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DinnerTime Web Archive 2009 August
| Home Cooking is the Best, When you know how to cook of course!!!!!!! by Karen August 31, 2009 | | Turkey Wings, Cabbage, Yams, and Brown Rice | | | | Easy Sloppy Joes by Teri Jo August 30, 2009 | Ok, so Sloppy Joes aren't hard to begin with but these tasted soooo yummy!
Ingredients:
4 burger patties*
1 can tomato soup
1/3 cup ketchup
1 T mustard
1/3 cup brown sugar
onion powder, to taste
Directions:
Defrost the burgers in microwave for 60-90 seconds. Crumble into pot, brown and drain. Return meat to pot. Add soup, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Mix well and heat through. Serve on hamburger buns.
*Ok, so a pound of any ground beef will work, however, in trying to save money we have recently discovered that buying a 20 lb box of patties is cheaper than buying regular ground beef. And OMG, the added flavor these patties have is amazing! Worth a try at least. | | | | Tuna & Bowtie Salad by Judy August 29, 2009 | Had to stretch dinner to accommodate a guest - what to fix?
Made this salad tonight - yummy!
Added lots of veggies from the garden.
Tuna & Bowtie Salad
Bowtie pasta, cooked
2 cans tuna (packed in water, drained)
1/4 - 1/2 c. balsamic dressing (start out with a small amount - the pasta will absorb some. Add more later if it needs it)
1/4 - 1 c. each: (depending on what you have on hand, and what's ripe): chop in 1/2" pieces: tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, chopped onion, blanched green beans. Green olives
Chill and serve on a bed of romaine.
We served it with red grapes.
Next time: use red onions??
Enough leftover for lunch tomorrow - will add more tomatoes! | | | | Stove Top Lasagna by Robyn August 28, 2009 | For the past week or two, I've been eyeing a box of whole wheat lasagna noodles that have been in the back of my pantry for who knows how long, but I haven't felt motivated to make a full on lasagna. So tonight, I tried making it on the stope top - it was pretty good! Certainly not as good as my usual recipe, but it's definitely repeatable!
I used 1/4 lb extra lean ground beef plus 1/4 cup re-hydrated TVP. In a large skillet, I sauteed the beef / TVP with half of a yellow onion, diced; half of a green bell pepper, diced; some shredded carrots; garlic; and half box of frozen spinach (tossed it in frozen - didn't bother to defrost and squeeze dry like most recipes call for). Once the veggies were tender, I added a can of garlic and herb spaghetti sauce, 2 cups of water, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and 6 oz lasagna noodles broken into little pieces. Brought everything to a boil then reduced heat a little and covered. I kept it at a nice simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes (until the noodles were cooked and the liquid was absorbed). I then stirred in 1/8 c parmesan and 1/4 c mozzarella cheese until melted. I then removed the pan from heat and topped with an additional 1/4 c mozzarella and 1/8 c parmesan; covered until cheese had melted. It would have been great to have some ricotta to put on top too, but I didn't have any...next time! | | | | Tuesday Dinner by Virginia August 25, 2009 | | Salmon - of course - what else would we eat in August? Lots of lemon pepper, walla walla onions from our garden, butter and lemon juice. Yum! Add to that some sauteed green beans with onion, garlic and zucchini - a very good dinner. Top that with some Bogle petite sirah and fresh raspberry pie for dessert. A perfect dinner! | | | | kelley by Kelley August 25, 2009 | Steamed shrimp
Grilled summer squash and zucchini | | | | Steak by Lara August 23, 2009 | not a big at home steak person - but hubbie was SO excited to grill some steaks.
so we had costco's sirloins with some really yummy mushrooms simmered in red wine and butter!, garlic and olive oil cous cous, grilled pineapple, salad, steamed broccoli and carrots.
big dinner... i'm stuffed!
(for the record, this is hubbie's portion... mine had to be thrown back on for a bit, i don't like mine MOOOOOO'ing!) | | | | Holy Mole! by Becky August 22, 2009 | Do you ever have enough coincidences happen to you that you are sure the universe is trying to tell you something? Trying to give you a hint about which direction to take? I suppose we all experience this; some people say God is talking to them, others believe in kismet, yet others in intuition. I don't know what it is but I try to listen. Whatever it is, it usually knows what it is talking about.
Last week we went out for dinner and my friend ordered Chicken in Mole Sauce. It was not a rich, thick mole like I have had in the past; it was a little thin and slightly insipid, IMHO. To me a mole should be robust and complex. This tasted like the chef watered it down (to stretch it? to stretch the budget? to cater to bland American taste?). However, it brought mole to my mind, for a moment.
This moment was totally forgotten until watching the finale of Top Chef Masters, during which the chefs were challenged to cook the "meal of their lives" - literally, an autobiography in food. Rick Bayless, chef of Frontera Grill and Topolobampo in Chicago, created a Black Mole to represent the dish that made him decide to be a chef. The judges waxed poetic about this sauce, and it seemed they truly understood how it had inspired Chef Bayless to embark on his culinary career. He said it has taken him 25 (?) years to perfect, which I believe completely, given the nuances of a truly good mole (which I am certain I have never really enjoyed).
I recently watched a cooking show where a restaurant chef showed the viewer how she makes mole sauce, with a combination of 18 exotic ingredients in prodigious amounts. The sheer complexity of the resulting sauce is a culinary masterwork! To attain perfect balance of spice, sweet, richness, and bitterness is a difficult feat.
It is with these hints from the universe that I humbly sought direction to undertake my first mole. I found a recipe in a recent issue of Bon Appetit (another subliminal hint), that gave instructions for a pared-down version. Simplified, yes. Simplistic, no. It might need a little tweaking, but not 25 years worth, to be improved a bit. It may not win any culinary competitions, but it won us over tonight.
I served it over grilled chicken with quinoa and garlic-braised chard on the side. I originally intended it to be served with pork tenderloin, but we had the chicken leftover, and it was delicious. I cut the original recipe in half and had 4 times what we needed for this meal. I plan to freeze the rest - good thing it was tasty!
Quicker Mole Sauce
Bon Appétit | May 2009
3/4 pounds onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 large garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 ounces dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed
1/2 ounce dried negro chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed
1-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 cups orange juice
2 tablespoons raisins
2 3 x 1/2-inch strips orange zest(orange part only) - I think a little less would be better
3/4 teaspoons dried oregano - I used Mexican oregano
1/2 3.1-ounce disk Mexican chocolate, chopped - a must! Some reviewers said they used half the chocolate; I added half and though the flavor was wildly out of balance. The full amount is necessary.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add almonds, garlic, cumin, and coriander. Sauté until nuts and garlic begin to color, about 2 minutes. Add chiles and stir until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.
Pour chicken stock and orange juice into saucepan with onion mixture. Add raisins, orange peel, and oregano to saucepan. Cover and simmer until chiles are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; add chocolate. Let stand until chocolate melts and sauce mixture cools slightly, about 15 minutes.
Working in small batches, transfer sauce mixture to blender and puree until smooth; return to reserved pot. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. | | | | Chorizo, Potato, and Egg Burritos by Robyn August 22, 2009 | I found WIC-approved chorizo at Wally World...9 oz for $1.00. No brainer! (Just don't read the ingredients list...)
So tonight, we had chorizo, potato, and egg breakfast burritos (for dinner, natch).
To try and cut down on the fat, I only used 3 oz of the chorizo (froze the other 6 oz) and made some additional "soyrizo" by mixing 1/4 c re-hyrdated TVP with a little white vinegar and some of this dry chorizo spice mix I bought a long time ago but had never used.
We scrambled three whole eggs and three egg whites into the chorizo, and then stirred in some frozen hashbrowns.
We had enough for about four burritos. They were really good (tasted just like a Fili B's burrito to me), though I have a lil' heartburn now.
Cheap and easy. Not the healthiest meal ever, but we did what we could to help with that. I'm sure it's a thousand times healthier than Fili B's... :-/ | | | | Grilled Chicken Legs by Lara August 22, 2009 | it's the best part, right? me and my kids seem to think so. grumpy dad played along.
grilled corn on the cob from the farmer's market, baked beans and a biiiiiiiig salad - ala seinfeld. ;p | | | | Mini Chicken Pot Pies - Super Easy by Lynn August 20, 2009 | Ingredients
1 can flaky layers refrigerated biscuits (8 biscuits)
1 can Campbells Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder (Healthy Choice)
shredded cheddar cheese
spreadable butter/marg.
garlic salt
1. Heat oven to 375F. Lightly spray muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Place 8 biscuit halves in sprayed muffin cups, pressing to cover bottom and sides.
2. Drain about 50% of soup and store in refrigerator if desired. Spoon drained soup evenly into biscuit-lined cups. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
3. Place remaining biscuit halves over cheese and tuck down the edges into the cup. Spread butter/marg. over the top and sprinkle with garlic salt.
4. Bake @ 375F for 15-18 minutes or until edges are golden brown. To remove from pan, run knife around edge of pies.
5. ENJOY!!!! | | | | Clams Kokkinisto by Robyn August 19, 2009 | This is one of our favorite dinners; we make it often. I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com but have modified it slightly. According to the original recipe, it's supposed to be Greek.
1/4 c onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T olive oil
1 can peeled, diced tomatoes, un-drained
1/2 can tomato paste (put the other half in a snack-sized ziploc, label it, and freeze it)
2 cans chopped or minced clams, 1 drained the other un-drained (I freeze the juice from the drained can in a ziploc bag - it's about 1/2 cup, which is perfect for another seafood pasta recipe I make with a white wine sauce)
2 bay leaves
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and clams. Season with bay leaves, crushed red pepper, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until tomatoes turn deep red in color. Stir in one additional tabelspoon of olive oil towards the end of cooking time. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Serve sauce over whole wheat linguine noodles and top each serving with a little sprinkling of feta cheese (the feta is a MUST)! | | | | GRILLING by Dineen August 18, 2009 | | STEAK ON THE GRILL CORN ON THE COB STUFFED MUSHROOMS AND A BAKED POTATO WITH BUTTER SOUR CREM BACON AND CHEDDAR CHEESE | | | | Leaping Frog Chicken by Becky August 18, 2009 | (Note: No frogs were harmed in the preparation of this chicken.)
I finally had the opportunity to catch up on my Gourmet magazine reading while on a recent camping trip, and found in a recent issue the recipe for Leaping Frog Chicken:
http://tinyurl.com/nrwk6x
Actually, it was not the recipe that caught my eye initially, but the instructions for the ingenious method of cutting the chicken and laying it flat, so as to resemble a frog. It's fairly simple, really, involving only a few cuts, and creates an interesting presentation, as well as flattening the chicken for easy grilling.
I created my own herb and spice paste with fresh garlic and cilantro, coriander seed, Mexican oregano, chipotle powder, and olive oil, and stuffed the majority of it under the chicken's skin. Then, following the directions, placed it on the grill. The recipe mentioned the possibility of flare-ups, but did not say that the neighbors would likely suspect a 4-alarm fire! Smoke billowed out from my grill and flames leapt up (maybe that's the 'leaping' part?) as the chicken fat rendered out and the olive oil dripped down. Meanwhile, the breast meat dried to a crisp while the legs stayed rare and the skin charred.
Best grilled chicken ever? No. I'm sticking with the Joy of Cooking's recipe. Although I still think this is a nifty way to cut a chicken. Maybe I'll put it in the oven next time. After I remove the smoke alarm batteries.
| | | | BBQ Chicken Pizza and Salad with Buffalo Wing Sauce by Robyn August 17, 2009 | Pizza and wings - sorta.
I found 100% whole wheat pizza crusts at Wally World - woo hoo! - so I decided to make some BBQ chicken pizza. I threw a frozen chicken breast in the oven to bake while I did a little house cleaning. When it was done cooking, I shredded the chicken and stirred in a little bottled hickory-smoked BBQ sauce - Kroger brand - just enough to moisten. I then spread a little more BBQ sauce over a pizza crust. I spread the shredded chicken over the sauce, and then topped with sliced red onions, 1 piece of cooked crumbled bacon, and some mozzarella cheese. I baked for about 10 minutes - just long enough for the cheese to melt. I sprinkled some chopped, fresh cilantro on top before serving. It was very good, and a nice change of pace. I think next time I'll add some diced, fresh jalapeno....because we like everything to be spicy around here...
For the salad, I used romaine and various diced veggies. Poured over a little light ranch and some bottled buffalo wing sauce (Anthony Spices brand). | | | | Monday by Dineen August 17, 2009 | | Nothing Make your own Dinner I'm tired | | | | August 16, 2009 | | | | | Sunday by Dineen August 16, 2009 | | spaghetti and Meatballs Italian bread and salad | | | | Dinner by James August 16, 2009 | | Egg Fried Baby | | | | almost-spring lamb by Chris August 15, 2009 | Sweet little medallions of lamb, grilled
accompanied by a warm salad of tomato, home grown spinach and eggplant, feta and almonds (substituting for pinenuts)
roll on spring | | | | Sat by Dineen August 15, 2009 | | Baked Ham-Yams-Mashed potatoes -Corn- Salad- and Stuffed Mushrooms | | | | Tofu Scramble and Brown Rice with Veggies by Kris August 15, 2009 | one third package of extra firm tofu
about a cup of frozen veggie mix (this time i had bell peppers, broccoli, snow peas and asparagus)
a cube each of choped onion and chopped green onion (i keep these in my freezer in ice cube trays)
a bit of olive or sesame oil. whatever you've got on hand will do, really
a half cup of brown rice
frying pan
pot for rice
put your rice and water into the pot. follow package directions and bring it to a boil.
once it's boiling put the frozen veggies into it and put a lid on it.
continue package directions.
for the tofu scramble,
put the amount of tofu you want onto a plate and press it with a paper towel to get some of the water out.
mash it gently with a fork until it looks like really chunky scrambled eggs.
put the oil and the minced garlic into a frying pan and let it heat up. it should sizzle a litt,e but not reach the smoke point.
throw your seasoning in and let it melt down.
this should be at a medium heat or else it'll burn.
when everything is nice and soft,
put your tofu in and scramble it just like you would eggs.
when the rice is ready, drain it and mix the whole shebangm put it in a big bowl, season as you like, and stuff it in your face.
i like that vietnamese red rooster sauce, personally.
or crystal hot sauce.
mm, tasty.
oh, tonight i just used a coupld tablespoons of newman's own sesame ginger dressing. i live on that stuff lately. | | | | 1-2-3 Chicken Provencal by Becky August 14, 2009 | I have a confession. I am a reality TV addict. I especially like shows that depict real people in absurd circumstances and let the fur fly, a'la The Real Housewives of Wherever. However, I also hold a fondness for some of the reality competition shows (which, as my husband asserts on a regular basis, are actually just a new form of game show), such as Top Chef and Big Brother (which is like a cross between the Real Housewives and Top Chef... sorta).
Another of these programs is The Next Food Network Star, where they narrow down a group of contestants week by week ostensibly to find a new cooking show host. The only star to come out of this show thus far is Guy DiFieri, the backward-sunglasses-wearing dude who is better as the host of the travel show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives than his own cooking show, imo.
This past season on TNFNS (sorry, it's too much to type), the winner was a housewife and mother whose culinary point of view was "family cooking at its finest," and aimed to "provide food lifestyle solutions and approachable recipes for today's families." One of the "food lifestyle solutions" (WTF is a food lifestyle solution????) that she claimed to have invented was what she called Flexible 4-Step Chicken. As it turned out, it's just sauteed chicken breast with a pan sauce. Ahem, I'm pretty sure she did not invent that.
However, if she can go on a cable network game show - er, reality program - and claim to have invented sauteed chicken and give it a snazzy name, I will introduce you to my very own Food Lifestyle Solution. I call it 1-2-3 Chicken, because it is a mere 3 steps: brown the chicken, build a braising liquid, and simmer in said lovely braising liquid. Flavor it how you like.
Tonight's selection was Chicken Provencal (ish, I didn't get the right kind of olives):
Brown chicken parts in a large skillet over medium high heat. Remove to a plate.
Saute garlic briefly in pan. Add herbs de Provence along with seeded chopped plum tomatoes, a few minced anchovy fillets, a little white wine, and some chicken stock.
Transfer chicken back to pan. Lower heat, cover and simmer until chicken is done.
Stir in capers and chopped cured olives. Adjust seasonings.
Enjoy!
(This is also how I make curried chicken - think onions, curry, coconut milk, and cilantro to finish. Use your imagination, and 1-2-3 - Chicken!) | | | | Creamy Pesto Pasta by Lara August 13, 2009 | creamy pesto pasta with some sauteed onions, mushrooms and chicken.
side salad of left over farmer's delivery items.
side veggie of farmer's delivery cauliflower, carrots, sunburst squash and garlic scallions.
toooooooooooooooob crescents (that's for laura) and iced tea for me! | | | | Cod and Corn Chowder by Becky August 12, 2009 | While eating tonight's dinner, the above-mentioned Cod and Corn Chowder, my husband turned to me and said, "This would be even better with a little truffle oil." Huh? Who are you and what did you do with my Campbell's soup-loving husband? Where did you get that idea?
We do enjoy good food but we're not uber-gourmet. Leave the fois gras and mache for someone else; I will take a really good, authentic tamale anytime. I'd rather eat homemade macaroni and cheese than anything coined 'molecular gastronomy'. Give me a pork chop, hold the caviar, I say. I enjoy using new ingredients and combining flavors in interesting ways, but I am not a trend-seeker, nor am I interested in pushing the envelope too much, in my cooking or dining.
My favorite restaurants are holes-in-the-wall places without table cloths, where the service is adequate but not impeccable and the best-dressed patrons are wearing jeans. To me, these places show the true soul of the food. Without white linens, wine stewards, and pedigreed chefs, all that's left is the food. And it better be good. Someone better say it is like their mama used to make. It had better be tasty, well-seasoned, and show that whoever's cooking really loves food.
A friend once told me the story of interviewing for a job as a food demonstrator at Trader Joe's, a position that required creativity and a true love of food. The interviewer asked her to tell about her fantasy meal. She waxed poetic about a feast on a Costa Rican beach, with several courses using local ingredients, seafood, tropical fruits, and decadent desserts. After going on for some time, the interviewer cut her off, laughing, saying he was just trying to get a feel for her feelings toward food. He told her about a past candidate for the position who had told of a dish called "Yucky Chicken" - chicken dredged in flour and pan fried, then covered in gravy. Needless to say, he did not get the job.
So where Scott got this idea for truffle oil to scent our soup, I am not sure. But I am sure that he loves food nearly as much as I do.
Cod and Corn Chowder
Chop a couple of slices of bacon and fry until crisp in a large dutch oven. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
In the bacon fat remaining in the pan, saute a chopped leek and a chopped rib of celery until slightly softened.
Add a couple of diced potatoes and the kernels of four ears of corn.
Add dried thyme, white pepper, and salt to taste.
Pour in enough stock (I used a combination of shrimp and chicken stocks) to cover the vegetables. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 8 minutes.
Puree a portion of the vegetables using a hand blender if desired, to thicken the soup.
Add bite-size pieces of cod or any mild white fish and a splash of half and half. Heat gently until the fish is cooked, about 5 minutes.
Adjust seasonings.
Enjoy with a drizzle of truffle oil if you are feeling frisky. | | | | baked barra by Chris August 12, 2009 | Brisbane sits on Moreton Bay, and is home to some spectacular seafood. Unlike other Australian cities, we don't have a central fish market. Morgan's sits right on the Scarborough peninsula, just north of Redcliffe. The drive is worth it, though long enough to stop us doing it very often.
We bought beautiful barramundi, filleted and skinned. Barra is a firm white flesh with a sweet tropical flavour.
I baked the fillets in a mix of tomato, celery (stalks and leaves), olives, onions, lemon and parsley.
It was good. | | | | Chicken Sausage Dogs by Lara August 12, 2009 | costco chicken, spinach and garlic sausage dogs.... yummmmmers!
very fresh garden salad from my farmer's delivery today as well as grilled corn on the cob! :D | | | | Stuffed Anaheim Chiles with Sauteed Green Beans by Robyn August 12, 2009 | Due to a family emergency, my boss and her husband had to unexpectadley leave town. She had just gone grocery shopping and didn't want her fresh veggies to go to waste, so she brought them in for me and my group members to split. I got a couple of anaheim chiles from the pile - something I would normally only have on hand for a specific purpose (like homemade chile rellenos, which are surprinsingly easy [and delicious] if you know the "trick," but that's for a different day...). However, since Josh and I have been on such a pepper kick lately, I knew I'd figure something out.
So in the end, I steamed them (steamed them whole, then cut off the top, then in half and dumped out the ribs and seeds) and then stuffed them with a mixture of:
- 1/4 lb italian sausage (used 95% lean ground beef and the Don Mauer sausage recipe)
- 1/2 cup brown rice (the 1/2 cup is the pre-cooked measurement; cooked the rice separately)
- Veggies sauteed in spray olive oil (diced celery, shredded carrots, diced red bell pepper, and a little onion and garlic)
- half can of El Pato spicy tomato sauce (you find this in the Mexican food isle - it's got a yellow label and is in Spanish).
- Tapatio hot sauce
- I honestly can't remember what I used for seasonings, though I'm kind of thinking I didn't use any...there are plenty in the italian sausage and I didn't want competing flavors I guess (course, hard to remember exactly what I was thinking a couple of days ago).
I generously stacked some of the mixture on top of the four halves of anaheim chiles. (I say "on top" because the chiles really didn't hold their shape after steaming [not that I'm surprised - the walls aren't as thick as bell peppers], so they were really just slabs of chiles on a plate, which was fine with us!)
I then topped each stuffed chile with the remaining El Pato sauce, a little shredded 2% sharp cheddar, sliced green onion, and sliced black olives. The looked very pretty, but we had to eat in a hurry and then run out the door, so I didn't get a pic.
These were VERY spicy (because of the El Pato plus Tapatio - Anaheims aren't very spicy), but the cheese, green onions, and black olives helped to cut the heat. I think if I make these again, I'll add some black beans and corn to the stuffing mixture. I'll also combine the El Pato sauce with a can of regular tomato sauce to make it less spicy and give us more sauce. As I made it, we had probably more than half of the mixture left over (which Josh later enjoyed with a spoon), so I'll have to be sure to load up on a bunch of chiles next time I'm at the grocery store. The addition of corn and black beans would stretch it even more. I think the rice mixture will freeze well, so that would give us a couple dinners another time.
We ate fresh green beans on the side (sauteed in olive oil with garlic, salt, freshly ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper).
Josh LOVED IT - while he was eating, I think he said "this is so good" about three times, and again after dinner - so I know it's a keeper. That kid loves everything he puts in his mouth, but rarely talks about it that much.
So there you have it - super good, super cheap*, super easy, super healthy. Repeat? Yes please! :-)
*I only buy ground beef when it's the super lean stuff (no, it's not dry. yes, it's still delicious) when it's on sale for $1.77/pound (Whaaaaaa? I know - it's a steal). I try to buy a minimum of 4 pounds (more if I can afford it) then break them up into 1/4-pound increments, wrap in foil, and freeze. If you make your dinners creatively with a lot of veggies and healthy-carb-based fillers (brown rice [not instant], whole wheat pasta, pearl [not instant] barley) and perhaps some beans for additional protein, I've found 1/4-pound is more than enough meat for most meals. When I'm making something like spaghetti with meat sauce and 1/4-pound just wouldn't cut it, I add some TVP instead of more ground beef - we really can't tell the difference. | | | | Italian Sausage and Barley Soup with a Green Salad by Robyn August 11, 2009 | Ok - what is it again with me and the winter food during the middle of summer?
Tuesday's craving was for soup. Don't ask.
So again, did the homemade Italian sausage (Don Mauer recipe; 1/4-pound 95% lean ground beef), a can of diced tomatoes (un-drained), one can of pinto and one can of black beans (drained and rinsed), some fresh veggies sauteed in spray olive oil and water (sliced celery, sliced carrots, diced onion, minced garlic, diced bell pepper), more veggies from the freezer (more sliced carrots, peas, corn, half box of chopped spinach, and green beans), 1/2 cup pearl barley, two or three cans of water (using the tomato can), couple beef bouillon cubes, italian seasoning, and a bay leaf. Brought everything to a boil, then covered and simmered on low for about an hour while we went to the gym.
When we got home, we chopped up some romaine and veggies (mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, carrot, radishes [new to our repertoire]) for a huge salad. Topped the salad with bottled roasted red pepper salad dressing (a random gift from Josh's grandma -- old ladies give the weirdest gifts....).
It was delish and pretty healthy - other than the sodium-laden bouillon cubes and preservative-friendly bottled dressing. Josh loved the soup, which is great, because I love making all kinds of soup during the winter (and apparently, summer) months - he used to hem and haw when I'd suggest soup, but I think I'm slowly winning him over with the idea! (Victory will be mine....muahaha!!)
| | | | Lemon Tarragon Chicken---Hi, Fellow DTers! I Haven't Posted in Forever by Caitlin August 10, 2009 | | Until I saw Lara's recent note/offerings, I had forgotten that I was part of this group (though I didn't see my name listed just now...perhaps I need to re-add myself?) At any rate, tonight was lemon tarragon chicken as the main event. The chicken is first cooked, then set aside while the sauce is made, then further poached in the creamy sauce. I made a humble vegetable as accompaniment: Garlic green beans. Steamed the green beans first, then tossed them around in the pan with garlic and olive oil for a few minutes. A very easy meal, though the sauce requires care. It would have been more healthy if there weren't real cream in the sauce, but such is life :) | | | | Tonight's delights by Scott August 10, 2009 | Vine ripened tomatoes
Fresh green beans - steamed with butter and lemon glaze
baked sweet potatoes
vine ripened cucumbers in a salt, vinegar and water bath | | | | Lunch: sandwiches with olive tapenade by Robyn August 9, 2009 | | 100% whole wheat sandwich bread topped with turkey lunch meat; garlic cream cheese spread (cream cheese, touch of mayo [both light, of course], garlic, and green onion); olive tapenade (diced green, black, and kalamata olives mixed with olive oil, balsamic, and fresh garlic); some of our side salad (romaine, red onion, sliced carrots, bell peppers, and jalapeno with italian dressing); and a slice of pepperjack cheese. Better than store-bought or restaraunt food. | | | | BBQ Chix by Lara August 9, 2009 | lovely dinner of BBQ chicken on the grill... yummy red potatoes roasted with garlic slivers and olive oil... garnished with parsley and FRESH scallions at the end and a delish garden salad.
oranges for dessert! | | | | Spaghetti Casserole by Robyn August 9, 2009 | | Took a recipe I got from Miss Kristi Grafton and modified based on what I had on hand. For the sauce: TVP "italian sausage" (used the AMAZING italian sausage recipe from a low-fat cookbook called "A Guy's Guide to Great Eating" by Don Mauer - the cookbook calls for lean ground beef), can of spicy italian spaghetti sauce, diced green bell pepper, minced jalapeno, shredded carrots, garlic, sliced mushrooms, and celery. Layered with whole wheat spaghetti noodles and 2% sharp cheddar cheese. Garlic bread on the side. No veggie side tonight because I'm tired, but thankfully there were plenty of veggies in the casserole. | | | | Grilled Salmon by Lara August 7, 2009 | hubb grilled our usual salmon on his lovely grill this evening - came out delish! we don't have a fish basket yet - so he did it on a foil mock up plate. dotted some butter and dashed some dill and it was FAB!
grilled up some HUGEMONGOUS zucchini. it was on a table at our local pool. the owner said we could have it - so the kids were wicked excited to grill it up! LOL! i don't think they realized it was really real until they ate it!
regular ol steamed rice on the side -- whole family ate it up!
mic'd smores to finish off the meal. | | | | Ribs -n- Rice by Becky August 7, 2009 | My childhood was pretty much the end of the era of the door-to-door salesman. While I don't have memories of the Fuller Brush man visiting, I do remember my parents buying me a set of children's encyclopedias from a traveling salesman. And while we did not have milk delivery in my rural neighborhood as did some of my friends who lived in town, we were regularly visited by the Schwann's truck.
Now, if you are not familiar with Schwann's, it is a company that delivers frozen foods on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, or whatever) to your home. As a single parent, my dad saw great potential in the convenience of frozen foods, not to mention the deliciousness of Schwann's ice cream, which was premium before the days of modern premium ice cream.
When my dad decided to sign up, the local Schwann driver paid a visit and sat down to show my dad the wide selection of fare. They agreed on a schedule and a protocol that involved my dad filling out an order form and leaving it for the driver, who would let himself inside using our secret hidden house key and put the goodies away in our freezer. Who knows how the payment happened - this was in the days before everything being paid with plastic, so I am guessing either my dad had credit with the Schwann man or he left a blank check. Seriously. I mean, if you're going to show the guy where your secret hidden house key is, you might as well give him a blank check, too.
Anyway, one of my favorite Schwann dinner items were the barbecued ribs. They came in a plastic tub of sauce that you dumped out and heated up all together. We always ate the ribs with plenty of rice to soak up the sauce. Last week I bought some pork ribs on sale and put them in the freezer, so today ribs and rice sounded just right.
I decided to make them in the crockpot, which I've never done before. I looked online to see if anyone had ever ventured to do such a thing, and found many variations. Immediately discarding the ones sauced with concoctions of grape jelly and coca cola (no lie!), I developed this variation:
Crockpot Pork Ribs
Cut a slab of ribs into sections of 2 or 3 ribs.
Put in crockpot with enough barbecue sauce to coat (coat, not cover - there is a difference!) and a small amount of water.
Cook on Low all day or High for half the day if you're like me and didn't plan ahead.
Serve with rice, drizzled with some of the sauce/juice. If you want to get extra fancy, fold some chopped parsley and cilantro into the rice.
Follow with neapolitan ice cream if desired.
Wax sentimental. | | | | Butter Pecan Cupcakes by Monica August 7, 2009 | | Talk about Southern comfort!!! Cupcakes for my friend's birthday. | | | | Vegetarian Chili by Robyn August 6, 2009 | | Who craves chili in the middle of the Phoenix summer?? THIS girl! BUT, we'd just had burgers the night before, so I decided to make it a vegetarian chili (to limit our red meat intake, donchaknow). I used my favorite new product - TVP (textured vegetable protein - trace fat, lotsa protein - it's the same stuff they use to make veggie soy crumbles in the frozen food section - only a thousand times cheaper). Also added green bell pepper, red onion, shredded carrots, garlic, fresh jalapeno, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, red wine, and lots of spices (chili powder, cumin, Tapatio, basil, oregano, thyme.....and that might be it....). It was SOOO good - tasted just like my normal chili, but virtually fat free (sauteed the veggies w/ a little spray olive oil and some water). Had a side salad with a lots of veggies (bell pepper, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, and shredded carrots) and a little olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. | | | | Jalapeno Burgers with Habanero White Cheddar by Robyn August 5, 2009 | | Josh made us some 95% lean burgers topped with sauteed red onions, sliced jalapenos, and a slice of habanero white cheddar cheese on top. Got the cheddar from Whole Foods - it was surprisingly NOT as hot as I'd hoped; it tasted just like regular ol' pepperjack. Oh well, still made for a good burger though :-) We served the burgers on 100% whole wheat buns and served some homemade french fries on the side (sliced potatoes brushed with a little olive oil and baked). | | | | Pesto Salmon and Parmesan Risotto by Robyn August 4, 2009 | | We sprinkled some salmon fillets with lemon pepper and then baked. Topped each fillet with a little store-bought pesto. Was craving risotto, so we picked up a box from the natural food section at Bashas'....it wasn't bad!! Next time, I'll try making it from scratch...got a great-looking recipe with gorgonzola and roasted pine nuts! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.... very quick and easy dinner - veggie tray on the side, natch. I'd do it all over again :-) | | | | Chicken Flautas by Meredith August 3, 2009 | | Chicken Flautas, Frijoles a la charra, & Tomato-Avocado Salad | | | | Solomon Grundy by Teri Jo August 3, 2009 | Was looking for something to make with ground beef on allrecipes.com and came across this. Added a drop biscuit recipe...also from allrecipes.com and came out with a major win!
Ingredients:
2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c milk
2 t butter, melted
1 lb. lean ground beef
garlic powder, to taste
onion powder, to taste
black pepper, to taste
2 cans beef vegetable soup
1/2 can water
Directions:
In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In small bowl, combine butter and milk. Add to dry ingredients. Mix until combined.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, while biscuits are baking, crumble ground beef into pot. Add garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, as per your tastebuds, while meat is browning. Drain.
Return meat to pot, add both cans of soup. Fill one can half full of water, pour into meat mixture. Heat through.
Tastes excellent over the biscuits....also great with mashed potatoes! I'm sure it'd be awesome with noodles or rice, too. | | | | Orzo and Chicken by Lara August 3, 2009 | two thumbs down. terrible dinner. even threw out the leftovers.
why post? because this app is hurting for input and i thought i would just post and say, hey... they can't ALL be gems, right!?
first time making orzo. my daughter and i saw 'little miss new boobs' on food network make a springy orzo thing that looked SO easy and not too bad. boy was i wrong. here's the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/lemon-herb-orzo-recipe/index.html
talk about a snooze fest. neither of the kids liked it. i even used chicken stock instead of water. AND i added some parmesan on top - what kid doesn't like that, right? meh. that is the best description of this recipe: meh.
chicken i marinated in S&P and olive oil. grilled it on my panini press/grill. meh. i think i may have pounded them too thin... not good.
bummer. this whole meal was a let down and TONS of dishes to clean up! i didn't bother photographing.
meh. | | | | hello? by Lara August 2, 2009 | | *echo* | | | | Sandwich Night by Monnie August 2, 2009 | | Salami, Pepperoni, Capicola, Bacon and Cheese wrap. | | |
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