Sticks to Your Ribs

Prime Rib and Beef Stew

2012-01-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

The story around my absense isn't the greatest excuse but hopefully it will shed some light.

First, I do cook some of the same things over and over since they are easy, after work recipes. I don't want to clutter up with repeats.

Second, we spend all of Christmas Vacation with multiple sicknesses in this house. That led me not to eat much or cook much.

When I finally pulled my head out of the sand, I made a wonderful New Years Eve meal of Prime Rib:

Recipe: The Pioneer Woman

And scalloped potatoes:

It was heavenly and the first real meal I had (and wine) in over a week.

Then I started playing with my new favorite toy from Christmas, my new Multi Cooker.
I love that you can saute right in the unit, and not have to fiddle with another pan OR moving the insert to the stove and back. Here is how this recipe went down:

First I sauteed the onions and garlic, then added a few tablespoons (about half a can) of tomato paste and some flour.

Then I started adding chicken stock and beef stock:

Plus any herbs and spices. You can barely tell in the photo but it's bubbling right there in the unit!

After all that I added the beef:

This recipe called for the veggies to be in a foil packet so they didn't mush and lose shape:

(Forgive my shortcut of pre-cut carrots but getting a meal into the slow cooker before work plus entertaining a toddler? HAHAHAH)

I found this method genius and it made me think of a time my mom was making potato soup. She makes her chunky, not pureed, and she went to stir the soup and said "Where did the potatoes go?!" They had disintegrated into the soup as they cooked. Why do I remember that? No idea.

I placed the packet on top of the meat mixture and set the timer for 10 hours on low:

Here is what the veggies looked like when I was ready to mix them into the stew base.

I mixed it all together and let it sit for about 30 minutes while I did my normal after work whirling dervish routine.

This was a good recipe, but it was missing a little something. I am sure I was too rushed in making it and will have to sit and look it over before making it again. I found it in the Slow Cooker Revolution Book that I got for Christmas!

You really can't go wrong with anything by America's Test Kitchen.

I will try to get better about posting what I am cooking. I may branch out into showing some of my tried and true methods, and how in the world I feed a growing boy!

Anything you would like to see on here as we start up the new year?

Tortellini Soup

2011-12-18T12:07:00.001-08:00

I am going to keep this short and sweet.

Why?

Because I want you to write down the ingredients, get off your butt, and go get what you need to make this soup NOW.

It's that good.

Recipe found at 365 Days of Slow Cooking
Italian Tortellini Soup

Basically you brown the meat and onions

I did this by putting the insert of my crock pot on the stove. I wasn't worried about damaging it because then that means i can get this..

I used my iPad as the cookbook, which was fun

Then you add the rest of your ingredients (minus the pasta)

Then just let it cook. An hour before you want to eat, add the pasta... it results in this:

It was so good that everyone at the table was burning their mouths rather than waiting on it to cool down because they wanted to keep eating it. It was also a hit with Logan, who's portion was cooled down and I made the pasta smaller for him.

It's even better the next day.

Now... GO!

30 Minute Chicken Parmesean

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

When I get home from work, putting together a meal that is ready in time for us all to eat is a bit of a whirlwind. This meal was a product of what I had on hand and how to make it interesting!

First I flatted the chicken:

Then I sliced fresh mozarella and placed it in the middle:

Then I rolled them up, sprayed them with cooking spray and sprinkled bread crumbs on top and bottom.

I popped them into a 425 degree oven and moved on to the sauce.
At this point, I started the water for pasta.
Then I sauteed onion and garlic in a sauce pan and added a jar of simple sauce:

By the time the pasta boiled and the sauce simmered, the chicken was done (almost exactly 30 minutes!)

I put it all on a plate and whala! Semi-fancy weeknight dinner!

Logan loved it and it was very filling and healthy.

What are your go-to weeknight dinners?

Weight Watchers Recipes

2011-11-17T15:43:00.001-08:00

Now that I am on Weight Watchers (which is going pretty well), I wanted to make easy recipes that made everyone in the house happy and didn't feel like diet food.

This week we tried 2 different ones.

First was Chicken Tostadas

3 spray(s) cooking spray
4 small corn tortilla(s)
8 oz raw lean ground chicken
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp table salt
1/2 cup(s) canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup(s) salsa, verde
1/2 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, chopped, divided
1/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, sharp-variety
8 tsp reduced-fat sour cream
1 medium plum tomato(es), diced
1/2 medium avocado, diced
1 tsp fresh lime juice

Instructions
   * Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
   * Place tortillas on prepared pan; bake until crisp, about 6 to 8 minutes.
   * Meanwhile, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken, garlic, cumin and salt; cook, breaking up chunks of chicken with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes.
   * Next, in a bowl, mash beans and salsa with a fork until well-blended and most of the beans are mashed; stir in 1/4 cup cilantro.
   * To assemble pizzas, spread 1/4 bean mixture over each tortilla (slightly less than 1/4 cup); top each with about 1/3 cup chicken mixture and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon cheese. Bake until cheese melts and topping is hot, about 3 minutes. (Broil pizzas to brown cheese even more, if desired.)
   * Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together tomato, avocado, remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and lime juice.
   * Remove tostadas from oven and top each with 2 teaspoons reduced-fat sour cream and about 1/4 cup avocado mixture.

I didn't bake the tortillas - I just put them in a wet paper towel in the microwave and it steamed them.
I also used black beans instead of pinto beans.

This was SO good and very satisfying for 6 points per tostada

Then I tried the Beef Fried Rice with Fresh Ginger

3 spray(s) cooking spray, divided
2 large egg(s), lightly beaten
12 oz lean sirloin beef, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup(s) low-sodium soy sauce, divided
4 cup(s) packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed
2 Tbsp ginger root, fresh, grated, or less to taste
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 cup(s) cooked white rice
1/2 cup(s) scallion(s), sliced
1 small jalapeٌo pepper(s)

Instructions

   * Coat a 12-inch or larger nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Add eggs; tilt pan so that eggs cover bottom. When eggs start to set, break them up into pieces with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat until eggs are cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove eggs to a bowl; set aside.

Rinse skillet or wipe it clean; coat with cooking spray and heat over high heat. Add steak to skillet; toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Stir-fry until browned, about 6 minutes; remove to bowl with eggs.
Add coleslaw mix, peas, ginger and garlic to same skillet; stir-fry over medium-high heat until coleslaw mix is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in cooked rice and remaining soy sauce (1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon); reduce heat to medium and cook, tossing, until heated through, about 1 minute. Gently stir in cooked egg, steak and scallions; heat through. Yields about 1 3/4 cups per serving.

Again - very good. I don't think I got the skillet hot enough and the coleslaw mix got a little soggy but I liked the idea to mix in relatively tasteless veggies so that you get more bang for your buck. This one was a 9 point meal.

I haven't had any wine since Sunday night. Lee is grilling tonight so I may splurge and have a glass. It's about 5 points per glass so I have to use flex points, but that's ok. What else are they for?

Pork Chops and Asparagus

2011-10-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I must say I made a dinner of epic proportions.

And I don't mean the portions were too big...

I made Breaded Pork Chops with Dijon Asparagus.

Here, in a few photos, is how it turned out:

This is a really easy meal - and pretty impressive to guests.

Changes I made: I browned the pork chops but since I had 6 to make, I put them in the oven for about 15 minutes to cook through. While they were cooking I was able to mash the potatoes with some cream cheese and butter, and make the dressing for the asparagus.

I hope you enjoy!

Fried Rice

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

My coworker, Tony, has the most lovely wife - Lulu. Tony one day brought me a sampler of her homemade fish sauce and I was hooked.

Recently, I took him a full bottle of "Three Crab" fish sauce from the store so he could have her make it into her awesome concoction.
So from this:

To this:

I tried figuring out what's in it. All I can tell is sugar, garlic, and red chili pepper. It's the bomb.

Hi, welcome back to 1995.

I promise not to say "the bomb" again.

Since Lee was out with friends, I concocted a quick fried rice for myself.

First I boiled water and added a bag of rice.

Oh yeah, keepin' it classy with the bagged rice.

Once that was done, I cracked 2 eggs in a pan.

Then I cracked open a bottle of wine...

and diced some green onion...

Once the eggs were pretty scrambled I dumped in the rice...

Then I drizzled some of the fish sauce over the top...

Then I added the green onion and a little olive oil and stirred it up...

This was the perfect single gal dinner - no meat required!

Why do men think it's not a meal without meat?

This fish sauce is my new obsession, along with red curry and peanut sauce.

And sushi.

Oh man.

What do you like to make when home alone?

NFL Kickoff Party

2011-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Sunday we threw a bit of a NFL Sunday kick off party. Not really a party, more like a few people hanging out really.

Lee requested my chex mix, and at the look of glee on his face in the grocery store, I gave in.

Here is how I made mine.

(4) cups of all 3 kinds of chex
(2) cups of mixed nuts
(2) cups of roasted peanuts (the sweet kind)
(2) sticks of butter (I KNOW)
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
(4) tablespoons of Lawry's season salt
(1) tablespoon of garlic powder

Combine all cereal and nuts in very large roasting pan. Pre-heat oven to 325.
Melt the butter in the microwave and add seasonings.
Pour over cereal and nuts mixture and mix very well.
Bake in the oven, stirring every 20 minutes, for an hour.

You can certainly add other items like pretzels and garlic chips, but we really only enjoy the cereal and nuts part so that is why I came up with this.

On the sweet side, I mixed some of the left over nuts with some m&m's - LOVED IT.

What did you do for NFL Sunday?

Homemade Guacamole

2011-09-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day I was asked to bring my guacamole over to a friends... this is how I make it:

(7-8)Avacados

(1/2) Red Onion

(4) Serrano peppers, (1) lime

Salt (to taste), cilantro (to taste)

And (not pictured) tomatoes, cumin, and chili pepper. Mix together, forget to take a photo of it, and enjoy!

I also made a new version of the Sand Dollar Cookies. I cheated a little with the pre-made cookie dough

Then added slivered almonds

Cut the dough into ~~unequal~~ pieces

Add the almonds and sprinkle with cinnoman/sugar mix

Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes!

So far this week....

2011-08-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday we made BBQ chicken with mac-n-cheese and green beans:

It's like the chicken is hugging the pasta... best friends....

Then Monday I roasted a chicken with lemon slices beneath the skin and stuffed with lemon and fresh thyme. With the chicken I roasted potatoes and carrots. While that was going I made this yummy asparagus dish and it was a huge hit and I can't wait to make it again. Since there is lemon in the asparagus sauce and the chicken, they went together nicely.

I meant to get a photo of the chicken but when I asked Lee to check it for doneness, he kind of hacked into it with hunger-frenzy.

With that we had Wine-of-the-Week and we are on letter C. Donald brought one of my old favorites:

As for the rest of the week - Lee had a happy hour tonight and so he is picking up food on the way home. Then tomorrow night he isn't home at all for dinner and then we have been invited over by friends on Thursday. So there goes my menu...

Somehow a photo of a ham sandwich doesn't seem like something that would make anyone drool, so I will spare you.

Have a great rest of the week!

This Week's Menu

2011-08-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

We stocked up the kitchen on Saturday at HEB, rather than Costco and I am ready for some cookin!

This week I am going to try a few new things. But Sunday night is just a Keep It Simple night, going to a family favorite of Home Cookin.

Monday - Donald night and I am roasting a chicken with lemon and herbs. Then I am going to make this asparagus dish I saw on the Cooking Channel and just couldn't wait to try. Chilled Asparagus Salad

Tuesday - I have some left over enchilada sauce so I might make a small pan of enchiladas with some turkey meat I have in the freezer. I also have some shredded cheddar I need to use up.

Wednesday - I see a lack of pasta in this week's menu so far, and I have some crushed tomatoes to use. How about spaghetti with meat sauce? I could use 1/2 the turkey (unseasoned) from the night before and add in some italian sausage and easily make a meat sauce. This would go well with the Pinot Noir I picked up in the cabinet...

Thursday - At this point I may be looking to see what's left over and let us just scrounge.

I will do my best to remember to take photos and update how these recipes played out.

Have a great week!

Chipotle Pulled Pork Enchiladas

2011-08-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Last night for Monday night dinner, we had extra guests and I found that as an excuse to be a little fancy.
Sunday I roasted a pork shoulder in onions, tomatoes, and a can of chipotles. This results in a smokey yet not too spicy meat.

We usually eat this pork in a corn tortilla with a little avacado. Since we had a ton left over, I came up with an idea to make enchiladas.

I made homemade red sauce, rolled the pork with a little monterrey jack cheese, topped it all with the sauce and sharp cheddar.

These enchiladas were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

I added a little sour cream, green onion, and dashes of Chipotle Tobasco.

Donald brought wine and this week we are on "B".

I didn't really get to drink any but I heard it wasn't a real hit.

What do you cook when you are having guests over?

Italian Chicken with Polenta

2011-08-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

After Saturday's big meal of spaghetti where Donald and Lee raved and made innapropriate noises, I felt the pressure Monday night (A.K.A. Donald/Uncle Bunny Night) to make another meal that would impress them.

The funny thing about cooking for men is that they tend to forget you have made them something before, especially if you go long stretches without making it. I pulled out a recipe that I always enjoy and it was a real winner.

This is a Rachael Ray that I saw on her Food Network show randomly and it's super yummy. You can find it here: Italian BBQ Chicken with Polenta.

The finished product was this:

The first response was "OOOOOOHHHHHHH YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM where did you find this recipe? Please make it again!"

Me: I have made this before... more than once... but ok!

Donald: What is this hybrid potato/pasta stuff? OMG it's awesome!

Monday nights it is also customary for Donald to bring over a bottle of wine. He started going through the alphabet to keep things interesting. Here is the first run on "A":

It went well with the chicken, a little "crisper" than I like my chardonnay - as I prefer a deep, buttery version - but in the middle of this incredible heat, it was nice.

Spaghetti is sexy...

2011-08-01T05:33:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to Spaghetti and meatballs. I have posted about it many times, especially while pregnant since that is the major food group I ate.

I even branched out with the recipe once.

But Saturday night I made the most epic spaghetti sauce I have ever made. Lee and Donald wouldn't stop ooohing and aahhing and moaning.

See? Spaghetti is sexy.

Now, I barely followed the recipe I have previously posted. I just started throwin stuff in the pot and let it simmer. When Lee said "You need to put up this recipe, it will make the world a better place," I said "I can't! I didn't keep notes or anything!"

So here is how I made spaghetti the other night - in realistic terms...

First, I diced up half a very large onion and threw it in the pot to soften with some olive oil.

As it started to soften and brown, I added some minced garlic. The kind from a jar, maybe about 1 teaspoon?

Then I added a palmful of Italian Seasoning, a few shakes of tobasco, about 6 shakes of worcestershire sauce, and a little chili powder.

After that, I started ladeling in crushed tomatoes from the large can I got at Costco. That can is 106 ounces and I used about 2/3 of it.
Then I added a 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes (and the juice) and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
I started to wonder if I had enough seasoning for that much sauce, so I added a little more italian seasoning and a little more chili powder. I also added some salt and pepper.
Once I had all this stirred together I let it bubble and simmer for almost and hour, and made the meatballs...

In a large bowl, I beat one egg and added a little milk, bread crumbs, and a pound of ground turkey. Once that was mixed together I added grated parmesean until the meatballs were sticky and would hold form.

Next was a nice squirt of garlic paste, some salt and pepper.

When I started the water for the pasta to boil, I started browning the meatballs, then throwing them in the sauce to cook through.

The finished product looked like this:

It was wonderful, heavy, and a little spicy,

This is how I cook, not really measuring, just throwing things in until it tastes good.

What about you? Do you measure to the T or just wing it?

Southern Living Rocks My World

2011-07-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, I am a diehard subscriber to Southern Living magazine. I love the food, the photos, and the little "good southern lady" tidbits that try and tell you how to act. That doesn't normally soak in but I at least read those parts...

My friend Sara recently told me about a website called MyRecipes.com. How I had not heard of this, I don't know, but it is a great resource for all magazine recipes (Southern Living, Sunset, etc). Oh and if you don't get Sunset, please do. Sara told me about this as well so I txt'd her that I love her a bushel and a peck for telling me about this.

Anyway, back on point, I made a recipe Monday night from this month's Southern Living. It was grand. It was monumental.

It was freaking good.

Pork Chops with Roasted Green Beans and Pecans
(Aka, holy crap this is good)

Ingredients

2 (12-oz.) packages fresh cut green beans
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 (4- to 6-oz.) bone-in center-cut pork chops
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tablespoon butter

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Rinse beans. Combine beans, 1 Tbsp. olive oil, and 3/4 tsp. salt in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Spread beans in a single layer in a jelly-roll pan. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until beans are tender and slightly browned.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle pork chops with pepper and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt.
3. Stir together breadcrumbs and next 3 ingredients in a large shallow dish. Dredge pork chops in breadcrumb mixture.
4. Cook chops in 1/4 cup hot vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until done.
5. Stir pecans and butter into beans; bake 5 to 6 more minutes or until pecans are golden. Serve pork chops with green beans.

Something I will share about how I varied on this recipe:
- I didn't have Panko breadcrumbs so I smashed up good ole saltines and then chopped up some rosemary and thyme really fine and threw that in with some pepper and the parmesean

-I don't fry things so I put a generous amount of olive oil in my skillet and if it got a little dry toward the end, I sprayed it with cooking spray.

- I used frozen green beans.

Also, I served it with this yummy bread I found at Central Market. It is the Central Market Organics brand (also found at HEB) and it was 2 smallish frozen rosemary baguettes. You lay them out for 5 minutes then toss them in the oven for about 12 minutes and you have yummy bread.

My sister in law's only question: "Does it come pre-buttered?"

I love her.

But no, it does not.

Here is how our plates looked:

Paper towels for napkins, because we are super classy like that

Notice how the bread and butter is strategically placed right in front of me.

Hence the treadmill in my living room...

Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-07-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

My coworker, Christi, came to work the other day and brought her lunch. I asked her what she brought and she said "I made some stuffed bell peppers last night!" That got my wheels turning.

With the Costco way of purchasing, we end up with (4) packages of ground turkey. Other than meatballs or tacos, I don't really do much else with it. I decided to take a stab at this for a nice Friday Night Meal.

First, I coated the peppers and broiled them.

Meanwhile, I mixed onion, turkey, a can of rotel, and some spices in a skillet and got it cooked through. Then I loaded the peppers up.

I put these back in the oven for about 15 minutes..

Then, of course, cheese!

I put them back in about 5 minutes just to get the cheese melty.

While the cheese was melting, I took a shortcut with the rice and beans.

I basically just heated up a can of beans on the stove and put 2 of those packets of Uncle Ben's Mexican Rice in the microwave.. 60 seconds!!

It turned out to be a wonderful and easy meal and Lee LOVED IT.

Cooking with friends...

2011-06-28T05:22:00.000-07:00

We had Ben and Katie over last weekend and they wanted to cook us Indian food... so we let them!

Ben used a lot of this to make the saag paneer. Maybe why my pants won't button...

Katie made us Jalapeno poppers while we waited!

However she missed some veins and seeds and... our mouths were on FIRE!

Cutting up mango and pineapple for the rice. Looky who just got engaaaaged!

Paneer cheese. Tastes a little like mozzarella..

Basmati rice, saag paneer, chicken marinated in Indian spices and curry, and chutney.

We had a GREAT time!

Ground Turkey Enchiladas with 2 cheeses

2011-06-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Last night I made enchiladas to fulfill a craving and to use some some ground turkey. We make Turkey Tacos ALL THE TIME so I figured we would like enchiladas.

First, I was inspired to make my own sauce from this recipe at For the Love of Cooking

I got the sauce started and then I got to work on shredding some cheese.

I recently discovered that if you shred your own cheese, it is 10 times better than what you buy already shredded. I think this is because there is cornstarch in the bag to help the pre-shredded variety not stick together. Seriously, check out a bag of shredded cheddar - it has a white coating on it...

Monterrey jack, yummmmm

After I was done with the cheese I started on the meat.

Turkey can be a challenge. It can be very blah if you don't season it right. I added 3 palmfulls of taco seasoning and a can of rotel to give it some spice.

By this time, the enchilada sauce was ready to go into the food processor.

Yum-friggin-O.

Time to assemble enchiladas!

Then I popped them in the oven, fed the baby, cleaned the kitchen (which was all a mess after making this!) and they were ready...

Lee LOVED this, said the sauce was "kick ass!" and I suppose that means I need to make it again...

I hope you are inspired to make enchiladas now!

Budget Meals

2011-06-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

So far, our budget experiment is going fairly well. We went to Costco 2 weeks ago and we STILL have meat in the freezer. In fact I have a better idea of what to shop for next time we go (this coming weekend) so that I really don't have to hit the regular store at all. The only reason we have gone back to the store at all the last 2 weeks is because we threw a get together or 2. That blows a budget fast....

I also still have some red bellpepper, lettuce, and green beans. I think I will try and convince Lee to let me make my coveted peanut noodles one night so I can use up the peppers and beans. I have some pasta that is left over for the other night.

So this week, a menu is going to be kind of "fly by the seat of my pants" idea.

Tonight I am making enchiladas, using ground turkey. I actually had all the ingredients to make my own enchilada sauce, so we will see how that goes.

Monday: Leftover Enchiladas

Tuesday - peanut noodles with stir fried chicken... PLEASE?

Wednesday will put me down to some ground turkey being in the freezer and that's it. Since it's payday finally, maybe I can hit the store for a few staples. I have potatoes but I don't really know what to do with potatoes and ground turkey.

Having to take stock of my ingredients and make up meals the last 2 weeks has made me become pretty creative!
I will post about the enchiladas tomorrow.
Have a great Sunday evening!

Throw together

2011-06-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

What I had on hand:

Pork loin
Homestyle Macncheese
Greenbeans

What it turned out to be:

Very, very bad Pinot in the background.

Add a warm evening and a grill, and what a wonderful meal it turned out to be.

Easy Stir Fry

2011-06-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

During the week, there is usually one night that I can't fathom what I will make for dinner... and then there is stir fry...
Basically I find veggies I think will be good, and some chicken breasts:

Onion, too. Not pictured...

I sautee the chicken until brown, remove from skillet, add veggies. (Meanwhile boil some rice)
Once the veggies are to a softening point, I add the chicken back in.
I make a sauce of soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and ginger and pour that into the skillet for the last 5 minutes..

It's always good!

Chicken Enchiladas

2011-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I haven't made this in awhile but I am sure craving it... I made this up on the fly so I may tweak it next time.

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Verde Sauce

1 2 -3 pound rotisserie chicken
2 jars green salsa, medium spice
8 oz sour cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1/2 onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced (i have a jar of minced garlic from the store...)
1 small can black beans
Shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 tablespoon chili powder
10 - 12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 glass dish. Go ahead and shred the chicken into small bits.

Sautee onion in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and chili powder, stirring until mixed. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir. Slowly start whisking broth into skillet until well incorporated and bubbly. Add 1 jar (roughly 8oz) salsa and all of chicken and stir well.

Pop the tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds to warm up.

Pour a little salsa in the bottom of the baking dish, maybe 1/4 cup. For each enchilada, add a scoop of the chicken mixture from the skillet into the middle of a tortilla, a spoonful of black beans, and a little cheese. Roll up so that the crease is on the bottom and place into the dish. Repeat until you fill the dish up.
In a small bowl, pour in remaining salsa. Spoon sour cream in a little at a time until you achieve the salsa-to-sour cream ratio that you like. pour over enchiladas and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle with as much cheese as your heart desires!

Bake for 30 min until bubbly.

You can spice this up with hot sauce or more spices, just make it your own.

Obsessed

2011-05-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

I love this meal.

Spaghetti with meatballs

Always have...

Please ignore the baby stuff in the background. It's just life these days!

Always will.

Huevos Rancheros

2011-05-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

Man I love mexican food.

In a super serious way I love mexican food.

There are some weekends when I really really want Huevos Rancheros for breakfast. The urge struck me recently so I looked up some recipes and went for it.

Fire roasted tomatoes

Chorizo

This added some nice smokey-ness

Completed product

Lee LOVED this. I added the chorizo on the fly and did soft tortillas rather than messing with frying some.

Recipe here at Simply Recipes.

SO. SO. SO. GOOD.

Weekly Menu

2011-05-22T18:49:00.001-07:00

This is an odd week for us Lee is traveling a few days.. But I am making do.

Sunday: we had chipotle-lime marinated chicken with rice and green beans. The chicken was pre marinated at Central Market so I can't take credit for it. It was freaking yum...

Monday: Real Housewives of New Jersey time! Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I actually purchased meatballs at the market (not precooked) so that i don't have to make them. Easy peasy.

Tuesday: Lee is gone so I am eating left over chicken and green beans and maybe making a little Alfredo on the side.

Wednesday: hell, cereal for dinner.

Thursday: We have dinner at a friends house.

Friday: going to my hometown for a few days. I am making baked beans for a family BBQ.

Do you ever have a hectic week like this? What are some short cuts you take?

Cooking FAIL

2011-05-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Well this week was a little off kilter as far as cooking goes.

Saturday we had a BBQ.

Sunday we had leftovers plus some Homestyle Mac-n-Cheese

Monday: Donald came over for the Real Housewives of New Jersey premiere and I made a brand new recipe: Baked Ziti.

Man this was a fail. Lee didn't like the meatballs. I didn't like the sauce. However, ~~goat boy~~ Donald loved it and took it home.

Tuesday: I redeemed myself when Aunt Kelly came over for dinner and I made PW's Beef and Peppers. Next time I will cook the noodles a little less.. they got a little mushy, but the flavor was great.

Wednesday: I roasted some chicken 1/4's. On my sleep deprived brain, I put the chicken in at 350 instead of 425 so an hour later.. not done. I upped it to the correct temperature and put the oven on Convection Roast and 30 minutes later it was done. Actually - I may be onto something because the chicken was really juicy...

Thursday... we ate out. I had planned baked ziti leftovers but... yeah that didn't work out.

Next week I will try to take photos!!

I hate your recipe

2011-05-10T07:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Barefoot Contessa:

1. What IS a Barefoot Contessa anyway?
2. I made your Engagement Roast Chicken a few nights ago and I had a few issues with the recipe.

First, it doesn't call for veggies at all. So when you try and wing it, you are left guessing how it will turn out. Then there is the issue with Roasting the chicken itself. You say:

"Roast the chicken for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and a thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce, leaving the lemons and onions in the pan"

I roasted it exactly that long, the juices were clear, and what happened when I cut down the breast?

Raw towards the middle.

REALLY?

So what did I do?

I ~~flung~~ put the sonofabitch bird into the microwave!

YEAH I DID!

Then the sauce. You say:

"Place the pan on top of the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the stock and sprinkle on the flour, stirring constantly for a minute, until the sauce thickens. Add any juices that collect under the chicken. Carve the chicken onto a platter and serve with the lemons, onions, and warm sauce."

Ok I did that... but half the onions were removed into my little dish with the potatoes and carrots I had added...

When it was all said and done, it was very very yummy. Lee wasn't a fan of the super lemony sauce, but Donald loved it.

Any recipes out there piss you off?

Weekly Menu

2011-05-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

I am going to try try try to post our menu each week. I hope I don't fail!

This week is a little odd because Lee may or may not be out of town Tuesday night. But we will play it by ear...

Sunday: Sandwiches or leftovers from today's Mother's Day lunch of pork chops and veggies.
Monday: Chicken Spaghetti - I really love Pioneer Woman's version (surprise surprise) - it's not too overly cheesy.
Tuesday: Aunt Kelly comes over for her Logan fix. If Lee is out of town we will have left overs. If not I will make his favorite, Turkey Tacos.
Wednesday: either leftover CS or Turkey Tacos - again - depends on Lee's schdule.
Thursday: Donald night. Honestly? I have no idea.
Friday: Please oh please write Lee a letter and tell him to take momma to Tia Maria's for dinner and margs! Maybe we can get Tiffanie and Tony to go too!

Do you make a weekly menu? Do you stick to it or just order chinese?

Spicy Sausage Pasta

2011-05-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

I made this tonight and the vote was beyond happy by the husband.
To put it frankly, he said it was "fucking awesome." and to "make this very often!"

Well ok then!

I discovered this recipe by scrolling through the Pasta Web Roll that Pioneer Woman put up awhile back.

Make this. Please. It's AWESOMENESS.

Thai Curry Chicken

2011-05-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, Lee and I took a second crack at this uber complicated recipe from Beer Advocate magazine.

This time there was a BIG helper in the kitchen!

My mother's day present - a 14 cup Cuisinart Food Processor!

This made slicing onions super super easy...

I also used my veggie chopper to wrangle the damn squash and that put it unto uniform chunks and it cooked perfectly this time!

Then we made the entire sauce in the processor without any leaks at ALL.

In the end, it wasn't near as complicated of a recipe because of this awesome appliance. And it's YUM.
YUM.
YUM.

If anyone wants the recipe, let me know and I will send it your way!

Donald "cooks"

2011-05-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Thursday night Donald came over for dinner and had a shopping bag in it?
"What's that?" I asked?
"Oh - I am making some cheesecake tarts to take to work. And I need your help."

Super sweet as he is, he brought all the ingredients he needed! Even eggs!
I looked at the recipe and concluded he would need a hand mixer since cream cheese isn't exactly easy to stir with a spoon...
He mastered using it one-handed

Please ignore the dieing plant in the window

Then he showed me how you make the tarts..
After you mix the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, and sugar - you place one vanilla wafer in the cupcake pan, and spoon in the cream cheese filling.

At which point.. were they supposed to be mini?

Then you bake ay 350 for 20 minutes.. however they weren't quite ready... again we think this was meant for mini cupcakes...

So we put them back in until golden on the top.

Then you spoon pie filling on top of each tart and add a dollop of whip cream.

Donald chose blueberry. They were quite tasty!

In the meantime he asked Logan what he thinks about beer...

Oh look, he is just like his Daddy already...

My Butcher Block...

2011-05-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

The butcher block in my kitchen isn't just any ole butcher block. It wasn't purchased in a store or made by some guy in another country...

It was hand made from old box-car flooring by my Papa many years ago. He only made 4 and I happen to have one!

It has nicks and scratches from many meals prepared on top of it.

We have added a few things to it to make it functional in our home.

Beer opener - for Lee


Towel bar

And it makes a great wine holder while I am cooking

Oh and hides the dog food containers...

But some other personal touches were added to it long before it landed in my kitchen

My cousin added his name and his favorite word to the leg.

Do you have something special in your kitchen?

The BOOK

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Much like the book was so important in The Devil Wears Prada, this is The Book around here.

My cookbook: Recipes Lee Likes

This is an important title because Lee is a Food A**hole (as coined by his sister). He will tell you right up if he doesn't like something, or if he loves it.

Loves it - makes it in The Book.
Hates it - we pretend it never happened and move on.

This is the cover. I think this is the 3rd binder, as I have to get bigger ones about every other year..

The Book has all kinds of stuff in it.

Magazine and Internet Recipes:I actually had him ask me one time "So is EVERYTHING we eat nowadays Pioneer Woman?"

No comment...

Some of these things are "oooh that looks good!" and I save it for just in case.
Some of these things are tried and true.

Some are family recipes:The little dividers I found have little help tips on them:I have it divided by "Sides and Marinades", "Beef and Pork", "Chicken", "Breakfast", and "Desserts."

Guess which section has the most in it....

I also made sure it had a flap in the back so I can stick freshly torn recipes out in there until I have time to try them or put them in a sheet protector. (sometimes I type them, sometimes I don't...)

What I like about having my own Book is that when making my weekly list, if nothing in my magazines stuck out, I know I have a place to go that has 100% Food A**hole approved food in it.

And sometimes, that's all you can hope for.

Grass fed beef - round 2

2011-04-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we tried grass fed beef. Without knowing anything about it, we cooked it like we normally do...

And it was not good folks.

A sweet gal named Kara (who I cannot link up to because her Blogger Profile won't let me see anything!) commented with a website all about grass fed beef and how to cook it! (you can check it out here)

Basically, we marinated it old school (Worcestershire sauce and Cachery's) and cooked it at a lower temperature for less time. Basically 5 minutes each side. Then we didn't cut into it for about 5 minutes.

It was GOOOOOOD.

On the side I served baby bok choy and Mushroom and Pea Orzo (Yay Giada!)

This week Lee is out at a conference, so I will continue my love affair with Peanut Noodles....

Meatloaf Birthday

2011-04-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Donald's birthday was on Wednesday, but since he has school, we had his dinner last night.

When it's your birthday, what things do you think of that you want to eat? Steak? Shrimp? Pasta?

What does DONALD think of when it's his birthday?

Meatloaf.

Mine to be specific.

So for his birthday I went ahead and made him 2 meatloafs.

On the side I served roasted baby red potatoes and Jimmy brought a very yummy corn casserole.

I would put the recipe on here but... it's a bit of a secret. If you are really interested, shoot me an email and I will give you all BUT the secret... Sorry. The only other person that knows is my Grandmother. She is cool like that.

Donald was a little camera shy at first:

But after some wine...

He was a little more brave...

It also helped that I made fresh brownies and scooped some Baskin and Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream on top..

Happy Birthday uncle Bunny!

Weeknight Tortilla Soup

2011-04-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Lee and I really love Tortilla Soup. However, most recipes are a little time consuming, so I didn't used to have the time to make it on weeknights.

Then I took out a few different recipes, made some modifications, and turned it into a 30 minute meal.

Easy Tortilla Soup

1 store bought rotisserie chicken

1 cup frozen corn

1 red bell pepper, sliced and seeded

1 teaspoon poultry season

1 teaspoon cumin

1 zucchini diced small

1 onion, chopped

3 gloves garlic, chopped

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and diced

28 oz can tomato puree

5 cups chicken stock

Tortilla chips

Shredded cheese

Avacado sliced

Sour cream

Cilantro

In the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven, drizzle a little olive oil and sautee onions and garlic, until onion gets soft.

Add in vegetables and seasoning and peppers. Cook until veggies are softening.

Add in tomato puree and chicken stock and bring to a bubble, simmer 20 min. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in a deep bowl with tortilla chips in the bottom, sprinkle cheese on top! Avacado and sour cream optional.

Cupcakes are the cure...

2011-04-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend, the stomach bug released it's grip on me... so what did I do?

Made Cupcakes!!

I was inspired buy Jenni @ Story of My Life and they were so yumm!!!

Oh hi...

2011-04-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

I am still here. and still cooking.

But there has been a snaffu. See - we started the organic deal on Saturday and I made a new recipe on Monday - then I hurled all day Tuesday (is it ok to talk about hurling on a food website? sorry.) So part of me wonders... the food? But Lee is just fine. Could be a random bug that just has really bad timing.

We have also found that the organic or "grass fed" meats are a little - tough? The chicken was a bit chewy. We had steak tonight and it was chewy and a little gamey. It wasn't the cooking because Lee rocks at grilling steaks.

For now we are still moving ahead organic on fruits and veggies and just as hormone free as possible on the meats and not near as big of portions of it.

Boo - no photos. Sorry.

Local and Organic

2011-04-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Lee and I have recently embraced organic. We have always wondered "Is it really worth it?" Yes. Yes it really is.

We started out the day going to the local Farmers Market. We have tried before and were a little let down with the selection. However when we turned the corner and saw the 40 white tents this time, we got pretty excited!

We strolled Logan around in his stroller and picked out lettuce, carrots, bok choi, cheese, yogurt, and even chicken.

We have decided, that if we are going to go organic, we will make it a lifestyle choice AND a way to lose a little weight. See, organic is a little more expensive, especially the meat. To help balance the difference, meat will no longer be the main focus of our meals. We will fill up on fruits and veggies with meat being more like the "side."

I am immediately hearing the mother on Big Fat Greek Wedding...

What do you mean you DON'T EAT NO MEAT!

Tonight I roasted a whole chicken (organic from the market) with carrots, potatoes, and onion.
I also roasted an artichoke (2 for $5 at Whole Foods!) and made a big salad.
First I cut up the veggies and put them in a pan with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then I salt and peppered the chicken and gave it some lemon implants:

Ooh La La. What a preeeety chicken you are!

While that roasted I also had the artichoke going. Meanwhile it was Logan bath time and bottle time.

Once everything was out of the oven, I put together the salad and Lee made our plates.

There was also some pesto bread from the market that we heated up in the oven. It was a really wonderful meal.

So we ate half the chicken and saved the other half for another night. It's seriously crazy how small a chicken seems when it's organic and not hopped up on 'roids and stuff. We usually would have sat and ate that whole chicken but we made sure to fill up on the veggies instead.

I hope this becomes a lifestyle choice that helps us feel better and ingest less pesticides.

Guacamole and Fajitas

2011-04-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I tried to make it easy. Fajitas. What is really easier than that?

Besides going out and getting them somewhere...

I have stuck to the same basic marinade since way back in college:

There is no science to this at all. Put chicken in a baggie (Gallon sized) pour in dressing... refrigerate overnight.
Done.
You basically need enough dressing to totally coat the chicken. So the more chicken, the more dressing.
I think you can handle that, no?

While I waited on the grill to ~~stop emitting mile high flames~~ cool down, I whipped up a quick batch of guacamole:

I took about 6 avacados, 1 tomato, and a little shallot and mashed it all together. Then I added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and some cumin, and a good amount of salt...
It was pretty awesome.

Lee STILL wasn't home from work (and the grill was still on fire) so I chopped up the veggies for the fajitas...

Taken by Donald...

By now you are wondering... what's wrong with your grill?

You see, Lee was working late so he told Donald, very simply to "buy some charcoal and start the grill." So Donald bought charcoal.

Poured the ENTIRE BAG of it in the grill

And lit it

Therefore it was a solid hour before we could even try to put the chicken on.

All in all the meal as great and we had a wonderful evening.

Logan especially:

Did the cute photo distract you from the fact that I forgot to take a fajita photo?

Fancy Schmancy Salad - that he hated

2011-04-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Last night I tried to make something healthy. I mean - short ribs and spaghetti aren't going to keep the baby weight off right?
So I tried to copy a salad I have had at a few places with chicken, walnuts, gorgonzola, and a vinigarette.

While I was preparing it, I sat out some hummus and pita chips. I am currently obsessed with hummus from Sabra that has flavors in it like roasted red pepper or spicy stuff.

Here is a shot of the ingredients - the chicken was in the skillet...

We are trying our hardest to buy organic fruits and veggies because the pesticides are nasty and they literally do taste better.

Here is a photo of the final product:

Lee took one bite... and I said "Well?" and he thought for a second and started with is questions:
Is this blue cheese? - kind of
What is this dressing? - vinigarette
What KIND? - sun dried tomato
Hmm...

So he didn't like it. He ate lots of hummus and chips.
I was out of wine so I had to actually deal.

I tried.
Next up - Fajitas!

WOW!

2011-04-05T16:46:00.001-07:00

I was featured today on For The Love of Blogs Tasty Tuesday! How exciting!
I hope everyone who stopped by is happy with what they saw. I recently got a new camera, which is clearly evident when scrolling back through older posts. I also took a small hiatus during my pregnancy but now I am back, cooking nearly 5 nights a week.

Welcome!
To see my feature, check it out here:

Bring on the spring/summer!

2011-04-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

There is something about the changing of the seasons that makes me want BBQ chicken.
There is something about the raging of my hormones that makes me want macaroni and cheese.
There is something about the guilt of macaroni and cheese that makes me want green beans.

So - that is what we had for dinner!

I used pepper-jack cheese to make the pasta and MAN, it was super yummy.
I have made this meal many times, last time using Kraft but let me tell you, this was just as easy. I used a basic mac n cheese recipe off Food Network.

Also - I fall prey to my ongoing spaghetti craving at least every other week. I made a nice hearty bolognese sauce last night...I really need to pull out that treadmill...

Braised Short Ribs

2011-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, we made short ribs for some friends coming over..

O.....M....G....

Recipe: Pioneer Woman (duh) Braised Short Ribs

Here, in pictures, is us cooking (I had paparazzi in the room!)

Brown bacon, remove from panDredge ribs chop veggiesChop veggies with nap-hair.Brown Ribs on all sides, remove
Add veggies to the pot - using my favorite kitchen tool - a pastry scraper

Add wine. This is NOT MY HAND... just in case you were wondering

Allow to simmer 2 minutes

Pour in beef broth

Add ribs back to pot

Add herbs (fresh is a must)

Into the oven for 3 hours - don't touch!

Holy moly...

Served with mashed potatoes and good beer/wine

Chicken Salad

2011-03-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

I love chicken salad. I mean I LOVE IT.

But - I am also picky about it.

No fruit. Not even grapes. MAYBE you could get green apple in it but I would have to be in the right mood...
Jason's Deli puts pineapple in theirs and it's... BAD.

Pecans or almonds are a must!

So let's get to how I make mine shall we?

First - do yourself a favor and get a rotisserie chicken. Canned chicken tends to be salty and the rotisserie adds a nice flavor..

Here is what you will need:Thank you Pioneer Woman for this idea!

1/2 cup of whipping cream
1 rotisserie chicken, mainly white meat
Celery - conveniently chopped at the store for you
Red onion - chopped/diced
Mayo - ONLY HELMANN'S!! ... sorry for the outburst.
Not pictured - pecans and brown sugar.

First toast the pecans in about 1/2 a tablespoon of butter and about a teaspoon of brown sugar:Meanwhile - chop the chicken into bite-sized chunks:In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream with a whisk until slightly thickened and foamy. Then add the pecans, celery, and as much red onion as you like. I only added a little...Then add in the chicken and about a 1/2 cup of mayo. I really only use it for the "glue"..

I add pepper, but not salt. A reason for this is that rotisserie or canned chicken tends to be a little salty already - so I wait to salt it when I have mixed and taste tested... Ok MIX!Now taste and salt as needed. It's best to chill this for an hour or so to let the cream thicken up on it's own a little more.

I like to put some on a bed of lettuce with a little creamy Parmesan dressing, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese.. or on bread with crisp lettuce and some Parmesan cheese.

Sometimes, if I am feeling frisky, I add a little pesto to the mix.. but lately I have just wanted it plain and simple.

Or I like to eat it out of the mixing bowl when no one is looking.

Enjoy!

New recipe and willfull gardening....

2011-03-21T17:39:00.001-07:00

Do you get Real Simple Magazine? If not, you really should. Not only are the review on clothing, household goods, and cosmetics wonderful, there are super easy recipe's in the back as well.

Tonight we tried one that is in this month's issue - Chipotle Rubbed Pork Loin. It was so wonderful and EASY.

Recipe: Chipotle Rubbed Pork

Since the weather is super awesome right now, we decided to eat outside. Honestly, this may be a habit until it gets too darn hot...We put Logan in his car seat and just sat him out in the stroller so he could enjoy the fresh air.

While we were eating I looked over at this neglected pot of what used to be mint and noticed that it was coming back! This is after no water, no care at all.
Lee walked over and looked at our forgotten about garden and lo and behold there are strawberries!
Again, no water - no nothing at all. There were 2 red ones and they were delicious.
Also - Lee spotted an onion...
Most of all, my herbs LOVE the neglect. They thrive on it..

Oregano, Sage, and rosemary with some thyme trying to battle it's way through as well..

So - rather than fussing with the garden and fertilizing it and all that - neglect it and stuff grows!

Home Cookin

2011-03-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Some nights, you have to keep it simple...

And I find that lots of times, those simple meals end up being the most comforting and pleasing.

Tonight I knew I had some of that new Homestyle Kraft Mac-n-Cheese in the pantry b/c Lee and I both went into food coma's when we saw the commercials...

It's actually REALLY good, and I may try the other flavors soon.

I stopped at the store on the way home and grabbed some chicken leg 1/4's and bbq sauce, already had green beans at home..

We really like Sweet Baby Rays when we are grilling chicken and such. It's sweet and glazes well.

I salt, peppered, and seasoned the chicken with Tony's and popped it in the oven at 425 for 45 minutes. I didn't put the sauce on until the last 15 minutes.

Meanwhile I fed Logan and got him settled while Lee boiled the noodles for the pasta.

Once Logan was asleep I steamed the green beans and finished up the mac n cheese.

All in all, this was one of those meals where we were just all "mmmmmmm!" over something that was SO EASY. It reminded me of home for some reason.

What do you like to cook that is simple yet wholesome?

It's Complicated...

2011-03-13T07:27:00.001-07:00

Last night Lee and I tried a very complicated meal - Thai Curry Chicken.
Lee gets this magazine called Beer Advocate (because he is obses sed with beer) and this recipe was in it.

When the first page is all ingredients, you know it's going to be a tough one.

First - some ingredients were hard to find at all. For instance, shrimp paste. Yeah, HEB was stumped on that one. It was only a teaspoon amount so we just moved on and left that out.

We started getting all the ingredients out and noticed I was missing turmeric, coriander, and cumin. So Lee went to the store to get those and I started to prep.

First, Logan was chilling in his bouncy on the kitchen table. This is his chill spot in the mornings while I am eating breakfast and getting ready for work.I clipped this activity thing to it and he loves it! Also - the boy is so long he sticks out of the chair.. nice.

Also, I would appreciate you ignoring the clutter everywhere in this photo. Eventually I will move it.. to another place to pile up.

Then I started chopping up things to put in the food processor.Then I prepped the veggies that go in the pot with the chicken.

I have never worked with a butternut squash before and that was a pain in the ass.

The dogs started dancing around the butcher block gobbling up things that fell, including shallot and onion.Momma, we can has veggies?

By the time I was finished cutting the most un-uniform chunks of squash, Lee was back with the spices.

The whole thing about this recipe is that it takes 2 bottles of a certain kind of beer - plus a can of coconut milk. It says to put all this stuff in a blender (lemongrass, shallot, garlic, lots of spices, etc) and blend until very fine, about 3 minutes.

Lee recently threw my blender away because it was a cheap piece of crap. All I had left was a mini prep and a leaky food processor (i kept it because I could still use it for dry stuff). Well with 2 bottles of beer and a can of coconut milk, the mini prep was far too small. So we went with the food processor.

The minute the beer and milk were poured in, it started leaking. We blended for as long as we could stand it and then just poured it into a bowl.

This doesn't include the mess all over the food processor that went, you guessed it, into the trash. Next to go, the toaster. That's another story.

So I browned the chicken and onions, then threw the veggies in and poured the sauce over it. We put it in the oven for 45 minutes and I made some rice.

Either my uneven chunk-ing of the squash or not enough cook time caused the veggies not to be quite done. So we ended up putting it back in the oven awhile.

All in all - it turned out great. But man what an adventure.Then I rewarded that hard work with ice cream and thin mints, because my mouth was a bit on fire from the squirt of siracha I added to my bowl.

Yes, that is a pacifier thermometer in the background. Our house is covered in Logan things.

I'm back! I hope...

2011-03-04T15:59:00.000-08:00

Oh hello there!!
Over the last few months I have been cooking a little here and there and either it's the same deal (tacos, spaghetti, etc) or I totally forget to take a photo! Otherwise, I make bottles all the time...

However, last night I remembered!
I have always been afraid to make peanut noodles because I was convinced all I would taste is peanut butter.... WRONG! We went to a friends house and she made this and I was in love!

So I made my own version last night. Here is the recipe:

Crunchy Noodle Salad

Now, I added chicken, which I simply salt and peppered and cooked in the skillet:Then I did snow peas rather than sugar snap because I love me some snow peas. I stir fried it all together until everything looked softened and happy.
Meanwhile I made the sauce for the noodles. Once they boiled and got everything stirred together:

I have to say, I used an entire pound of noodles and felt there was plenty of sauce on them. The recipe calls for only 1/2 a pound and I think that's too little...

Also lately, I have been making these chocolate chip cookies over and over. I didn't see the recipe until I read PW's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels and it's in the back. I just looked and it's on the website - which is nice so that I don't have to drag my Kindle into the kitchen when I want to make these.

I made a few changes, however.

I use 2 sticks of butter, no margarine. I don't like flat cookies and I feel like margarine does that.
I either use dark chocolate or semi sweet chips. I loathe milk chocolate.
I add pecans sometimes when I feel feisty.
Flaxseeds? nope.

Anyway here is the recipe:

Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is what they looked like on my butcher block:I took a baggie of these to work with me and they didn't even last until the end of the staff meeting.

I am now trying to balance baby & work so hopefully I continue to (A) Cook new things and (B) remember to take photos... especially since I have an awesome camera now!

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

2010-09-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe we have made a few times and it always satisfies:

Barefoot Contessa's Tuscan Lemon Chicken
(I saw her make this on her show and promptly looked up the recipe!)

I usually serve it with this:
Pioneer Woman's Fettuccine Alfredo

Along with a big green salad.

However, tonight Lee's parents are coming over and since his dad just had quadruple bypass surgery about 4 weeks ago - he shouldn't eat things such as Alfredo! So tonight it's steamed green beans, fresh bread, and a big salad.

In all honesty, I should be eating less Alfredo as well since I just had a slight jump in my weight, but... but... it's so good! I am guessing we will use leftover chicken on Monday night and I will make the alfredo and all will be good in the world.

The salad cancels out the bad stuff, right?

If baby brain doesn't take over, I will take a photo of the chicken and post it later on.
But... we'll see!

Stir Fry and Ice Cream

2010-07-27T11:30:00.001-07:00

I have started some new recipes this week.

First on Sunday I started the recipe for Peach and Pecan Ice Cream, from this months issue of Southern Living. Holy crap it's yum!

Then when I got home Monday, I put the cooled mixture in my ice cream machine, let it go for about 30 min (stopped it early because Lee couldn't take the noise anymore) and then put it in the freezer until after dinner.

I also picked up this month's issue of Cooks Country magazine. I love this and Cooks Illustrated because they tell you in the recipe why some things work and why they don't. They also rate condiments like mustard, ketchup, and bbq sauce. Those reviews haven't failed me once!

I can't find a link to the recipe on the website without paying for an online subscription (lame!) but if it looks good to you, email me and I will write it out for you.

Tonight is a work party at St. Arnolds brewery so I won't be cooking. Tomorrow night is Pork Marsala. I will be better prepared for the recipe posting after seeing the website issue with Cooks Country....

Oh hi...

2010-07-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Whoops.. it's been a long time since I have posted anything, mainly because I am either cooking something I have made a million times (turkey tacos!) or we are just eating out. Plus Lee has been really busy at work too!

A few weeks ago, I was driving home trying to think of what I could make for dinner that we hadn't had before. I had the following ingredients:

Chicken Breasts

Cherry Tomatoes (from our garden!)

Onion

Bell Pepper

Potatoes..

HEY! Kabob's!

The minute I walked in the house I got the kabobs put together so that I could marinate them at least 30 min before cooking them. I put them in a freezer bag and poured a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette on them and flipped the bag around every few minutes.

In the meantime I cubed some potatoes, coated them in a little oil, and put them in the bottom of the baking dish.

I put them at 425 for about 40 minutes and they came out like this:

They were pretty good, a little bland though. But at least I was creative and healthy huh?

Next week I plan on trying a few new things from Cooks Country this month and hopefully that puts me back in the habit of blogging again..

Using what's in your pantry part 2..

2010-06-25T15:09:00.001-07:00

Having a stocked freezer and pantry and be helpful and hurtful all at the same time...

For example:

Husband: Do we have anything to make for dinner?
Wife: I think we have some odds and ends, but I don't really know. (i.e. can't we just go get something? like pickles?)
Husband: Hmmm well what's in there?

THEN you make a dinner that he LOVES with crap from the freezer. He is going to get spoiled!

I had:

Chicken thighs
Homemade spaghetti sauce
Cheese ravioli
Green beans

I thawed the chicken for about an hour in some water in the sink. Once it was thawed I put salt and pepper on it and started it in the skillet in a little oil.
Once the chicken was nice and browned and almost finished, I removed it from the pan. At this point I had water almost to a boil. I threw the green beans into the skillet with the chicken jus and the oil and let them get going.
I thawed the sauce in the microwave in a bowl while all this was going on.

Once the water was boiling, I tossed the ravioli in the pot and put the chicken back in the skillet to finish cooking.

The finish product came out like this:
And dammit, it was really tasty.

Now he will expect magic meals to appear on the table with no grocery shopping all the time!

Using what's in your pantry.. Part 1

2010-06-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have written about the advantages of using what's in your pantry before... but I wanted to provide another example or 2...

Last Friday, Lee and I decided we wanted some yummy steaks for dinner. Lee stopped on the way home to get the steaks and I went rummaging through the pantry to see what I could throw together on the side..
I had:
New potatoes
Red bell pepper
Onion
Garlic

HEY! Roasted veggies it is!
I turned the oven on to 425 degrees, tossed the potatoes, onions, and bell pepper chunks in a little olive oil, ran outside and snipped some rosemary, and minced the garlic and tossed it all together. Whala! 35 minutes later the veggies were soft and flavorful.

Someday I shall cook..

2010-06-18T09:57:00.001-07:00

Lee traveled Mon, Tues, and Wed. So Monday I made Chicken Spaghetti for Donald and I. It was fantastic!

However, my stomach was not excited when I ate leftovers the next night. Dang.

Anywhoo - all i want in the whole wide world right now are these:

Fried Pickles.

Please?

Lee is also traveling this next week on Mon, Tues, and Wed - so not much cooking again. Sorry....

Dinner - the only time this week...

2010-06-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

This week I have failed on cooking - except for Sunday.

I made lasagna for Lee's mother's birthday dinner. I would have loved to have made my mom's, but hers is a 2 day affair and I didn't have the time for that. Instead I looked to my next source for home cookin... Pioneer Woman!

I didn't get a photos during all the commotion, but it turned out pretty much like her photo...
Make this. Then eat the leftovers.
MAN.

Pioneer Woman's Lasagna..

For dessert I made brownies with a salted caramel sauce (much like these) and they were wonderful as well!

All in all, great dinner. And great left over!

Ice cream is your friend

2010-05-31T08:38:00.001-07:00

It's just not friends with your hips...

We have aquired many gizmo's and gadets the last few weeks.. one being an Ice Cream Machine... they were half off at SurLaTable... and in purty colors. AND you got a $15 gift card! Um,..yes!
I chose the happy green color. I started with a vanilla base.. and then added about 6 thin mint cookies... Sorry for the blur - i may or may not have been hopping up and down when I took this...
Nom nom nom..

For Memorial Day BBQ at lee's parents - i will be making homemade blackberry cobbler..
I wonder what Pioneer Woman is making?

Sprouting...

2010-05-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

We have some tomatoes on the vines out there, and the zuccini squash is HUGE (although I just learned you have to stick your finger in the flowers and "screw your squash" to get it to make a veggie... ew.) but the only thing we have harvested is 2 tiny strawberries...My basil is growing-ish and the oregano is taking it's sweet time...OreganoBasil.
And the sprouting baby is this size this week. (a plumb)I hate the word fetus. Ick.

More spaghetti? Yes.

2010-05-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

I will have to write this down, but my major pregnancy nom has been for marinara sauce. In all forms... meatless, meaty, spicy, cheesy. Doesn't really matter...Lee was gone all day yesterday helping someone paint their house, so I knew when I went to the store that I was having spaghetti for dinner. I grabbed a little ground chuck so I could meaty up my sauce. HEB had a deal that if you bought a jar of sauce, you got a bag of pasta for free. I had used half the bag for the truffle pasta, so I already had pasta and a jar of sauce at home. I love homemade sauce, but when it's just me... i didn't see the issue in a jar. I also don't buy Prego or Hunt's or something, i grab something interesting that i can add spice too. Keeping a jar of tasty pasta sauce around is a really good idea. You never know when you will need it...
I also had some left over mushrooms from the truffle pasta and added that in.

Whala - spaghetti for one (and 1/2? 1/4? it's the size of a plum so...)

Summer Lovin

2010-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

Houston summers are brutal. When you get an evening that you can stand outside for more than 3 minutes without sweating profusely, you have to take advantage. My mom and pops visited this weekend and while Lee was grilling some seriously awesome chicken, I noticed it was quite nice outside. I ran inside and grabbed a tablecloth and went about getting us set up to eat outside. Later, my mom told me she thought that was just wonderful.
We sat outside for about 5 hours, listening to music, talking, and eating.

A wonderful southern meal of bbq chicken, potatoes, and baked beans.
No i didn't make them, too short of notice, but the Bush's worked just fine...

These potatoes are a bit of a family tradition when grilling. I used my veggie chopper from Williams Sonoma to get the potatoes chopped the same size, then used it to spare my fingernails from jalapeno juice!

Basically, you take about 5 or 6 good size potatoes (yukon gold is what i used. russet will work too) and chop them into cubes. Lay out a good about of foil to make a pouch for all this, and put the potatoes inside. Then dice about 1/2 an onion (or more depending on your eye and mood) and throw those in the mix. Dice one or 2 jalapenos (no seeds!!! unless you want some extra heat) and add those to the potatoes and onions. Mix around a little to get everything incorporated. Pour about 1/4 cup of water into the pouch. We have found this keeps everything from sticking. Then season with salt and pepper, and I added a little Cachery's (cajun seasoning). I also cut up about 1/2 stick of butter and layered that on top. Close up the pouch and throw it on a hot grill for about 30 minutes. You can move it over to indirect heat while grilling your meat, it should be fine. This is why you want the cubes smallish, so they cook quickly.
Lee did all this on a charcoal Weber, and it was some of the best chicken he has made in years. It was nice to get off the gas grill (since it's broken!) and get some good ole fashioned charcoal grilled bbq chicken.

Things are beginning to go back to normal

2010-05-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

I have been cooking, but nearly as much as I used to. Some of this is due to how dadgum tired I am when I get home from work, and I either don't cook or I cook something easy like Turkey Tacos... which I have posted about more than once! Other reasons are Lee traveling more for his job, which I think sucks.

So when I DO cook, I am trying my best to go for stuff I haven't made before.

Of all places, I found a recipe at the grocery store when a lady in a kiosk was making that something that smelled wonderful. Then she said the word "truffle" and I halted in my tracks and went to see what she was up to.
Tuscan Pasta with Truffle Cream

um, YUM! I grabbed the recipe card and set about making this at home for Lee, but with my own added twists.

Ingredients:8oz pasta (whichever shape, I used a small curly pasta, but Fettucini would be yum...)
1/2 jar White Truffle Cream
EVOO
1 shallot, finely chopped
8oz (1 cup) heavy cream
2 chicken breasts
1/2 package mushrooms

Start your water for boiling, adding a little salt.
Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat with some EVOO. Season chicken with salt and pepper, maybe a little Italian herbs. Cook in skillet until just cooked through, about 5-7 minutes each side.

Remove chicken and throw about 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook until soft and browned. Add truffle cream and stir to blend.
(check on your water about now...)Add heavy cream and lower heat to medium and cook until sauce has thickened to desired consistency.
Slice chicken and add back into mixture and stir well to incorporate, cook until chicken is heated through and done.

Drain pasta and ladle into bowls. Top with chicken mixture and watch as your guests eyes roll back into their heads!

Preggo Spaghetti

2010-05-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

Apparently, my little fetus (eeek that word is just not pretty) really wants to have an italian mother.

For the past 2 weeks, all I want all the time is spaghetti!

Yesterday for lunch I had spaghetti with simple meat sauce. It was awesome.

Tonight - after a great walk - I got home thinking about what to make myself for dinner since Lee is out.

Here is where I saw the bad side to keeping a well stocked pantry.

I had everything I needed to make a down and dirty, college kid red sauce. And frozen ravioli in the freezer to boot. (where did they come from? no idea).

After seeing all these ingredients, I knew there was no going back to grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Here is my improv on red sauce in a pinch.

Ingredients:

1 - 16 oz can tomato sauce

2 cloves of garlic

1/3 of an onion (or less, just whatever you like)

1 palm-full of italian seasoning

pepper

pinch of salt (check the can for sodium. may want to just add salt on your plate if you need it)

9-12 ravioli (yes, i counted!)

Start water for ravioli.

Chop onion. Drizzle oil in skillet and throw in onion once the pan is warmed up. Grate garlic with a microplane into skillet (this is my all time favorite way to use garlic).

Once these 2 are happy and acquainted, add the italian seasoning and pep

per. Stir around until you are dancing around the kitchen with the smell!

Add tomato sauce and stir.

Meanwhile, the water should be ready. Add ravioli to water. It only cooks about 7 minutes, which is enough time for the sauce to heat through.

Drain ravioli and add to bowl. Pour as much red sauce as you can possibly stand over the ravioli. Sprinkle with a smidge of cheese.

Whala! 20 minute decent spaghetti, and it was only about 400 calories!

I love marinara (can't you tell?)

I am sure this would have been good over plain spaghetti or whatever pasta you have on hand.

Baby Nash sure knows what it wants. I guess I should be happy it's something that I happen to love.

I better brush my teeth before Lee gets home - that garlic is strong!

Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies

2010-05-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

I am loving Sunset Magazine these days and this recipe caught my attention. I made them Friday night and took them to Jennifer and Dave's for their impromptu crawfish boil, they were a hit.
Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
Makes 8 oversized brownies
Chewy, big enough to share!

1/2 cup of butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup cocoa
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 8 muffin cups.
(note: i only had a 12 cup cupcake pan, so mine were a little smaller...)
Microwave 1/2 cup butter in a heatproof bowl to melt. Add chocolate and stir until melted. Add sugar and cocoa, stir. Whisk in eggs, vanilla, and salt. Add flour and stir until smooth. Spoon batter into cups.
Using a small spoon, make a depression in each portion of batter about 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch deep. Spoon 1 tbsp Nutella into each.
Bake about 20 - 25 minutes and cool on wire rack.

YUM.

No Mr. Nash Week

2010-04-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

I won't really be cooking this week, other than soup and salad and GRILLED CHEESE.
Sorry. got excited.

Lee is in a conference all week until at least 10pm each night so I am left to eat simple food. I am positive one night will include PW's Bacon Spinach Salad.. but otherwise I see alot of soup and GRILLED CHEESE's in my future this week.

Oh, other than Tuesday when Carl is cooking for Donald's birthday.

But seriously, the rest of the week - GRILLED CHEESE!
(and treadmills!)

Donald's Meatloaf

2010-04-13T16:17:00.001-07:00

Donald loves meatloaf.
So last night as an early birthday, I made him meatloaf, potatoes, and green beans.
I thought it was one of my best meatloafs so far...However, no matter how yummy the meatloaf may be...
Do NOT serve it to your husband the very next night after you made a Julia Child recipe. Just doesn't have the same ring to it...
(and I ran out of bacon for the green beans since I used it all the previous night. oops.)

Beouf Bourguignon

2010-04-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

Sunday I went and bought the book... and I did it.
I made Julia Child's Beouf Bourguignon.

It was fabulous.... worth all the time and effort it took..

Garden Time

2010-04-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

Around the Nash household, spring has sprung in many ways! One of them being our garden.

This week Lee and Bo built a garden bed. Then Saturday we went to Lowes and spent a bazillion dollars on dirt and compost. After filling in the bed, Donald and I ran up to Home Depot and got the veggie plants. Lowes sucks at plants, btw.
Here is the finished product!
Last year, we tried bell peppers and that didn't work out. So if it looks like we have alot of onions, well that is something I buy every trip to the store so I thought it would be nice to pluck one out of my own garden! We have 4 different types of tomatoes - Early Girl, Beefsteak, Cherry, and Solarfire.
The radishes are seedlings, so we'll see if they pop up or not!
I already had the rosemary in another pot and transplanted it. I am hoping it is really happy in this spot!
Teddy was a major helper:I will keep taking progress photos as things begin to bloom!

A-HA!

2010-04-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

I had an AHA moment the other day.

Most of the recipes I cook are from magazines or the internet, and then I start messing with them to make them my own. But I normally need the recipe right in front of me because I don't really memorize things.For instance, I have made my chocolate chip cookies about 1 billion times, still need the recipe.
I have a knife magnet over the oven and all it holds is one knife. I have a chip clip that for some reason unknown to me, has a magnet on it.
AHA!The chip clip now holds the recipe above the oven for quick reference!
Like that pink paper? We bought that 5 YEARS AGO to make programs for the wedding.
And I still have a good 50 sheets. So i print stuff on it that I am trying. If it works out, I re-type it into my cook book format and it goes in my binder.
The binder... that is a post for another time...
Oh and about 5 minutes after I took this photo I broke the pretty measuring spoons hanging on the cabinet.
Then cried.
It's been that kind of weekend folks...

Anyway, the recipe up there is Pasta with Bacon and Peas.
Verdict: good. Something happened and it got a little dry - like the cream didn't really coat the noodles. But, it was tasty and I may try it again.
However, it was similar to a wonderful Pioneer Woman recipe, Pasta with Mushrooms... so maybe these recipes should get married? Just add a few peas to Pdub's recipe and you got it!

My Kitchen

2010-04-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning up the kitchen today, before cooking dinner (because I can't start dinner without cleaning the kitchen first!) and it dawned on me how much I love my kitchen. See, I live in a little 1,165 square foot bungalow about 10 minutes from downtown.. yet with what we paid for it, we could have a nice 2,500 square foot house in the burbs.
But we don't like the burbs.Not to live there and drive in from anyway.

So when we got this house, I knew that with the kitchen size and living room size, we would be happy here. Through bathroom renovations, kitchen renovations, and misc house issues and tasks, this little house has really become ours. All that is left is to paint the brick and put in a new driveway.Here is my kitchen "BEFORE":Original 1954 cabinets and counter (yellow tile!). I livened it up with some blue paint, that I quite honestly miss a little! It was fun! We took down the big upper cabinets and put up shelving so display my bright plates. Notice: No Dishwasher.
After:
I had been using my butcher block on the right side of the oven before for extra counter space. Now that I have real counter space on that side now, I can use this for it's intended purpose! My grandfather built it by hand and I love it. I wanted the open look of the shelving but EGADS the dust it accumulated! So glass doors helped with that feel. Originally the little upper cabinet by the back door should have had glass but something happened when putting up the cabinets. So this is my cook book cabinet. This is one of the original photos I took after it was done. There are dog food containers under the butcher block now, and blinds over the windows, but this is my home. I am in here about 75% of my time. Watching tv, cooking, baking, cleaning, drinking coffee. It's MY ROOM. Next thing we need is a new dining table. We are thinking of the pub height, but then the bench wouldn't be sat on... hmmmm....
While I long for a spacious master bedroom that I can put a pretty chair in to sit on and put on shoes... I will settle since I have my kitchen.

Dinner with Kelly and Clark

2010-04-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last night Kelly and Clark wanted to cook for us, since I am always cooking for them. Well thanks to the Easter Holiday, lamb is on sale all over town. So Clark was in charge of the lamb and Kelly made a wonderful sundried tomato risotto and roasted asparagus!Lola took her spot under the table, as always...They had picked up some cupcake and cannoli's from Whole Foods for dessert. Our consensus was that they were made last week - very dry!

This week's easy dinners..

2010-03-31T17:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday, I took a pork loin from the freezer and threw it in a baggie in some marinade, and let it thaw in the fridge over night.

By the time I was ready to cook it on Monday night, it was good to go.

This is super easy and very hands off, so you can do other ~~chores~~ things while

it's in the oven.

I cut about 8 baby red potatoes in half, cubed a large onion, and cut up some carrot

s into medium chunks. I spread this in the pan with a little oil, salt, pepper, and Cacherey's, laid the pork on top, and roasted for about 45 min in a 400 degree oven.

Whala!

Tuesday night I got home and started homemade pizza dough. This is the easiest thing ever, and you will never look back.

Ingredients:

1 cup very hot water

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 packet Rapid Rise yeast

a few pinches of salt

2 tablespoons oil

more all purpose flour (about 1/2 cup total)

Combine the 2 cups of flour, yeast, salt, and water in a large bowl. Start mixing together, and add oil. Start kneading in the bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of flour, to make the dough get a little softer and smoother.

Lay on a flour surface and knead about 5 minutes. Cover with a clean kitchen towl and let rest for 10 minutes. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees.

While it's resting you can start preparing your other pizza ingredients.

I like to sautee about 1/2 onion with 2 cloves of garlic, then add in 3/4 of a 12oz can of crushed tomatoes. Once that gets bubbly I turn the heat off and add about 4 spoonfulls of pesto (I like the Buitoni brand).

Around now your dough is ready. Roll it out to fit your pizza stone (if cooking on the grill) or pizza pan. spread sauce on your dough (as much as you like. I tend to add alot of sauce!)

Next add your toppings. I decided to use some left over smocked chicken from Sunday night, then the left over mini-mozz balls from last week's dinner (i cut them in half) and about 1/4 bag of 2% shredded mozzarella cheese.

Sprinkle a little salt, pepper, and italian seasoning on top and pop in the oven about 15 min or so...

Done!

I also served this with a salad, which we have been having before every meal this week. It helps fill you up. Oh, and a bottle of Skinney Girl margarita. YUM.

Tonight, Lee is out at a work function so I am on my own. Trying to use up more of that chicken, I chopped up part of the chicken breast, and tossed it with lettuce and caesar dressing.

Now I am watching my guilty pleasure shows while drinking a little white wine with sleeping puppies on the sofa.

Eating what's on hand

2010-03-29T15:41:00.000-07:00

It's sort of amazing what you can do when you just look through your pantry and your fridge and freezer. Saturday night, we didn't really want to go anywhere to eat, so I had to get creative. I had all the things to make a pizza, but Lee wasn't feeling that. I kept digging around and happened to have all the ingredients to make a stirfry and some sesame noodles on the side.
This is one of Lee's favorite stir frys, and he loved the sesame noodles on the side as a change to rice.

Ingredients:

5 chicken thighs, cut into chunks/strips (i had from the freezer)
1 red bell pepperbok choy
onion
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
For the sauce:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
And for the noodles:
(Pioneer Woman's Sinfully Good Sesame Noodles!)

Start by getting everything cut up and ready to go, that way you aren't rushed..Mix your sauce as well.
Start your water for the noodles, and mix your sauce.
Next, put the oil in the skillet and let it get a little hot, then throw in the chicken. Add a little salt and pepper. Let the chicken get nice and browned, then remove to a bowl.
Next add in the onion and bell pepper. Once that gets a little softened, throw in the garlic, ginger, and bok choy. Your house will start to smell gooooood!
(check on your noodle water!)Once that is all softened and wilted (about 5 min), and just about ready to serve, throw the chicken back in. Let that get heated back up and toss in the sauce. It should start to thicken nicely.
By now the noodles should be done, so toss them with your sauce in a large bowl.
Serve a little of the noodles in a bowl with the stir fry on top.
YUM!
(Sorry, didn't get a photo of it in the bowls. I was hungry)Note: this was all stuff I had around the house. Throw in green beans, carrot, whatever you have into your stir fry. Mine is never the same way twice!

Week continued...

2010-03-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

Blogger is acting strange so I have to continue this post..

Wednesday we had folks over so I made another crowd pleaser. This one is easy to make, although keeps you running around alot, and looks like you worked really hard.
Another Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meal..

Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Sausage Meatballs

2 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes
1 tub bocconcini, bite size fresh mozzarella in w ater
2 pounds Italian hot or sweet fresh chicken, turkey or pork sausage, bulk if available
1 1/2 pounds broccolini
1 head garlic
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock or milk
1 tub grated Pecorino Romano
1 tub good quality fresh pesto from the refrigerated cases of the market

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Quarter baby potatoes and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then salt water and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

While potatoes come up to a boil, place a nonstick baking sheet alongside a mixing bowl. Remove 12 pieces of bite sized mozzarella from the water and set on work surface. Remove sausages from casings, if bulk not available, and place in a bowl. Combine the meat into a single mound then score it into 4 sections. Each section will yield 3 large sausage meatballs. To form each ball, take a handful of meat and wrap it around a piece of mozzarella. Roll 12 balls. Wash up. Coat balls with a drizzle of olive oil. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through and evenly browned.

While the balls are cooking, trim ends of clean broccolini and scatter evenly over a baking sheet. Grate or chop 2 to 3 cloves of garlic and drizzle the broccolini and garlic with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and roast 12 to 15 minutes to crisp the broccolini tops.

While the broccolini is roasting, add tomatoes to a small pot or skillet, mash with a potato masher and season with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat then simmer to reduce about 8 to 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, drain and return to the hot pot to dry them out a little. Mash the potatoes with 1/2 cup stock or milk, 1/2 to 2/3 cup grated Romano cheese, a few generous handfuls, lots of black pepper and a little salt.

Turn the heat off the tomatoes and stir in 1/2 cup prepared pesto.

Serve three cheese-stuffed sausage balls with tomato-basil sauce on top or underneath, cacio e pepe smashed potatoes and broccolini alongside.

**I have found it really hard to find just plain chicken sausage. So I have substituted this with ground turkey (just made a regular meatball recipe) or beef. I will say, I don't think the beef is the best way to go at all. And if you find the sausage, it's the best way to go.
This photo is from the website, but I made it exactly as it is stated above, but forgot to take a picture because we were hungry!

For dessert I made Strawberry Parfaits:These are easy. All you do is take heavy whipping cream and add a few teaspoons of sugar and whip until thick (but don't make butter!). Then you make a smaller batch with a little extra sugar and 2 teaspoons (or so) of cocoa. I just added until it tasted the way I wanted. Then you just layer with strawberries. It is nice and light(tasting) and doesn't make you feel full like chocolate cake.
Though I LOVE chocolate cake...
Anywhoo, my friend Jimmy made these for us once, using Splenda. However, I was out of splenda.
Still was yummy!

Week o' Cooking

2010-03-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

I cooked a lot this week.
I really did.

And I was so busy I couldn't post about it!

Sunday: I made Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast. Holy crap it's good. I have made it a good 5 times now. Perfect Sunday meal.Monday I made: Beef with Spicy Cocoa Gravy. I found this in a cooking light magazine many moons ago and it's always a hit.
Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons cumin

1 ½ teaspoons chili powder

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 ½ teaspoons oregeno

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ pounds cubed steak

½ cup flour

½ cup onion chopped

½ cup green bell pepper

½ cup red wine

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, fire roasted if you can find them

2 cups beef broth

salt and pepper

Egg noodles to serve underneath….

Combine cocoa and all spices. Toss with beef in a bowl. Remove beef from bowl, leaving left over seasonings. Add flour to bowl, add beef and toss again.

Heat a little olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add beef and sauté over medium-high heat 5 minutes. Remove beef from pan. Add onion and green bell pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Add red wine and tomatoes, cook 3 minutes. Stir in beef broth, some salt and pepper, and return meat to pan. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Wonderful on a cold night!

Then on Tuesday night I whipped up another recipe that is a favorite around here. It's a Rachael Ray actually. I have found that her "30 minute meals" from Food Network are better than her show (please stop with the burgers already!) and her books.

Italian Barbequed Chicken

Ingredients

4 bone-in chicken thigh and leg or chicken breasts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons grill seasoning
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 thick cut slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 to 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup quick cooking polenta
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmiginao-Reggiano
Torn fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, poultry seasoning, and grill seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet and brown the chicken a few minutes on each side to put some of it's flavor and drippings into the pan then transfer to oven and roast 15 minutes more or until juices run clear. Meanwhile, add 1 more tablespoon olive oil to the pan and cook pancetta or bacon, if using, until crisp. Add onions, garlic and rosemary, cook 5 minutes then add the vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup chicken stock, reduce heat to low and let sauce simmer 5 minutes more.

Bring remaining 1 1/2 cups stock and milk to a boil, whisk in polenta and season with salt and pepper. Whisk polenta 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens, stir in butter and cheese, remove from heat.

Remove chicken from oven and turn in barbecue sauce. Fill shallow bowls with polenta Top with chicken, spoon extra sauce over chicken and garnish with some torn basil leaves.

I served this with Orzo, rather than polenta. But it's good either way.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-03-21T15:37:00.000-07:00

Oh man, I didn't realize it had been so long since I updated with a recipe!

This week I made my speedy version of Tortilla Soup. Lee LOVED it.

Weeknight Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded.

1 cup frozen corn

1 red bell pepper, sliced and seeded

1 teaspoon poultry season

1 teaspoon cumin

1 zucchini diced small

1 onion, chopped

3 gloves garlic, chopped

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and diced

28 oz can tomato puree

5 cups chicken stock

Tortilla chips

Shredded cheese

Avacado sliced

Sour cream

Cilantro

In the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven, drizzle a little olive oil and sautee onions and garlic, until onion gets soft. Add in vegetables and seasoning and peppers. Cook until veggies are softened. Add in tomato puree and chicken stock and bring to a bubble, simmer 20 min. Salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and simmer 10 more minutes, to let chicken heat through.

Serve in a deep bowl with tortilla chips in the bottom, sprinkle cheese on top!

Avacado and sour cream optional.

Give me Mexican Breakfast NOW!

2010-03-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

Look - I am from East Texas. I love all things Tex Mex. I don't eat celery and peanut butter in an effort to be skinny. I yam what I yam you know?

So this morning, I woke up to the beautiful sound of the barking dogs next door. Again. So after rolling around in bed for an hour, saying bad words and generally complaining, I was hungry.

For mexican food.

Like, now.

So after digging around for places to go, I remembered where the best breakfast place is when you are in this mood.

Mama's Cafe!

They are known for the extremely large breakfast tacos they serve. I, however, can't stop eating the eggs benedict.

Before you ask why - let me show you.

{please excuse the blurry photo. I was excited ok?}

What we have here is a failure to communicate!

Oops. This is not Cool Hand Luke.

What we have here is eggs benedict covered in QUESO, hashbrowns, and refried beans. And SALSA!

Woohoo!

I almost got up and asked the chef what the heck was in those beans but then I figured it out.

Crack.

Good to know.

"Sticky" chicken wings, broccoli, and rice.

2010-02-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I made something, mainly to empty some chicken out of the freezer. I got the idea from Martha's magazine this month (the food one.)
It was pretty tasty, but needed some spice, maybe a good squirt of Siracha or a spoon full of garlic chili sauce.It was perfect to get rid of some chicken wings I have had frozen a good while. They weren't as sticky as the photo in her magazine but trust me, they were messy enough!

Lee said "I knew you were the one when I saw you eat wings like a man at Sports Shack."

Awww, true love right there folks.

Meatballs, stewed green beans, and taters

2010-02-27T15:10:00.000-08:00

Monday night, I was feeling a good, southern meal. My mom was still here and I wanted to make a nice big meal for her. I had no idea she would love it so much!

I served BBQ Meatballs (thank you Pioneer Woman), stewed green beans, and steamed fingerling potatoes.
Looks like she felt the need to re-post this recipe this week. They really are that good. The thing I do different is that rather than pour the sauce on top, I dab them about 20 minutes into the cooking, then again before serving. I mean, why waste this awesome sauce getting charred on the bottom of the casserole dish right?
(my thighs agree!)

For the green beans, I just diced some onion, garlic, tomato, and bacon - sauteed it all in a sauce pot until soft, then threw in green beans and about 2 cups (or almost enough to cover the beans) of chicken broth and let it cook, nearly an hour. Lee likes his green beans totally soft and almost mushy. Quote: "Always make these green beans. Always."

Potatoes - simmered in a steam basket on the stove about 1/2 hourish. Served with a little butter.I had a little meat left over so I froze it for an emergency or something.
Mom wanted to drink the bbq sauce out of the bowl, it is THAT GOOD! I substitute 1/2 of the ketchup called for with chili sauce. It just adds a little something (to my thighs).

Weekend Eating - Mom's in town!!

2010-02-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

My mom is here visiting, and I have not seen her for 7 months! So we took on the town while she was here and ate alot of food!
Friday: We had Baby Barnaby's for breakfast/brunch before her hair appointment at Traci Scott with Justin, my hair guru.She had the breakfast tacos with chorizo and I had huevos rancheros. Yum! And not too terrible heavy either.
For dinner we went to Tia Maria's and had margaritas (and fajitas).
Saturday: Off to the Galleria we go! We stopped at Gigi's Dumpling house for lunch, which I had never been to. The prices were reasonable and the food was YUM! We had a shrimp/crab dumpling and chicken-ginger dumplings. My mom snapped a photo with her camera, I need to get it from her. They have all you can eat dim-sum on the weekends for $15 a person and it's totally worth it.
Dinner: We went off to Gravitas in the Downtown/Montrose area. I have been here many times for brunch but never for dinner. We had a really nice time!{image: kellyniemannphotography.}

We started off with stuffed calamari - which was grilled and stuffed with scallop mousse and lemongrass. It had a small salad of tempura green beans and some baby spinach on the side. Man o man was this yummy! It went perfect with our pino grigio. Then we both ordered the market catch - Flounder. It was served over a bed of mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and green beans. It had a nice rich marsala type sauce over it as well.We finished off the meal with a little dessert - Chocolate Fondant with ice cream. We felt we needed a magnifying glass to see it!But it was still tasty!
Sunday: I had to take her to Canopy for eggs benedict. The BEST.
Sunday night I made the turkey tacos I just posted about. Very yummy and light.

Tonight is a basic meal - meatballs, potatoes, and green beans.

Fake-out: Pulled turkey tacos

2010-02-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

Last night I tried a new recipe from Food & Wine magazine that was very similar to the pulled pork shoulder we just did. I like the alternative to all the fat that is in pork. It turned out REALLY well! My only add would be to put some whole chipotle's in the mix to simmer so you get that flavor into the meat. Otherwise, I am totally making these again!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Two 1-pound bone-in turkey thighs or drumsticks, skin and fat removed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium white onion, cut into 1-inch dice, plus minced white onion, for serving
1 large oregano sprig
1 large jalapeño—stemmed, seeded and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
1 ancho chile—stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped or torn
One 2-inch cinnamon stick
One 12-ounce bottle Mexican dark beer, such as Modelo Negro
1 cup water
1/2 small can chipotles in adobo sauce, whole - not choppped
12 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs, for serving

Directions

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the turkey with salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat until richly browned all over, about 8 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the casserole along with the garlic, diced onion, oregano and jalapeño and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato, ancho and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring, until the tomato releases its juices.
Return the turkey to the casserole, add the beer and water and bring to a boil. Add chipotle's, cover and simmer over low heat, turning once, until the turkey thighs are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer the turkey to a plate and let cool. Discard the oregano sprig and cinnamon stick and boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 12 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Wrap the tortillas in foil and bake for about 8 minutes, until softened and heated through. Remove the turkey meat and shred it. Transfer the sauce to a food processor and puree. Return the sauce to the pot and stir in the shredded turkey. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the turkey onto the tortillas. Top with minced onion, sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs and serve.

(Per Food and Wine - 220 calories a taco)
(so i had 3)
(yum)

From this experience, stay with the thighs. The drumsticks were hard to shred.

Do yourself a favor and buy a bottle of Chipotle Tobasco ASAP. Best thing ever, especially on these tacos!

Souffle

2010-02-19T07:26:00.001-08:00

I attempted chocolate souffle for Valentines day and I think I would give myself a B if I was grading it!

I can't tell if either the dish was a little too large or I didn't quite whip and fold the whites correctly, but the texture was great. I need another recipe, as this one wasn't very rich to me.
But it was pretty tasty!

Fresh out of the oven (see how it isn't just bursting out of the dish?)

But the texture is right!
Yeah we hated it, can't you tell?Anyone else ever tried a souffle? I need a good recipe, and I will have to pick up a smaller dish it looks like!

Chipotle Pork Shoulder - Tacos

2010-02-17T12:03:00.001-08:00

Monday was Kelly's birthday. (and Laura's). Instead of the same ole steak and potatoes, we decided to do something much different. Kelly is a Texas girl through and through (except she doesn't like pecans... i am still stumped) so we went with tacos. We made a chipotle pork shoulder, which you shred and serve with corn tortillas. I tried making my own, something I have done a number of times, but it was just taking way way way too much time!
Thank you, Lee, for going to Randall's TWICE in one night.

The pork, shredded in a bowl with fixin's on the side (Sour cream and avacado):

My taco - with a little Chipotle Tobasco dabbed on (YUM):

Singing Happy Birthday (while Lee and I clean up in the background.)I hope you had a great birthday Kelly! (and Laura!)

Recipe:

Chipotle Pork Shoulder

Ingredients:

3 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 roma tomatoes diced

1 can (small) chipotle peppers in adobo

½ cup water

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

3 pound pork shoulder

Oven: 300

In a large skillet, or dutch oven, cook onions and garlic a good 15 minutes, until sweet to taste. Generously salt and pepper pork shoulder. Place meat on top of onions and garlic in dutch oven or oven proof large pot. Just thrown in entire can of chipotle chilis and adobo sauce ( no chopping…), and rest of ingredients. Add a little more salt and pepper.

Place foil over top of pot, or lid on dutch oven, cook for 3 – 4 hours. Don’t touch it, just let it do it’s thing.

Once finished, discard bay leaf and remove meat to bowl and shred. You can add a spoonful of the veggies in if you like. Note that the juices will be pretty spicy so keep tasting as you add juices/veggies into the shredded meat.

Awesome served on warm corn tortillas with a little sour cream and Tabasco.

(We made this the day before because of time and it was just as awesome)

Fresh veggies

2010-02-03T18:09:00.001-08:00

No cooking this week, and off to vacation!

What's for dinner?

2010-01-29T07:29:00.000-08:00

I had no idea last night. I hopped in my loaner Mini (standard as well. A little stressful!) and was on the way home when I turned my head and saw "Hebert's Meats" and had a great idea.
They are famous here in Houston for deboned stuffed chickens. Specifically the chicken stuffed with crawfish dressing. So I ran inside, grabbed one for $12, and got back in the car. Less than a 5 min stop.

You put it in a dish, plop it in the oven for an hour, and that's it.

I steamed some potatoes and broccolini to serve on the side.

Lee got home, peeked in the oven, and said "ALRIGHT!"
Needless to say, this chicken is a crowd pleaser.

That was my answer to dinner.

I have found it is beyond helpful to keep your pantry and fridge stocked with basic veggies. This week that has led me to throw together 3 dishes without a visit to the store (ignore the chicken I had to buy above). Along with veggies, i keep chicken in the freezer along with some frozen veggies, and rice and pasta in the cupboard. It really helps you throw together something in a pinch.

Stuffed Poblanos

2010-01-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

Monday night, AKA Donald Night, I had everything I needed to make this dish. We had picked up the poblanos the week before and never gotten around to using them. I have a bag of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer at all times for emergency dinners. This week that bag helped me make this and a stir fry, without any trips to the store! I honestly have not been to the store in over a week. Pretty cool...

Anyway, back to this.

First up - preheat the oven to 425. De-seed the peppers and put in a baking dish with non stick spray:These will cook until soft, about 30 minutes-ish.
While those were in the oven, I slowly cooked 3 (thawed) chicken breasts in the skillet with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Once those were just about cooked, I pulled them onto the butcher block and sliced them pretty small.
I added a little oil to the same skillet and thew in some onion. After that got a little brown I added some garlic. My new favorite way to add garlic to a dish is to grate it with my microplane. I like that you get the flavor but you don't end up with a stray chunk of garlic in your mouth. P-yew!After those cook down a bit, add the chicken back in and let it cook a few minutes, till they get to know one another.
By this point, you should have peppers finished up:

Now is the fun part. You will stuff the peppers with the chicken mixture and some cheese. I chose pepper jack, for a little extra kick. Poplanos have a subtle heat, they aren't really all that spicy.
However, after seeding them, i scratched my nose, not pleasant. So still wash your hands well after you deal with these!!
After you stuff them, pop them back in the oven for about 15 minutes, just to let everything get melted together.
Like so:
I had a little extra chicken so i threw it off to the side.
Since I worked all day, I used a little help from Uncle Ben on the rice (the microwave pouch spanish rice!), and I heated up some black beans in a sauce pot, threw in about a 1/4 cup cream and squished them really good with the potato masher.
And whala - pretty simple dinner that is super yummy!
I have a photo of the finished product but it is a little blurry. Don't worry, Donald and Lee demanded I make this again. I will get another photo!

Just a photo

2010-01-22T15:02:00.001-08:00

I haven't cooked much this week, but I was just chopping some parsley for something and looked at my butcher block and thought - hmm photo!

Vietnamese Cooking Class

2010-01-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Lee put a piece of paper in my stocking showing he had purchased us a cooking class at Sur La Table to learn Vietnamese Cuisine. How exciting!
First let me show you the kitchen:
Pretty nifty, very tidy. The tv's show what is happening at the prep counter and stove. It is video taped. That's scary when you are up there helping...

Yes we have wine.
Hi have we met?

I dig those huge butcher block tables. I wanted to steal one but our car isn't big enough.
Drats. The chalkboard is fun. I might paint some of our wall in our next kitchen chalkboard.
First we marinated the pork and the catfish for later on in the evening.
Wait let me back up. We had 4 other people there. A 10th grade boy who enjoys to cook, a couple and her client that were all energy traders. The boy was cool.
The energy traders were the most annoying people I have met in recent times.

Her: I can barely boil water! ha!
Me: wtf?

After marinating the meats, we start the fish sauce. This was harder than it had to be because chica could not use a mortar and pestle. I just chugged my wine and watched.
They also didn't seem to realize how sweet fish sauce should be and it got a little fubar'd because she had such a rough time grinding garlic and sugar into a paste.

Me: wtf?

Fish Sauce Recipe:
3 Thai bird chilis or serrano's - or to taste if you are afraid of spicy
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of sugar
2/3 cup of water
1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
5 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons shredded carrots for garnish, optional

Cut the chili's into thin rings. Remove one-third of the chilies and set aside for garnish (we didn't do that.) Place the remaining chiles, garlic ,and sugar into a mortar and pound into a coarse, wet paste. Transfer to a small bowl and add water, lime, and fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve. Add carrots and set aside 10 minutes before serving.

I chopped the chili's and got compliments on my knife skills. That made me feel good!

Then we moved on to spring rolls. These were freaking tasty!
Let's star with the recipe:

3/4 cup dried ear mushroom (or whatever you can find)
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushroom
6 ounces ground pork
6 ounces medium prawns, pureed in a food processor until minced
2 ounces bean thread noodles (glass noodles)
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 carrot, peeled and cut into julienne slices
1/2 small onion, very thinly sliced
4 small shallots, minced
4 small garlic cloves, minced
1 handful cilantro and mint leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce
12 crushed peppercorns, crushed in a mortar and pestle (i am sure you can just use coarse pepper)
2 eggs lightly beaten
Vegetable oil (or canola or peanut) - for frying
1 package 8 or 9 inch thin, round rice paper wrappers
3 tablespoons sugar

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes

Combine pork and prawns in a large bowl. Cover bean thread noodles with warm water and soak until soft. Once soft, drain well and cut into 2 inch lengths using scissors, add to pork mixture.

Add green onions and carrots into mixture.

Remove the tough center from the wood ear mushrooms and slice into very thin strips. Slice shiitake into thin strips, transfer mushrooms to bowl with pork. Add sliced onion, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, crushed peppercorns, and eggs. Stir until very well combined.

Fill a large bowl with warm water. Add the 3 tablespoons sugar into water and stir to dissolve. Dip the rice paper into water and turn to moisten completely. Lay rice sheet on a damp kitchen cloth. Wet another rice paper sheet and place it side by side - this allows you to work with one while the other sets.

Place one tablespoon (or a little more, eyeball it) of filling at the bottom of the wrapper, about 1 inch from the edge. Fold the sides and roll into a tight cylinder, about 2 1/2 inches long. Continue until all of the mixture has been used. Do not stack rolls. If a wrapper has a tear, reinforce it by patching with another small piece of rice paper.

Add enough oil to a large skillet with straight edges until it is 1 1/2 inches deep. Heat over medium heat until oil is 350 degrees. The oil is hot when you place the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil and bubbles develop quickly around the tip. Add the spring rolls without crowding and fry until evenly golden, 5 to 6 minutes

Transfer rolls to a paper towel lined tray and drain.

Serve with:
Lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber, bean sprouts, carrot, and mint leaves. You can use the lettuce and other veggies to wrap around the roll. Dip in fish sauce.

Here is my roll - I was proud!

Lee's is the one on the end... He needs a little practice!

After we snacked on those, we moved on to the pork dish. This was YUM!

Lemongrass Pork with Noodles and Herbs

2/3 pound small dried rice vermicelli (bun)
2 cups shredded red or green leaf lettuce
1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
1/3 cup cucumber, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup shiso or mint leaves, or a mixture of both, julienned
1/3 cup Asian basil leaves, julienned

2/3 pound country-style pork ribs, thinly sliced into bite-sized strips
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Bring large pot of water to boil. Add the rice noodles and stir gently to loosen. Cook until the noodles are white and soft but still slightly resilient, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Gently fluff the noodles and set them aside for at least 30 minutes. The noodles should be dry and sticky before serving.

Combine pork, lemongrass, oyster, and fish sauce in a medium bowl, let marinate 20 minutes.

Gently toss together the lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumbers, shiso, and basil leaves, Divide the salad mixture among 4 bowls. Top each one with one-quarter of the rice noodles. Set aside.

Preheat a grill pan over medium high heat. Brush with oil and grill the pork until cooked through, about 4 - 5 minutes total, depending on thickness.

Divide the pork over the 4 prepared bowls. Garnish with peanuts if you wish, and spoon fish sauce (from the spring rolls above) over the bowls for desired amount.

I omitted the bean sprouts, I just don't like them at all!

I didn't photo the fish meal because - it honestly wasn't very good. It was basically like the meal above, with catfish.

I can't wait to make these things again at home, and now I am hungry!!

White Chili

2010-01-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Last week, trying to take advantage of this cold snap, I made Pioneer Woman's White Chili.
It was ok. It was bland. I had to add Lawry's.
But it was hearty and warm and filling.
I don't think it will be made again, though.

Canopy - my review

2010-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday for Sunday Brunch - we tried out a new place that I have heard a little buzz about - Canopy.
When I first walked in, I was thrilled. I loved the decor, it was fresh and inviting and modern. The hostess was super friendly and we were seated right away.
My friend Lizzy and I both ordered the Eggs Benedict, and Lee ordered the Omlette. I was extremely happy with mine. I have recently been on an Eggs Benedict kick and this is one of my favorites. The sweet potato pancake underneath gave a hint of sweet and then the ham and chipotle flavors brought in a smoky balance.
Lee was happy with his Omlette, but said what he always says "it was good, but just an omlette."
Maybe he should branch out?

Saturday Night Football Dinner

2010-01-10T08:05:00.000-08:00

Still trying to stay on track for the Puerto Rico 15 pound challenge... last night we had grilled chicken and grilled veggies.
Lee basically grilled the chicken and basted it with BBQ sauce, and we have this cool wire basket that you can grill veggies or shrimp in.
While he was busy, I decided to cutesy up the table a bit and suprise him. This was one of those days where we spent the whole day together and I was feeling a little sweet on him.The lemon thing came to mind while in the store, and I thought of The Breakup. Didn't really like that movie, it was depressing, but the lemon thing was funny.
The barbeque sauce Lee used was Sweet Baby Rays and we really liked it. It was sweet and tangy, and not real smoky.

When all was said and done, dinner was wonderful and we ate it while we watched the Cowboys whip the Eagles!After dinner I whipped up some strawberry shortcake. The other day I pulled out the Betty Crocker cookbook, opened it to a recipe of Yellow Cake, and had all the ingredients. The store had strawberries on an awesome sale, and I had some whipping cream in the fridge.
Turned out YUMMY!

How to deal with leftovers

2010-01-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

At HEB they had this great deal - buy the fajita meat, get all the stuff on the side for free! So Monday night we had fajitas, but for leftovers on Wednesday, we did Fajita Salads.
Basically we heated up the meat and I sauteed a little more onion and pepper. Then we just put it over lettuce with a sprinkle of cheese and a dollop of guacamole. The dressing was just plain ole salsa. It was really good!

Sortof a diet dinner..

2010-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Depends on how you look at it!
NY Strip Steak (small portion)
Sauteed Baby Bok Choy
Whole Wheat Penne pasta alfredo

So maybe if you ignore the alfredo (butter, cream, and cheese... oh shit!) then it's healthy? I mean you need a little fat in any diet..I split a steak with Lee's sister, so that kept the portion down. That was a good move because Lee did a FANTASTIC job on these steaks and I could have eaten 3 of them.
The bok choy is so easy. You throw it in a skillet with some olive oil and garlic and sautee it until it's very wilted. Lee likes it very cooked.
Then the alfredo... not healthy. But I had the pasta and not any other real good ideas. So I thought this to be the equvilant of french bread on the table with butter.

Stop looking at me like that.

Ok - that's it.

2010-01-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Damn you 15 pounds that likes to hand around my midsection and laugh at me when I try putting on my skinny jeans! I declare WAR!

Lee and I got a Wii Fit Plus today and I am going to do at least an hour on it when I get home from work each day. Hopefully on weekends, weather permitting, I can also do some bike rides. Lee and I are trying to be less Couch Potato!

Also, this month's Martha Stewart Food is a good one to pick up. It's all light meals with the calories for each meal out to the side. So far I have tried 3 from the book and all got rave reviews.
Tonight I tried the Honey-Ginger Stir Fry. The only thing I changed was adding about a 1/2 tablespoon of chili-garlic sauce to add some spice. I also added Baby Bok Choy because it was at the grocery store, super cheap, and it is one of Lee's FAVORITE things!

Here is my butcher block before:
Super cute yellow bowl - part of a set I got at Target for $12 and they are all different colors.
And then here is the finished product:This was GREAT. I liked how you would get a little bite of ginger that would refresh your mouth, and then some sneaky heat from the chili sauce would get you - all wrapped up in a subtle sweetness from the honey.
YUM!
There is a shrimp stir fry on the same page I need to try - but then again - I really only like shrimp 2 ways - BBQ'd and boiled (peel and eat) so we'll see.
And I am so not made of money these days.

Chicken Brocooli Cassarole - Deconstructed

2010-01-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago (sorry!) I wasn't sure what to make for dinner. I started rummaging around the house and came upon all the ingredients for classic chicken, broccoli, cheese casserole. However, I didn't have the time to make the actual dish.
I remembered an episode of Top Chef where they made deconstructed dishes - basically having all the elements on your plate that make a classic dish.
I was a little short on broccoli so I threw in some french style green beans - and I don't think the taste was affected.
I used Campbell's Cheddar sauce for the cheese and I have to say I was disappointed. It just didn't have a good cheesy flavor. So next time, I am trying to think about what I would use for the cheese sauce - probably making my own!
But in the end - it was a good dish, filled us up, and was made from things just laying around in the fridge/freezer. This is the #1 reason I keep all kinds of veggies in the freezer! You can put together just about any dish you want.I basically cooked the chicken with salt, pepper, and cajun seasoning (Tony's!) very slowly in a skillet with the lid on it. The rice cooked in another pot, and then the cheese sauce, and then the veggies. Lots of pots. At one time, i had all 4 burners going! That was a downside to the "deconstructed" idea.

Christmas Party '09

2009-12-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

Last night was our 2nd Christmas party, co-hosted with the Putmans (Damon and Carlin). It was a fabulous time with great food and great friends.
Damon went full speed ahead and rented heaters! And what a great idea, we spent alot of time out here.
Carlin's beautiful tree
Ahhh yes, the food. So much food. Stuffed Mushrooms (in my o so tacky christmas dish!), dips, cheeses, and crackers.
Also a ham and rolls, and desserts. YUM!
The stuffed mushrooms were a hit. I must give cred to the awesome Pioneer woman! Recipe here: Stuffed Mushrooms

Lee's Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-12-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

I get a request for this all the time from Lee. And it's always good. Always.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
1 pkg No Yolks Egg Noodles (whichever size)
1 whole chicken, rinsed
1 stick of butter
2 chicken boullion cubes

GO!

Boil the chicken in a stock pot with water just enough to cover chicken. Remove chicken but for for goodness sakes don't dump all that broth down the sink! Skim the fat off the top. Bring the broth back to a boil and drop in the stick of butter and pretend you didn't.
Once the chicken is cool enough, pull all the meat you can off of it!
Drop in the boullion cubes and stir the broth around a bit. Add 4 cups of water.
Once this comes back to a boil, add the noodles.
Put the chicken back in at the end, and once it is all heated well, serve!

We put a little Lawry's or Tony's on it.you can use this same recipe and tear up 2 cans of biscuits and have Chicken and Dumplings!

Monday Night Dinner Tripled!

2009-12-19T15:24:00.000-08:00

Donald wasn't able to come over on Monday night because of something supposedly more important. But I made meatloaf anyway, his favorite. Ha. And served it to 3 of our dear friends. Double HA!
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans.
When it was all over, I turned to look at my kitchen on the way out the door the next morning and thought to myself "where's the kitchen cleaning fairy when you need one?"

The sink is full of dishes, the table covered in all our wine/water glasses. just a mess.
I was worn out from cleaning this up, made sad eyes at Lee, and we went out for dinner.
Love him!

Oreo Truffles

2009-12-13T14:52:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, an intern brought these to work and I almost fainted. They are good. Seriously yummy.
Last night, I made a batch to take to Jennifer's holiday party. Everyone asked me for the recipe and they are just so easy!

Ingredients:
1 package Oreos (original ones. not the weird ones they put out nowadays)
1 8oz package of cream cheese
1 package Almond Bark
4 oz dark chocolate

Directions:
In a large food processor, grind the oreos until they are dust!Add the cream cheese to the dust. Word to the wise - don't just throw the brick in there - you will get pretty frustrated! cut it up and push it into the dust with a spatula. Run the processor until no white traces of cream cheese remain.
Roll walnut sized balls and put on a cookie sheet.
Place them in the freezer for about an hour. This will keep them from falling apart when you dip them.
This part is tricky to me. If someone comes across an easy way, do tell!
Almond Bark - this stuff can be a little frustrating. Cook it too fast, it scalds and turns into hard goo. I found the best way is to follow the microwave instructions on the package, not the stove top part.
Take a small spoon and put the oreo mixture on the spoon and then submerge in the melted almond bark. You want to get a nice coating on here. Place back on the cold cookie sheet.
Once all the balls are dipped, melt the dark chocolate.
Artfully drizzle over the dipped oreo balls.
And that's it.
Seriously.
Donald took this one:Then he ate 3.

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

2009-12-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night I made one of my favorite meals of all time - Spaghetti and Meatballs. Nothing puts me in a good mood like that meal. I could eat it every day.
After much trepidation, I decided to share the entire recipe, not just the meatballs. I am pretty guarded about my sauce recipe!

Sauce:

2 pounds canned diced tomatoes (about 2 large cans)
6 oz tomato paste
8 oz or so tomato sauce (i ended up using almost 2 cups since it thickened up too much)
6 oz water
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic (or more) minced
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon oregeno
1 small can mushrooms

Combine first 6 ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. Add rest, simmer 1 hour.

Meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

fresh basil, chopped

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup milk

salt and pepper

combine all in a bowl and mash together. If meatballs don’t want to stay in a ball, add a little more breadcrumbs to help hold together.

Add meatballs to sauce and simmer 30 minutes.

Feel free to add / omit as you see the need. You can use ground beed instead of turkey if you want. I just have gotten used to the turkey meatball and feel a little healthier!

I like to only use high end tomatoes when making spaghetti - since it is the heart of this dish. My favorite brand is Cento. And i used "Chef Chopped Tomatoes" for this round and loved the end result!

Cooking simple

2009-12-06T17:03:00.000-08:00

When I don't have much time, or sometimes much money, I end up falling back on easy recipes that are always well liked. So if I am not posting much right now, it is because I am just throwing together some normal meals!

Sunday - Roasted Chicken and veggies
Monday - Turkey Tacos
Tuesday - Grilled chicken breasts with veggie orzo
Wednesday - Spaghetti and turkey meatballs
Thursday - no idea.... Lee is out so maybe just a bowl of soup or something.
Friday - we usually go out but I have all the fixins to make a pizza for the grill

This week, I will make sure I post a photo of the spaghetti with a recipe - that way I am putting a new recipe out there!

I am making Oreo truffles for a party on Saturday and that will be another good one to try and photograph and post.
The Holiday Party season is upon us! we have 3 in the next few weeks!

Leftovers

2009-11-30T19:05:00.000-08:00

Turkey Pot Pie