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!!

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.

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

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!