souffle look so easy!).  As a self-confessed picky eater, I have to say that Food Network has definitely inspired me to be more adventurous when it comes to my vegetables.

The biggest tip I've learned from those tv chefs: roasting concentrates the sugars in the vegetables and brings out the natural flavors.  Roasting is easy and requires very little skill or prep and virtually no active cooking.  The only skill point you need to make sure you pay attention to is that you must make sure when chopping up the vegetables that the pieces are the same size, or else you will have some pieces underdone and some pieces burnt.

This is one of those technique things, so I'm not going to label it as a recipe.

Start by washing and peeling (if desired) your vegetables.  If it is something large, like potatoes, squash, or eggplant, break it down into 1/2 cubes.  In a medium mixing bowl, lightly drizzle your veggies with olive oil*, sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and any other seasonings.  The key to this is to remember that the vegetable is going to be the star, so you don't want to over season it; if you pick anything other than just the salt and pepper, thyme is a great choice.

Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a sheet pan and roast in a 350 degree oven for 20-45 minutes, depending on your vegetable; at the least, check them at 20 minutes and shake them around some.  You will know they are done when they smell fragrant, are browned around the edges, and begin to look a little wrinkly.

*Extra Virgin Olive oil has a burn point of 350 degrees.  If you want to roast at a higher temperature, you will need to use a different oil.

Broccoli cheese soup

I love broccoli cheese soup.  In fact, I love Panera's broccoli cheese soup so much that I would eat it weekly if I could.  No joke.  This recipe is so delicious (and easy!) that it definitely rivals Panera's.  And in the bread bowls that my grocery store sells, it's even got the same feeling as eating some Panera soup.  Eat on and enjoy!

4 c. chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 c. cream (or whole milk)

4 oz. shredded aged cheddar cheese

1 c. water

1/2 c. flour

1 Tbsp. onion, minced

1/4 c. carrot, finely shredded

1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 c. broccoli florets

In a large saucepan, bring broth, cream, cheddar, water, flour, onion, carrot, and pepper to a boil.  (For best results, whisk together flour and water in a separate bowl, then add to pot.)  Reduce heat to a simmer, and stir in broccoli florets.  Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Makes 4 servings.

*Note:  I also stirred in a hefty dash of white pepper and a parmesan cheese rind I had (the very tough part at the wide end of a wedge).  Even without, though, it's delicious

My relationship with food

I told you that I would write some more about my experiences with food.  In my family (namely my mother's family, my father's side isn't really all that close), food was a big part of our familial celebrations - holidays, birthdays, etc.  Each household would bring a dish every time we got together.  We typically had ham (my grandmother was a big fan of ham, I don't know why, that's just the way it usually worked out) if it was a holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving or burgers or hot dogs on the grill if it was a summer holiday.  Someone would almost always bring cheesy potatoes (I'll have to post that a little later) and there would inevitably be some kind of crackers and dip.  But the big focus was almost always dessert.

Who doesn't love dessert?  We'd usually have at least two desserts, sometimes more.  And if we were at my aunt's house, we'd usually congregate around the food.  Much easier for snacking, but much harder on maintaining healthy eating habits.  When I got to college, my eating habits did not improve, that was for sure.  Through the course of my undergrad studies, I gained about 50 pounds over 5 years.  I ate very few vegetables because frankly, in my experience, they were never prepared in a manner that made them tasty and I have issues with food textures.  In fact, when I was growing up, the only cooked vegetables I would willingly eat were potatoes and corn - not even the healthiest vegetables.  I'm proud to say that I eat many more vegetables now, but I'm still a pretty picky eater.

I would have to say that my biggest issue with food is that I eat my feelings.  Stressed?  Eat something (usually something sweet, ergo unhealthy).  Sad?  Eat something.  Bored?  Eat.  Happy?  Eat.  So you can understand how moving across the country by myself for a job and to be closer to my then-boyfriend-now-husband when he returned from deployment must have impacted my weight.  (If you didn't put it together, the weight went up.  By about 25 pounds.)  Now, my husband can pretty much eat whatever he wants, but as long as he is working out, he will lose weight.  Me, I struggle with weight loss.  I've tried portion control, calorie counting, increasing water intake, exercise, cooking more healthfully.  I still have trouble losing weight.  But I feel better about myself when I work out and then eat a balanced meal afterward.  Having a toddler and an infant, I need to be much more conscientious about my diet.  I want to be able to be active with my boys.  So I continue to work hard at losing weight and eating healthfully.

Do I still struggle with emotional eating?  Yes.  Will I always struggle with it?  Probably so.  But by cooking at home instead of eating out or always making a boxed or frozen meal (which are very high in sodium and other preservatives), I can control the quality of our meals and make food that is going to provide quality nutrition instead of a bunch of empty calories.

Macaroni and Cheese

I made this for our toddler, so I omitted salt and pepper from the cooking process.  Also, since I used Parmesan, you would need significantly less salt, as it is a very salty cheese.  I used 1 1/2 c. cheddar, 1 1/2 c. Parmesan, and 1 c. cubed American.

1 lb elbow macaroni

1 stick butter

1/2 c. flour

1 c. milk (plus additional, if needed)

1/4-1/2 c. sour cream

1 Tbsp. (dijon) mustard

4 c. cheese

Breadcrumbs (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Thyme (optional)

Cook macaroni 3-5 minutes shy of al dente.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish and preheat oven to 350º.  In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; whisk in flour.  Continue whisking until roux turns a golden brown (this is important, otherwise your mac and cheese will taste like flour); slowly whisk in milk, continuing to whisk to break up lumps.  When mixture is smooth, add in sour cream, dijon, and salt and pepper.  Using a spoon, stir in cheese and continue stirring until mixture is smooth and melty - you may need to add more milk to create a thick sauce.  Drain pasta completely and transfer to baking dish; pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine.  Sprinkle top of pasta with breadcrumbs (if you want a crunchy top) and season lightly with thyme.  Bake for at least 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

To reheat, moisten slightly with chicken broth or milk and microwave in 45 second intervals until desired temperature is reached.

First menu sampling

Well, I promised you all that I would share some of my menus, in addition to recipes and experiences.  A little more on the experiences later.  But for now, I wanted to share with you some sample menus.  I'm not tacking any recipes onto this one, but if you're interested in having a recipe for a particular meal/dish, just let me know and I'll be sure to post it as soon as I can, rather than just whenever I come across it in my binder.

(I run my menus from Monday to Sunday)

Monday: meatloaf and green beans
Tuesday: pork tenderloin and sweet potatoes
Wednesday: spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad
Thursday: fish and fries
Friday: pizza (I did tell you that we mostly do pizza on Fridays!)
Saturday: sandwiches
Sunday: macaroni and cheese and leftovers

Note: when I do a porkloin, I usually buy the biggest one I can find because I know my husband likes to take some for lunch and I usually like to re-purpose some of the meat into carnitas (pork tacos) or pork fried rice, or use it to add a twist to gallo pinto (pronounced guy-o peent-o), which is one of my most favorite easy recipes ever.

Monday: chicken and broccoli
Tuesday: pelmeni, Polish sausage and peppers
Wednesday: porkchops, corn, and couscous
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: pizza
Saturday: fish and fries
Sunday: (out to dinner)

Note: I was pregnant from when these two menus were done and I love, love, loved fish and fries.  So it showed up on our menus a lot.  God bless my husband for not complaining!  Plus, it helps that the meals weren't repeated too closely  together ;)  Also, pelmeni is a Russian meat and chive dumpling, traditionally boiled in beef broth and served with a heavily dilled sour cream sauce.  I buy them frozen from a Euro deli here in town.  If I ever find a recipe for them, I'll post it, but frankly, I'm too lazy to make my own from scratch when the ones I can buy are so darn tasty!

Monday: hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw
Tuesday: sweet and sour hamballs and rice
Wednesday: salmon and zucchini gratin, salad, garlic bread
Thursday: stuffed chicken, couscous, peppers
Friday: porkchops, cheesy baked faro, peas
Saturday: steak, baked potatoes, corn, salad
Sunday: pizza

Note: faro is pearled barley.  This is a really hearty recipe (one I will for sure be posting) and it is delicious the first time and even more so as leftovers.  It is a healthier option than just plain old macaroni and cheese, but is close enough that you could fool some picky eaters with it.  Hamballs are made with a savory pork loaf that I have only been able to find in Michigan where I grew up.  They are delicious and scrumptious and I was seriously bummed when I moved to Colorado and discovered that pork loaves are not available everywhere.  Thankfully, my parents drive out a few times a year to see us and always bring out pork loaves with them.

And one last menu on this entry, for good measure.  If you have a large freezer, you could shop for the bulk of this entire menu sampler and just get your produce weekly...

Monday: gallo pinto
Tuesday: pierogi, pelmeni, Polish sausage, peppers
Wednesday: ham, sweet potatoes, zucchini gratin
Thursday: salmon/rice/green bean packets
Friday: lasagna, salad
Saturday: pizza
Sunday: linguine alfredo, salad

Note: for the pierogi, I just buy the box of the Mrs. T's frozen pierogi from my grocery store.  Also, anytime you see peppers on my menu, I'm just julienne-ing them (slicing them into thin strips) and carmelizing them in just a bit of oil - they add a sweet dash to any meal and are a great way to get extra nutrients into your diet.  A well-rounded diet, any nutritionist will tell you, will consist of a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables.  I tend to favor the red, orange, and yellow peppers as they are sweeter.  I always remove the ribs and seeds so they are easier to eat (those stupid seeds stick in your teeth!) and you don't have as much heat as you do just pure flavor.  Nine times out of ten, if you see alfredo in my menu, it's just a jarred sauce.  Lastly, the fish packets?  Super duper easy prep and clean up.  I will for sure post a recipe of them.  Promise.

I hope these four sample menus give you a clearer idea of how I rotate some of my favorite meals in with others so I don't bore my husband to tears with our dinners and also keep our diets better rounded than they used to be.  Also, I should mention that when I grocery shop, if I can, I buy the bulk of our food for two weeks, so that I don't have to do a complete grocery trip every week.  So I will menu-plan for two weeks, and buy the meat portion of eat meal at that time.  Then for the second week, I just have to buy our produce for the week and some other odds and ends.  It doesn't always work out that way, but when I plan ahead like that, we waste far less money throwing out produce that has gone bad before we can use it.  Happy planning!

Pizza Dough

We really like pizza in our house.  In fact, we typically eat pizza once a week.  It was my go-to food while pregnant both times, the one thing that was guaranteed to sound delicious when nothing else did.

1 1/2 c. warm water
1-1/4 oz. packet active dry yeast
5 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Olive oil

Stir the yeast into the warm water in a small bowl until dissolved.

Whisk together the salt and flour in a large bowl.  Stir in the yeast/water mixture until a soft dough forms (if dough is too dry, add more water 1 Tbsp. at a time; if dough is too wet, add more flour 1 Tbsp. at a time).  Transfer dough to a floured work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.  Transfer to a bowl drizzled with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place for 2 hours.

After two hours, uncover dough and punch in middle.  Divide into three equal parts and transfer to three smaller, oiled bowls.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise another hour.

Refrigerate for up to 1 day (or freeze for later use).

To use, spread on pizza stone or pizza pan, parbake at 425 for 5 minutes and top as desired.  Bake 15-20 minutes; allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

To make herbed pizza dough:

Stir in 1 tsp. each oregano, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder into flour before added water/yeast mixture.  Follow rest of recipe as usual.  For more flavor, brush exposed crust with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt after baking.

Easy Chicken Breasts

This is an easy and quick recipe I use as a go-to.  There is minimal prep and minimal dishes to do afterward.  Always a plus.

4 chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Poultry seasoning
Chicken broth
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste (little can)

Drizzle large skillet with a 4-count of EVOO. Turn heat to low-medium. Season both sides of chicken breast with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Put into pan and leave to carmelize (about 5-10 minutes) before turning. Allow to carmelize another 5-10 minutes on side 2. Once good carmelization is achieved, add tomato paste to pan. Add 12 ounces (fill up the tomato paste can twice) of chicken broth and use spoon to break up tomato paste. Cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce is reduced almost by half.

Mozzarella stuffed meatballs

This is one of my favorite and easy recipes.  You can serve these giant meatballs with pasta, on a sandwich roll, or just by themselves in the sauce.  They are pretty filling, and they reheat well.

2 lbs bulk sausage, or sausage links (uncooked), casings removed
12 pieces bocconcini, cherry size (fresh mozzarella balls packed in water, available in the cheese case)
1-28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1-8 oz. container pesto
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove bocconcini from water to drain.

Drizzle sheet pan with evoo.

Remove sausage from casings and create one ball of meat in a bowl (if using links). Score meat into quarters (to ensure meatballs are same size). Divide each quarter into thirds. Put one mozzarella ball into sausage meat and form a ball around it. Roll the meatball in the oil and arrange on sheet pan. Repeat until 12 balls are formed. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Empty tomatos into sauté pan; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with evoo. Add pesto and stir to incorporate. Spoon over meatballs when finished.

Serves 4

Sneaky Pete meatballs

I call these Sneaky Petes because I sneak some vegetables in that I otherwise would never eat cooked, due to texture, lol.

2 pounds ground meat (for Pietros (or Italian meatballs) I use a pound of Italian sausage (casings removed) and a pound of ground pork or chicken (or you could just use 2 pounds of Italian sausage)

2 medium carrots

1 large onion

2 large garlic cloves

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained well

1 Tbsp parsley flakes

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2-2/3 c. milk

1/2 c. breadcrumbs (I use plain, so I also add 1/2 t. oregano and 1/2 t. basil, but you could just use Italian breadcrumbs)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley flakes, egg, and milk.  Grate in carrots, onion, and garlic.  Mix and add in spinach.  Combine with meat, using hands, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Form meatballs using about 2 Tbsp. of mixture.  Fry lightly in a skillet over medium heat to brown sides and remove to foil- or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Finish baking in 350 degree oven, about 20-30 minutes.

Great in Italian wedding soup, spaghetti and meatballs, or any other place you would use meatballs.  You can also just bake these off in the oven (turn halfway through).  Can be frozen after baking and used as you would pre-packaged meatballs

What is menu planning?

Menu planning is pretty self-explanatory, but I'll elaborate just to satisfy your obvious curiosity.  A menu is a listing of offered meals.  A plan lays the steps proposed to complete a task.  So menu planning is laying out a listing of meals.

Simple, right?  But it can seem a little daunting to get started on menu planning for your family at first.  I originally started menu planning because I got sick of the meal rut we were in.  It seems like I made the same dishes week after week, and frankly, I was sick of it.  I scoured the internet for a program or site that would do this for me, but there was nothing that really worked for me.  And it is much easier for me to cook off of a paper in front of me, rather than running back and forth to a computer screen.  I'm also, like many Americans, overweight.  My doctor and the nutritionist I saw (once) told me that I need to add more vegetables into my diet.  Well, duh.  I know that.  But it's hard to eat vegetables regularly when you don't really like too many vegetables.  Add into that the fact that we have a toddler and I just had a baby two months ago and I am currently nursing, and it becomes even more important to add those vegetables into our diets.

Menu planning makes sure that I rotate through my vast store of recipes and that we eat a balanced diet.  It also cuts way back on our grocery spending because I know precisely which meals I am going to be cooking over the week.  That means that I make fewer trips to the store, which results in less impulse buying (which is a challenge for me).  I also can plan out how best to use my coupons in conjunction with the store sales and store coupons to maximize savings.

So, if menu planning sounds like something you'd like to capitalize on, keep reading.  Now that I've explained how I see menu planning, let me tell you my method.

First of all, I have a three-ring binder I use to hold my recipes.  I use page protectors so that I can remove the recipe from the binder and have it on the counter-top while cooking; I can wipe it clean when I'm finished and place it back in the binder.  I use a composition notebook (so the pages won't fall out as easily as from a spiral bound book) to map out my weekly menu plan.  Along the left-hand side of the page, I list the days of the week (M, T, W, R (for Thursday), F, Sa, Sun), skipping two to three lines between days.  I list the entree and the side or sides, one on each line.  Some of the days I plan something that I've been craving (Mexican food, comfort food, etc.) and other days I plan based on what is on sale at my store that week or what I have coupons for (or better yet, something that is on sale that I also have a coupon for!).

I also plan meals for the week based on difficulty or time to prepare.  For instance, Mondays are usually bad days for my husband because it is the first day in his work week and he usually gets bogged down in meetings until fairly late, so I will usually plan a meal that is easy to prepare, takes a minimal amount of time to cook, and produces the least amount of prep-work dishes to wash.  Wednesdays I usually watch my friend's daughter for her, so I plan meals that require very little active cooking on my part.  And Fridays we generally have pizza because, well, we really like pizza and it's fairly simple to do.

When it comes time for me to go grocery shopping, I first evaluate my food situation.  I have specifics that I like to always have on hand just in case I get bogged down or some unforeseen eventuality happens which calls for a quick and easy dinner.  These staples for me are pretty standard in most cookbooks and simple recipes too, so it helps to keep them on hand.

• bread


• eggs


• milk


• chicken broth


• pasta


• pasta sauce (red and Alfredo)


• onions


• potatoes


• butter


• margarine spread


• olive oil


• vegetable oil


• shredded cheese


• bread crumbs


• canned tomatoes (diced, pureed, sauce, paste)


• frozen chicken breasts


• tortillas


• lunchmeat


• rice


• canned beans

Once I've evaluated my staples, then I consider the store ads to see what is on sale.  As I am making my menu, I try to plan a different protein each night for dinner, so we usually have chicken, beef, pork, and fish each week.  Sometimes I will have ground beef and then a pot roast or a steak in the same week, so if I do that, I try to space them apart.  I plan a vegetable to go along with each meal (sometimes I just do a simple steamed vegetable, sometimes I'll do a gratin or something else that requires more prep and planning), or if I'm doing something like lasagna or tomato-based pasta, I'll forgo the vegetable because of the sauce.  Once I plan the menu out, I consult the recipes to see if there are any special ingredients I might need or spices that I have run out of (my standard spice rack: basil, oregano, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, thyme, tarragon, chili powder, paprika, kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, steak seasoning, poultry seasoning).

I also generally plan one day for leftovers or re-purposing of one of the previous meals (i.e. if we have pork loin one night for dinner, I'll plan on carnitas later in the week, or turn leftover meat loaf into a tasty and quick meat sauce for pasta).

I would say that since I've started menu planning, I've cut our grocery bills each month by about $100-$200, if not more.  So if you are interested in my menu-planning experiences, stick around.  I'll be posting my menu plans, some of my favorite recipes, and even some of my favorite food memories.  I hope to see you around!