Monday, Already?!

I don't mean for so many days to go by in between posts, but I guess that is life in the real world. :)  Last Thursday we had enchiladas.  I don't really have a go-to recipe for these.  I just use what we have on hand. This time I had Ortega canned red enchilada sauce and used their recipe as a guide line.  I browned ground beef and then added 3/4 of a can of sauce and some cheddar a cheese.  I had flour tortillas on hand, so I wapped up three 'ladas for the kids in their own pan cause I wanted to bring up the heat level for the grown ups.  For that I added a can of diced jalapenos and half a can of black beans.  (I love black beans, I will add them to anything! When I lived in Florida,  this place had the best black beans and rice, I guess that started my love affair with the black beans.  Or maybe I like eating the to remind me a little of that time in my life?  Who knows! But you should just eat your black beans cause they are good for you!!)  Back to the enchiladas... I filled them, covered them with another can of sauce and lots of cheese.  Cheddar is what I had on hand.  Bake, and eat.  Yum.  We had corn on the side.  Friday night we had leftover manicotti that I had made before Thanksgiving and froze.  Easy night!  Saturday we put up our Christmas tree and the past couple of years, Dear Hubby has made soup on this day.  Keeping the tradition alive, B made Chicken Barley soup.  I had a bag of Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley in the cupboard and we just used the recipe on the bag as a guide.  I'll post the recipe as written with our changes in parenthesis.

Chicken Soup with Barley
2.5 cups of water
2.5 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken parts
(we just used 2 boxes of premade stock and cooked up some chicken breast tenders)
1.5 cups sliced celery
1.5 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dried Thyme (didn't have any, so we used poultry seasoning)
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms (left it out since the only one who will eat 'shrooms is me!)
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Pearl barley

In a large sauce pan combine water, chicken, salt, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, bay leaf and pepper bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered until chicken is tender (approx. 1 hour).  Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and set aside.  Remove chicken from broth and take meat off bones; cut into cubes.  Return chicken to sauce pan and add barley and mushrooms.  Simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.  Serves 8.  (since the chicken was cooked in a separate pan, we just added it all and cooked for about an hour.)

Sunday night's dinner I made stuffed zucchini.  Saturday I did an impromptu grocery shop (no list, just wandered the aisles trying to figure out what to get {I don't recommend this method! :)}) and I dunno, the zucchini just sounded good.  I bought some bulk Italian sausage and decided I could wing the rest.  I used this recipe as my guide.  I did boil the zucchini as it recommends, and I don't know if I would do that again.  The end result made for pretty soft zucchini and I like mine to have a firmer texture.  I didn't have roasted red peppers, but a regular red pepper so I diced it and sauteed it in olive oil and garlic and oregano.  Then I added some tomato paste thinned with some water.  I set that aside then browned the sausage.  I didn't have an onion, but I have a huge Sam's size bad of French's Fried Onions, so I chopped some of those up in my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.  I combined everything with some Parmesan cheese.  I filled the zucchini boats with the sausage mix, sprinkled on a bit more parm, onions and then doused it with pizza cheese (mostly mozzarella in it).  Baked for 30 minutes.  We had broccoli and jellied cranberry sauce on the side.  Both kids ate every bite, no fight.  Woo hoo!!  :)  I thought for sure little B would complain about the spiciness of the sausage but he did not.   Impressive!

Hope your week is filled with great eats & treats.  Hugs.

Crazy week!

So far this week is shaping up to be pretty hectic!  I have pretty much been gone all day, every day this week.  Whew.  I am tired!  So, not much cooking has been going on.  Monday night my husband had an appointment to go to, so it was just the kids and I.  At they boys' request, we had good ol' Kraft Mac n' Cheese.  I think I ate mine cold since I was trying to do 10 things at once.  Last night we had pancakes.  My Grandma made the best buttermilk pancakes.  I could eat them as fast as she could make them.  Her secret was to buy powdered buttermilk, usually found in the baking aisle and she just followed the recipe on the back of the can for pancakes.  The bonus at her house was she made her own syrup too.  She had some contraption called a vita mixer that she would make it in.  Gosh, I wish she were still here to teach me all she knew.  I miss her so much.... Anyway, we just had regular Log Cabin syrup with ours; and of course they get eaten faster than I can make them up.  Tonight Hubs brought home Chinese from the Lotus Room.  I got General Tao's but didn't love it.  A lot of people like this place, but every time I eat there, I'm disappointed and I think it's way over priced.  Hmpf... Guess I'm just a 'fast food' chinese kinda girl.  :P

I've had a few people ask me about holiday cookies.... I was thinking I'd compile a list if I ever get a few minutes.  :)  Aaaah, I have so much to do, and so little time it seems!  However, I know JESUS is the reason for the SEASON so, if I don't get all the decorations up~ no big deal; if I don't bake 10 different kinds of cookies~ no big deal; if I don't spend endless hours shopping for useless items~ no big deal!  The gift I'm trying to give myself this season, is JOY.  I want a joyful heart and to be a cheerful giver.  I wish for you the same!

HUGS!

Whoops! Sorry 'bout that!

My sincerest apologies for my fans (ahem, I know I mainly have imaginary ones, but just in case there are a few real ones  lol) for what, 10 days going by since my last post.  Last week my dearest friend's grandmother passed away and that sort of put a halt to everything for a couple of days, then we were getting ready for Thanksgiving, which we traveled to see my sis and we've just been relaxing since we've been back.  So let me see if I can recall anything we've eaten in the past week.  I think I mentioned making a banana cake a while back, oh well on FB I did.  It did not turn out to look pretty at all, it stuck in the pan for some reason, even though I PAM'd it to death.  I didn't think that it tasted that great but I left it a R's place and she loved it.  I think she even shared it with some other people and they gave it a thumbs up. I winged the recipe, so it's not one I can share, since I don't even know what I did~ thus the bad turn out.  Hmmm, I made a pecan pie (home made crust and all!) for Thanksgiving with my In Law's last Sunday.  It got rave reviews and there was only one tiny slice left at the end of the night.  Straight outta Betty Crocker.  Betty won't steer you wrong, I promise!  I got to thinking about this cookbook the other day, I am 90% sure my Grandma gave it to me a long time ago.  I wish so badly that I could remember for sure.  My book is quite beat up, I use it a lot, but I think I better take a little better care of it.  My Grandma had her first Betty Crocker cook book and when she passed my mother snatched it up, hopefully someday it will end up in my hands.  What a treasure.  Oh yeah, I made Betty's banana bread too.  She calls for nuts, instead I add chocolate chips.
One night I made Cheesy Manicotti.  It's just an easy one out of the Kraft Magazine (which is no longer FREE!).  The manicotti shells break easily, and stuffing them is kind of a pain, but they really are yummy!  I think I made these Tuesday night and we were leaving on Wednesday, so I froze the leftovers.  Friday night we had pizza, cause we're low on food.  That is the stinky part of going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving, you don't get any leftovers!  :(  Hubby has done all the cooking this weekend.  Love you, babe! Last night he made Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad and tonight he made Shepherd's Pie.  Both were pretty tasty.  I love the taste of wings, but not wings (too messy!) so the cornbread dish was pretty good.  Oh, B even took a picture of his dinner tonight.  (I usually forget!)  This frosty mug is filled with Michelob Marzen Oktoberfest Style beer, which in our opinion is pretty good.  Sorry for all the recipe links, but too many to type out tonight.  Gotta scoot to get my baby girl to bed!  Sweet dreams!

Lasagna Burgers

Last night I went with Lasagna Burgers (again out of the Rachael Ray Nov 2009 issue!).  The concept is really good.  I cheated on the burger part of it and wouldn't do that again.  But I was tired and it had been such a gloomy day, I didn't have a lot of heart to put into dinner, so I used some premade hamburger patties that were in the freezer.  Eh, making your own patties would have been much better.  I also cheated by using jarred sauce.  GASP!  I know RR would be disappointed in me, but hey, when you have a baby glued to your hip and only one hand to attack dinner with, you do what you gotta do.  I'm not above a few shortcuts, people! :)  My neighbor recently said, and I quote, "Ginger, your super duper June Cleaver skills intimidate me."  Clearly, she's not keeping up with my blog.  LOL  If you can read, you can cook!  But K, your super duper NURSE skills totally impress me, why else would I send my kid to your house for sliver removal???  :)  You keep my kids sliver free and I'll keep the sweets & treats coming.  Deal? 

Tonight I think I'll be figuring out a way to finish up that jarred spaghetti sauce but in the mean time here's the Lasagna Burger.  Give it a try!

Lasagna Burger
serves 4
1.5 pounds of ground beef, pork, and veal mix (sometimes called meatloaf mix--I can't find it at my local Kroger, but I think VG's carries this blend)
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
one 14.5 ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup of milk
a few grates of nutmeg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I just used parmesan)
4 hamburger or ciabatta rolls

1.  In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of S&P.  Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for even cooking.  Drizzle with EVOO.
2.  In a sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp EVOO, over med heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with S&P.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 mintues. 
3.  In a large skillet heat a drizzle of EVOO over med-hi heat.  Add the patties and cook, turning once until med-rare about 7-8 minutes. 
4.   While patties are cooking, in a small sauce pan, melt butter over med heat.  whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in milk.  Season with S&P and nutmeg.  Then cook until thickend, about 5 minutes.  Stir in ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano. 
5.  Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties.  Dollop the cheese sauce on the top of the patties and top with the top of the roll. 

Enjoy!  We had ours with broccoli.  I think this one was a keeper. 

*Sigh*  It's a gloomy morning, I hope it clears up.  When I looked out the window and realized it had been raining, my heart sank.  The last couple weeks have been so nice.  I must have sensed the gloom coming because last night I decided on The White Chicken Chili.  It's so easy, it's stupid.....

White Chicken Chili
1 48 oz jar white northern beans
1 large jar of salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
cooked, chopped or shredded chicken about a pound
and a bag of pepper jack cheese

heat through and serve, it's so good and simple!

We also had from scratch corn muffins.  Just use the recipe on the package, it's easier than you think and better than the box mix kind!  ;)

Teriyaki Pork & Mango Stir Fry

Last night I made Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry out of the Nov. Rachael Ray mag.  It said the prep was only 20 minutes, but I found it to be a lot longer than that...might or might not have anything to do with trying to keep a 3 year old's hands out of everything or keeping a six month old from crying her fool head off.  ;)  Anyhoo, I followed the recipe exactly and I was a little disappointed.  Mine looked nothing like the picture in the magazine. The flavors weren't as sharp as I would have liked...but my husband and kids ate it right up!  Hubby had seconds and packed the leftovers for his lunch.  Hmpf...go figure.  :)

Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry
serves 4  prep 20 min  cook 15 min
serve with steamed rice (I made minute rice)

1 lb of boneless pork chops
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small head of napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about two tablespoons)  [I used some premade stuff in a tube, found in the produce section]
3 tbsp store-bought teriyaki sauce
2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts

1.  On a work surface, place pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or use an empty cereal bag), and using a meat mallet pound meat to 1/4 in thick.. Slice into 1/4 inch thick strips.  In a shallow bowl, whisk flour and salt.  Add pork and toss.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tbsp of oil over med-high heat.  Shake off excess flour from pork and arrange in  a single layer in the skillet.  Cook until browned and crisp on one side about 3 minutes; turn and cook, stirring until browned all over 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to plate.  [I found the meat to cook much faster than this, so be sure to keep an eye on it!]
3.  Add the remaining oil and cabbage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage starts to brown 2-3 minutes.  [once cabbage begins to wilt, it goes fast have sauce ingredients ready to go!] Add the garlic and ginger; cook/stir 30 seconds.  Stir in the teriyaki sauce then toss pork and mangoes.  Serve over rice and top with bean sprouts.

If you've never had bean sprouts they have a very mild earthy taste, but provide a nice cool crunch.  The kids liked them.  I had a hard time keeping their hands out of the cabbage, mangoes, and sprouts while I was elbow deep in flouring the pork.  ;)   I'm pretty sure they are super good for you!

where did my weekend go?

Monday already?  The good news is, you didn't miss much, last night was the first I cooked since last Wednesday. 
Friday night I got to escape for a little night out with my girls R, S, & W.  We went back to our hometown (which is only a few minutes away LOL) to enjoy some mexican food at Rancho Grande.  This place is seriously a hole in the wall; it's cash or check only, no booze, and I swear the place has not changed one thing in 20 years right down to the velvet pictures on the wall.  Luckily the food hasn't changed in 20 years either.  I get the same thing everytime, cheese enchilada dinner deluxe.  Mmmmh, taking that first bite is so, so good.  The corn tortilla and cheese, uh, just so good!  I might just lick the plate clean if I weren't in a public establishment....LOL 
Saturday we had a spur of the moment "playdate" with my husband's cousin, her husband and kids.  We ordered pizza from this place in Linden that is mainly a party store, but they do have good pizza.  Actually, it's the bread sticks that keep us coming back to this place.  They put about a half inch of "butter" in the bottom of the to-go box and then pile on the bread sticks and put a ton of parmesan cheese all over it.  I love soaking the breadsticks in the butter goo and parmesan.  They are very reminicent of old school Little Caesar's breadsticks.  I even lie to the children that the breadsticks are gone so that I can hog them all.  Terrible, I know.  I'd rather give myself the heart attack, ya know.  I'm just looking out for them.  ;-)  ha ha ha
The past few weekends Hubby has been making breakfast.  I am loving it.  About a month ago, we watched this Good Eats episode about eggs, and since then he's been testing out his egg skills.  I like my eggs over easy, sunny side up, runny~whatever you call it; however I cannot make them myself.  He's also been cooking up pancakes, waffles, and this Sunday was french toast.  I could really get used to his weekend specials.  I hope he continues! :)  So, for last nights dinner, I was pumped up to make this recipe I saw in the latest Rachael Ray mag (nov 2009).  I had to buy it because so many things actually looked good in there.  I used to subscribe to her mag, but then the recipes got so crazy that I let it go.  I found a good deal over at Mags for Less for less than $9, so I decided I'd subscribe again. 
My dinner turned out pretty good, but I would make a few changes if I made it again.  I'll put my changes in parenthesis. 

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie
serves 8   prep 45 min  bake 45 min

2 pounds ground beef
2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup dark beer (we used Amber Bock) -you could totally use beef broth
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375^.  In a large skillet, combine beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt (I would only use 1--two was way to salty for our taste) and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Let cool.
2.  On a floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet inot a 12-inch round.  Place in a 10 inch skillet or deep pie plate.  Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11 inch round.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture into the pie pan.  Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some egg wash, then place the second sheet on top.  Press the edges to seal, then trim them to a 1/2 inch edge.  (NOTE: my bottom pastry did not finish cooking in the allotted time.  I would not use a bottom crust if I made this again. I also didn't bother with making the pastries into rounds, I just left them square and formed them into a circle in the pan, only trimming the top crust a little to make a circle shape.)
3.  Place the pie on a baking sheet.  Brush top with more of the egg wash and cut and "X" into the pastry.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt (again, a little much, just sprinkle a little on) and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the the crust darkens too quickly.  Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. 

Overall, this was really good.  The beer flavor was nice and mild.  It was just disappointing that the bottom crust was still a little doughy and the salt was a bit much.  The crust thing could have been my fault.  I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie plate, maybe I needed to bake it longer??  Dunno, we were so hungry and of course when I pulled it out, the top looked done, so I had no idea that the bottom wasn't. 

Tonight we are having Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango-Stir-Fry, outta the RR Mag again.  I'll be sure to let you know how it was!