Saturday 3/28 - Out - we're going to a wine and beer tasting in Sheboygan and we'll be meeting up with some friends after that. Hope the weather isn't too horrible for the drive back!
Sunday 3/29 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night.
Monday 3/30 - Meat Loaf Gyros
Tuesday 3/31 - Turkey Roll with Spinach and Cheese (GI Cookbook)
Wednesday 4/1 - Teriyaki Pork Roast
Thursday 4/2 - Leeky Chicken
Friday 4/3 - Out (not sure where yet)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Planked Salmon
From The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook by Nancy Maar
Ingredients:
1 cedar plank
Grapeseed oil
3 1/2 pounds salmon filet
lemon juice
8 juniper berries
salt & pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Soak the plank in water. When thoroughly soaked, lightly oil the side on which the salmon will lay. Set the salmon on the plank. Sprinkle with lemon juice and press the juniper berries into the flesh at intervals. Add salt, pepper, and lemon slices.
2. Place the plank over indirect heat on a hot grill and close the lid. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon begins to flake.
Comments:
We got the plank at Harry and David and the directions on the package said to soak for 1 to 4 hours. We let it sit in the sink for about 75 minutes and it worked fine. We got the juniper berries at Penzey's. They were a lot cheaper than I expected, so yay! It took quite a bit longer to cook than indicated in the directions, but that might have been a grill heating error rather than a recipe error. I don't know. I didn't cook it. Adam said it was very moist and ate it all up.
I'm still not altogether happy with this cookbook. The recipes are alright, but the way they're written is strange and not at all appropriate for anyone not familiar with or comfortable in the kitchen. And the mayo thing. Ew. There are a few more recipes still to try out from it, but I might shelve it after that. There has to be something better out there.
Ingredients:
1 cedar plank
Grapeseed oil
3 1/2 pounds salmon filet
lemon juice
8 juniper berries
salt & pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions:
1. Soak the plank in water. When thoroughly soaked, lightly oil the side on which the salmon will lay. Set the salmon on the plank. Sprinkle with lemon juice and press the juniper berries into the flesh at intervals. Add salt, pepper, and lemon slices.
2. Place the plank over indirect heat on a hot grill and close the lid. Roast for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the salmon begins to flake.
Comments:
We got the plank at Harry and David and the directions on the package said to soak for 1 to 4 hours. We let it sit in the sink for about 75 minutes and it worked fine. We got the juniper berries at Penzey's. They were a lot cheaper than I expected, so yay! It took quite a bit longer to cook than indicated in the directions, but that might have been a grill heating error rather than a recipe error. I don't know. I didn't cook it. Adam said it was very moist and ate it all up.
I'm still not altogether happy with this cookbook. The recipes are alright, but the way they're written is strange and not at all appropriate for anyone not familiar with or comfortable in the kitchen. And the mayo thing. Ew. There are a few more recipes still to try out from it, but I might shelve it after that. There has to be something better out there.
Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Bites
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil (1 1/2 quarts), for frying
2 1/2 cups plain pancake mix
1 1/4 cups water
8 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt
Directions:
1. In a deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium heat.
2. While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a wide mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, the water and 6 teaspoons of hot sauce. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl. Arrange the batter and the bowl of pancake mix near the stove. Line a plate with a few paper towels and keep within reach.
3. Once the oil is heated, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then toss them in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly and shake off the excess. (The dry pancake mix will help the batter stick to the chicken pieces.) Add some of the chicken to the batter (you're going to batter and fry in 3 to 4 batches) and toss with your fingers or a fork. Remove the first batch from the batter, shaking off the excess, and carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, flipping once, until deep golden brown. Remove the fried chicken from the oil and drain on the paper towel-lined plate, then season with salt. Repeat until all the popcorn chicken bites are fried.
Comments:
I totally wimped out on the hot sauce and could barely taste it at all. These reminded me a lot of the sweet and sour chicken you get from a Chinese restaurant. Yummy. I actually did pan fry these where I'd usually just dump them into the deep fryer. Not sure that made any difference, but I'd probably make these again. Just need to come up with a better method of battering them up since I had a problem getting the batter to stick to where my fingers had touched the chicken.
Ingredients:
Vegetable oil (1 1/2 quarts), for frying
2 1/2 cups plain pancake mix
1 1/4 cups water
8 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt
Directions:
1. In a deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium heat.
2. While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a wide mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, the water and 6 teaspoons of hot sauce. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl. Arrange the batter and the bowl of pancake mix near the stove. Line a plate with a few paper towels and keep within reach.
3. Once the oil is heated, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then toss them in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly and shake off the excess. (The dry pancake mix will help the batter stick to the chicken pieces.) Add some of the chicken to the batter (you're going to batter and fry in 3 to 4 batches) and toss with your fingers or a fork. Remove the first batch from the batter, shaking off the excess, and carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, flipping once, until deep golden brown. Remove the fried chicken from the oil and drain on the paper towel-lined plate, then season with salt. Repeat until all the popcorn chicken bites are fried.
Comments:
I totally wimped out on the hot sauce and could barely taste it at all. These reminded me a lot of the sweet and sour chicken you get from a Chinese restaurant. Yummy. I actually did pan fry these where I'd usually just dump them into the deep fryer. Not sure that made any difference, but I'd probably make these again. Just need to come up with a better method of battering them up since I had a problem getting the batter to stick to where my fingers had touched the chicken.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Adam Cooks: Strip Steaks with a Side of Blue Cheese Spaghetti
From Rachael Ray via Foodnetwork.com
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 (8-ounce) NY strip steaks
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or half-and-half, eyeball it
8 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons chives, chopped, a palm full
2 cups arugula, a small bunch, cleaned, trimmed and shredded
Directions:
Put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta.
Preheat broiler to high with rack on top shelf.
Preheat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp.
Salt water for pasta and add spaghetti to the pot. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange on slotted broiler pan.
Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain off most of the fat, return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add in 2 cloves garlic and the shallots, saute for 3 minutes.
Arrange steaks on the broiler pan. Place under broiler - leave door to oven cracked ajar to limit flare ups and smoke. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium well doneness.
To the garlic and shallots, add in flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in stock, bring to a bubble, about 30 seconds then stir in the cream. When cream comes to a bubble, add in blue cheese and sage and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
Soften 4 tablespoons butter in microwave on high for 15 seconds. Mix in chives and 2 cloves minced garlic and reserve.
Remove steaks from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Place 1/4 of the chive and garlic butter mixture on each steak to melt down over the meat as they rest.
Drain pasta and toss with sauce to coat and combine evenly. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Serve steaks with pasta alongside. Scatter the arugula and bacon bits across the top of the pasta.
Comments:
Now this is what I'm talking about with the "Adam makes dinner" thing! He actually got in the kitchen and cooked. This was wonderful. He even set the smoke alarm off and had to open the windows so it's good that it's not just me who does that. :)
Now obviously we made some substitutions (like farfalle for spaghetti) and omissions (no arugula or chives.) I wasn't in the kitchen while he cooked so I can't say how religiously he followed the rest of the recipe, but it tasted great so it's all good with me.
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 (8-ounce) NY strip steaks
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
5 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 to 1/3 cup cream or half-and-half, eyeball it
8 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped sage leaves
2 tablespoons chives, chopped, a palm full
2 cups arugula, a small bunch, cleaned, trimmed and shredded
Directions:
Put a large pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta.
Preheat broiler to high with rack on top shelf.
Preheat medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp.
Salt water for pasta and add spaghetti to the pot. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
Season the steaks with salt and pepper on both sides and arrange on slotted broiler pan.
Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon and drain off most of the fat, return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and 1 tablespoon butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add in 2 cloves garlic and the shallots, saute for 3 minutes.
Arrange steaks on the broiler pan. Place under broiler - leave door to oven cracked ajar to limit flare ups and smoke. Cook 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, up to 5 to 6 minutes on each side for medium well doneness.
To the garlic and shallots, add in flour and cook a minute more. Whisk in stock, bring to a bubble, about 30 seconds then stir in the cream. When cream comes to a bubble, add in blue cheese and sage and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Reduce heat to lowest setting.
Soften 4 tablespoons butter in microwave on high for 15 seconds. Mix in chives and 2 cloves minced garlic and reserve.
Remove steaks from oven and let rest 5 minutes. Place 1/4 of the chive and garlic butter mixture on each steak to melt down over the meat as they rest.
Drain pasta and toss with sauce to coat and combine evenly. Taste to adjust seasoning.
Serve steaks with pasta alongside. Scatter the arugula and bacon bits across the top of the pasta.
Comments:
Now this is what I'm talking about with the "Adam makes dinner" thing! He actually got in the kitchen and cooked. This was wonderful. He even set the smoke alarm off and had to open the windows so it's good that it's not just me who does that. :)
Now obviously we made some substitutions (like farfalle for spaghetti) and omissions (no arugula or chives.) I wasn't in the kitchen while he cooked so I can't say how religiously he followed the rest of the recipe, but it tasted great so it's all good with me.
Bacon Sloppy Joes
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
4 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes; push to the side of the skillet. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve on the toasted buns.
Comments:
I didn't agree with the method this recipe used to make this dish. They drain neither the bacon nor the ground beef? How greasy would that be? So I modified the directions a little to ease my mind about that. I cooked the bacon first. Took the cooked meat out, drained the fat and wiped the pan out. Put the ground beef in the pan and browned that. Added the onion, celery, and garlic to the meat about halfway through (omitted the red pepper. Not fans of that.) Drained that off, added everything back to the pan and finished up the recipe. I can't imagine what it would have been like if you actually followed the directions.
In any case, this was good. The celery still had some crunch and the salty bacon was a great addition. But very messy, as you can probably tell from the picture.
Ingredients:
4 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes; push to the side of the skillet. Increase the heat to high, add the ground beef and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve on the toasted buns.
Comments:
I didn't agree with the method this recipe used to make this dish. They drain neither the bacon nor the ground beef? How greasy would that be? So I modified the directions a little to ease my mind about that. I cooked the bacon first. Took the cooked meat out, drained the fat and wiped the pan out. Put the ground beef in the pan and browned that. Added the onion, celery, and garlic to the meat about halfway through (omitted the red pepper. Not fans of that.) Drained that off, added everything back to the pan and finished up the recipe. I can't imagine what it would have been like if you actually followed the directions.
In any case, this was good. The celery still had some crunch and the salty bacon was a great addition. But very messy, as you can probably tell from the picture.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Weekly Menu 3/21 through 3/27
Saturday 3/21 - Bacon Sloppy Joes (got bumped from last week)
Sunday 3/22 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night.
Monday 3/23 - Lime Chicken Tacos
Tuesday 3/24 - Spaghetti & Meatballs
Wednesday 3/25 - Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Bites
Thursday 3/26 - Beef Taco Skillet
Friday 3/27 - Planked Salmon (GI Cookbook)
Sunday 3/22 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night.
Monday 3/23 - Lime Chicken Tacos
Tuesday 3/24 - Spaghetti & Meatballs
Wednesday 3/25 - Buffalo Popcorn Chicken Bites
Thursday 3/26 - Beef Taco Skillet
Friday 3/27 - Planked Salmon (GI Cookbook)
Creamy Shells with Tomatoes & White Beans
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo pasta shells
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
One 16-ounce can navy beans or other small white beans, rinsed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta, the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with the 1/2 cup parmesan and chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass more parmesan at the table.
Comments:
When Adam asked what was for dinner tonight while we were out shopping during my lunch hour, he was not too happy with my answer. His response? I don't like beans or tomatoes. Yeah. I told him to have an open mind and if he totally hated it he could make something else. Guess what? He liked it. So there. My only reservation about it is the ridiculous amount of butter and heavy cream. Like, heart attack much? I might modify that if I make this again. We'll see how the lactose treats my body and then make a decision about the fate of this one.
Ingredients:
1 pound jumbo pasta shells
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, finely chopped
One 16-ounce can navy beans or other small white beans, rinsed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and set aside.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add the cream and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved pasta, the tomatoes and beans and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Toss with the 1/2 cup parmesan and chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Pass more parmesan at the table.
Comments:
When Adam asked what was for dinner tonight while we were out shopping during my lunch hour, he was not too happy with my answer. His response? I don't like beans or tomatoes. Yeah. I told him to have an open mind and if he totally hated it he could make something else. Guess what? He liked it. So there. My only reservation about it is the ridiculous amount of butter and heavy cream. Like, heart attack much? I might modify that if I make this again. We'll see how the lactose treats my body and then make a decision about the fate of this one.
Peachy Barbecue Chicken
From Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups peach preserves
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 medium green peppers, julienned
2 cans (8 ounces each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
Hot cooked rice
Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil in batches on both sides. Return all to skillet. In a large bowl, combine the preserves, onion, barbecue sauce and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add green peppers and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Serve immediately with rice; or cool chicken and transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Comments:
I halved this recipe and left out the peppers and water chestnuts. I also served it with some pre-fab (and not so impressive) scalloped potatoes rather than rice. I wasn't sure if I'd like this dish as it has the "barbecue" right in the name of the recipe. Luckily I ran out of barbecue sauce so it was a little skimpy in that department. I'm talking maybe 1/3 instead of 1/2 cup, so not a huge difference, but in any case the barbecue flavor didn't overwhelm the other flavors and it turned out great.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups peach preserves
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 medium green peppers, julienned
2 cans (8 ounces each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
Hot cooked rice
Directions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil in batches on both sides. Return all to skillet. In a large bowl, combine the preserves, onion, barbecue sauce and soy sauce; pour over chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add green peppers and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Serve immediately with rice; or cool chicken and transfer to a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Comments:
I halved this recipe and left out the peppers and water chestnuts. I also served it with some pre-fab (and not so impressive) scalloped potatoes rather than rice. I wasn't sure if I'd like this dish as it has the "barbecue" right in the name of the recipe. Luckily I ran out of barbecue sauce so it was a little skimpy in that department. I'm talking maybe 1/3 instead of 1/2 cup, so not a huge difference, but in any case the barbecue flavor didn't overwhelm the other flavors and it turned out great.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Spinach-Artichoke French Bread Pizza
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
1 baguette, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pinch nutmeg
Two 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. In a medium skillet, melt the butter with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and season with the nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Pull the spinach apart, then add to the sauce. Fold in the artichokes and cook until heated through. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano, season with salt and remove from the heat.
3. Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture on the bread and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the thyme.
Comments:
I thought this sounded like a great idea - combine spinach-artichoke dip and French bread pizza. It was easy to make, tasted alright. A little bland, so I might mess with seasonings next time. What I want to know is how everyone keeps their bread upright in the oven. I end up sticking a piece of sandwich bread on the side to keep it from tipping. There must be a better way though. Any ideas?
Ingredients:
1 baguette, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pinch nutmeg
Two 10-ounce boxes frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet. In a medium skillet, melt the butter with the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and season with the nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Pull the spinach apart, then add to the sauce. Fold in the artichokes and cook until heated through. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano, season with salt and remove from the heat.
3. Spread the spinach and artichoke mixture on the bread and top with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10 to 12 minutes. Top with the thyme.
Comments:
I thought this sounded like a great idea - combine spinach-artichoke dip and French bread pizza. It was easy to make, tasted alright. A little bland, so I might mess with seasonings next time. What I want to know is how everyone keeps their bread upright in the oven. I end up sticking a piece of sandwich bread on the side to keep it from tipping. There must be a better way though. Any ideas?
Weekly Menu 3/14 through 3/20
Saturday 3/14 - Spinach Artichoke French Bread Pizza
Sunday 3/15 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night. He's making brats on the grill
Monday 3/16 - Leftovers. It's a party pack of brats. We'll be eating them for a few days...
Tuesday 3/17 - Adam's on his own - my monthly meeting is tonight.
Wednesday 3/18 - Peachy BBQ Chicken
Thursday 3/19 - Bacon Sloppy Joes
Friday 3/20 - Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans
Sunday 3/15 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night. He's making brats on the grill
Monday 3/16 - Leftovers. It's a party pack of brats. We'll be eating them for a few days...
Tuesday 3/17 - Adam's on his own - my monthly meeting is tonight.
Wednesday 3/18 - Peachy BBQ Chicken
Thursday 3/19 - Bacon Sloppy Joes
Friday 3/20 - Creamy Shells with Tomatoes and White Beans
Taco Salad Waffles
From Taste of Home
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 frozen waffles
Shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cubed avocado, salsa and sour cream, optional
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, chilies and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast waffles according to package directions. Layer with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, salsa and sour cream if desired. Top with beef mixture.
Comments:
I felt like such a failure with these. I forgot to get lettuce, ran out of salsa, and the waffles I had in the freezer were STRAWBERRY. Ugh. I was going to run to the store to get things in order for this, but Adam reminded me we had leftover burrito shells so we skipped the "salad waffle" part of this and just made it "taco." For what it's worth, they were good. :)
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup salsa
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 frozen waffles
Shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cubed avocado, salsa and sour cream, optional
Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the salsa, chilies and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toast waffles according to package directions. Layer with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, salsa and sour cream if desired. Top with beef mixture.
Comments:
I felt like such a failure with these. I forgot to get lettuce, ran out of salsa, and the waffles I had in the freezer were STRAWBERRY. Ugh. I was going to run to the store to get things in order for this, but Adam reminded me we had leftover burrito shells so we skipped the "salad waffle" part of this and just made it "taco." For what it's worth, they were good. :)
Shrimp-Stuffed Mushrooms
From The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook by Nancy Maar
Ingredients:
1/4 pound cooked shrimp or crabmeat
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mayo
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp dill
salt & pepper
12 mushrooms (1-1/2") stems removed
Directions:
1. Mix together everything but the mushrooms.
2. Stuff mushrooms with filling.
3. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Comments:
Seriously, what is this woman's deal with the mayo? Anyway, obviously I used huge mushrooms here. I used shrimp. I had to bake them a little longer since they were so big (and waaaay overfilled) but they turned out alright. Adam ate them but said he probably wouldn't want them again.
Ingredients:
1/4 pound cooked shrimp or crabmeat
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup mayo
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp dill
salt & pepper
12 mushrooms (1-1/2") stems removed
Directions:
1. Mix together everything but the mushrooms.
2. Stuff mushrooms with filling.
3. Place on baking sheet and bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Comments:
Seriously, what is this woman's deal with the mayo? Anyway, obviously I used huge mushrooms here. I used shrimp. I had to bake them a little longer since they were so big (and waaaay overfilled) but they turned out alright. Adam ate them but said he probably wouldn't want them again.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Hawaiian Slow Cooker Chicken
From Recipezaar.com
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple slices, reserve juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in oblong slow cooker sprayed with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle with a dash of salt if desired.
2. Place pineapple slices over chicken.
3. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar,lemon juice, ginger, cornstarch, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and black pepper, until cornstarch mixes with liquids.
4. Pour over chicken breasts.
5. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Comments:
I stopped home at lunchtime to throw this in the crockpot for dinner. It turned out quite well despite the fact that I didn't measure anything. :) The chicken was tender and just fell apart. Adam didn't like the pineapple, but I didn't mind it. I cooked up some rice to go with it and it was a good dinner.
Ingredients:
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (15 ounce) can pineapple slices, reserve juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
1. Place chicken breasts in oblong slow cooker sprayed with vegetable cooking spray and sprinkle with a dash of salt if desired.
2. Place pineapple slices over chicken.
3. In a medium bowl, combine pineapple juice, brown sugar,lemon juice, ginger, cornstarch, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and black pepper, until cornstarch mixes with liquids.
4. Pour over chicken breasts.
5. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, or on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Comments:
I stopped home at lunchtime to throw this in the crockpot for dinner. It turned out quite well despite the fact that I didn't measure anything. :) The chicken was tender and just fell apart. Adam didn't like the pineapple, but I didn't mind it. I cooked up some rice to go with it and it was a good dinner.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Pizza Pockets - A 30-Minute Meal Experiment
I don’t remember where I saw it, but there was a blog around complaining about how Rachael Ray’s “30-Minute Meals” don’t really take 30 minutes to make. Have you seen the show? How could you think the average person with the average kitchen could be so coordinated and prepared to get everything done in that time period? Anyway. Someone took it upon themselves to pick a recipe and time themselves (and document their process with photos) to see how long it really took to make a 30-minute meal. It ended up taking them something like an hour (which I think was kind of unfair since they had small children interfering, but I suppose that’s reality for some people.)
So my quest tonight was to do the same thing in my calm, child-free house (although the cats do tend to enjoy helping out.) On the menu tonight was Pizza Pockets from the March 2007 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. It told me my prep time was 15 minutes and my cook time was 15 minutes. So total, 30 minutes.
Here’s the original recipe:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cornmeal
One 13.8-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
2 hot dogs, preferably nitrite and nitrate-free, quartered lengthwise and chopped into small cubes
1/4 cup jarred tomato or spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a large cutting board and roll out the pizza dough to a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. Using a pizza wheel or large knife, cut into four 5-by-7- inch rectangles.
2. Working with 1 sheet at a time, place a rectangle so the long side is facing you. Spoon one quarter of the chopped hot dogs onto the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border around the filling. Top the hot dogs with 1 tablespoon tomato sauce and 4 tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Moisten the edge of the dough all around and fold the rectangle in half lengthwise over the filling. Pinch the edges together to secure. Set on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough rectangles, hot dogs, sauce and cheese. Cut 2 or 3 small vents in the top of each pocket. Bake until browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
And here’s my take on it:
Start time:
Turned the oven on. It takes seriously 15 minutes to get to 450 so I always have to remember to start the oven heating right away.
Got out my ingredients.
I hate hot dogs. They are scary, scary food-like objects. So, yeah, didn’t use hot dogs. I had some sausage in the freezer and I decided that would be a good swap out. So I added a step here since I needed to cook the sausage before stuffing the pockets with it.
I prepped the baking sheet and rolled out the dough while the sausage was cooking.
Yes, I actually used a rolling pin and tape measure. Didn't really get to the suggested size, but oh well. It still worked.
Assembled pockets. I always make a huge mess...
Shoo'd cat away from the food.
(oh my god, is that his tongue? Good grief... I keep them away from the kitchen when I'm cooking for other people, I promise!)
Put pockets in the oven.
While they baked for 15 minutes I made some green beans and relaxed.
Took them out at just over 13 minutes. Toasty and brown.
Finished product at:
for a total prep time of 34 minutes.
Given that I added probably 5 minutes to cook the sausage, I think I could have easily made this in under 30 if I had used the suggested hot dogs. And I even took time to answer the phone (Adam will be late) and clean up after the cats were done eating.
In conclusion, while some of the 30-minute meal recipes are only 30 minutes if you're as frantic in the kitchen as RR, some of them are totally do-able, even when you don't really follow the recipe. :)
On the more usual blog posting side, these were pretty good. I don't dig the whole "roll 'em in cornmeal" thing, but it wasn't too obnoxious. Another one of the myriad of calzones I have tried out. I still prefer bread dough to pizza dough.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Weekly Menu 3/8 through 3/13
Saturday 3/7 - Bacon Potato Puff
Sunday 3/8 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night.
Monday 3/9 - I'm trying something new. I'm making Mondays "crock-pot day." First up: Hawaiian Slow Cooker Chicken
Tuesday 3/10 - Pizza Pockets
Wednesday 3/11 - Out - It's Adam's birthday
Thursday 3/12 - Taco Salad Waffles
Friday 3/13 - Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms (GI Cookbook)
Sunday 3/8 - It's an "Adam Makes Dinner" night.
Monday 3/9 - I'm trying something new. I'm making Mondays "crock-pot day." First up: Hawaiian Slow Cooker Chicken
Tuesday 3/10 - Pizza Pockets
Wednesday 3/11 - Out - It's Adam's birthday
Thursday 3/12 - Taco Salad Waffles
Friday 3/13 - Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms (GI Cookbook)
Thanksgiving Wraps
From The Everything Glycemic Index Cookbook by Nancy Maar
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1/4 dried cranberries
6 tbsp mayo
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
12 large romaine lettuce leaves
Directions:
1. Toss all but the lettuce together in a large bowl.
2. Lay out the lettuce leaves, add turkey filling, and roll up.
Comments:
Adam wasn't digging the eating from lettuce leaves thing so he wanted to add a burrito shell to it. Fine, whatever works. I also left out the thyme and onion. Well, I forgot I had to pitch the onion I had so I didn't really leave it out on purpose. I also left out the cranberries on Adam's. He doesn't love them too much.
Anyway, this calls for way too much mayo. Don't use 6 tbsp. It will be gross. Other than that, these are good. Didn't really remind me of Thanksgiving, necessarily, but still a good, light, quick and easy dinner.
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1/4 dried cranberries
6 tbsp mayo
1 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper
12 large romaine lettuce leaves
Directions:
1. Toss all but the lettuce together in a large bowl.
2. Lay out the lettuce leaves, add turkey filling, and roll up.
Comments:
Adam wasn't digging the eating from lettuce leaves thing so he wanted to add a burrito shell to it. Fine, whatever works. I also left out the thyme and onion. Well, I forgot I had to pitch the onion I had so I didn't really leave it out on purpose. I also left out the cranberries on Adam's. He doesn't love them too much.
Anyway, this calls for way too much mayo. Don't use 6 tbsp. It will be gross. Other than that, these are good. Didn't really remind me of Thanksgiving, necessarily, but still a good, light, quick and easy dinner.
Pork Soft Tacos
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Eight 6-inch flour tortillas
One 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (I excluded. Yuck.)
Juice of 1 lime
8 ounces shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add half the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and paprika and cook, breaking up the meat until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, place the tortillas on 2 baking sheets and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the corn, remaining onions, cilantro and lime juice. Season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, top each warm tortilla with cheese, meat and corn salsa.
Comments:
Adam complained about the corn part of this, but they seemed to go down alright even with that part of it included. These are a little bit messy, and he ended up rolling his like a burrito. I think they could use some additional spicing up (and that's saying a lot coming from this wussy spice eater.) They'd also be good with beef or turkey.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Eight 6-inch flour tortillas
One 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (I excluded. Yuck.)
Juice of 1 lime
8 ounces shredded monterey jack or cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add half the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the pork and paprika and cook, breaking up the meat until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Meanwhile, place the tortillas on 2 baking sheets and warm in the oven for about 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the corn, remaining onions, cilantro and lime juice. Season the salsa to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, top each warm tortilla with cheese, meat and corn salsa.
Comments:
Adam complained about the corn part of this, but they seemed to go down alright even with that part of it included. These are a little bit messy, and he ended up rolling his like a burrito. I think they could use some additional spicing up (and that's saying a lot coming from this wussy spice eater.) They'd also be good with beef or turkey.
Inside-Out Cheeseburgers
From Everyday with Rachael Ray
Ingredients:
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 to 3 ounces)
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Lettuce, onion slices and condiments, for serving
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash together the blue cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the parsley. Divide the mixture into 4 disks about 1 1/2 inches across. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. Form into 4 equally sized patties about 3/4 inch thick.
3. Form a deep cavity in the center of each beef patty. Place a cheese disk in each cavity and pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Serve on the buns with the lettuce, onion and condiments.
Comments:
These were relatively easy to make although I think I made the patties too thick and they took forever to cook. Adam picked out ciabatta bread rather than your traditional bun, and although it seemed a little dry, it was still an interesting switch-up. Mine don't look as pretty as the ones on the RR site, but they tasted fine and that's really what matters.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (2 to 3 ounces)
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Lettuce, onion slices and condiments, for serving
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, using a fork, mash together the blue cheese and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the parsley. Divide the mixture into 4 disks about 1 1/2 inches across. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. Form into 4 equally sized patties about 3/4 inch thick.
3. Form a deep cavity in the center of each beef patty. Place a cheese disk in each cavity and pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese.
4. In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side for medium. Serve on the buns with the lettuce, onion and condiments.
Comments:
These were relatively easy to make although I think I made the patties too thick and they took forever to cook. Adam picked out ciabatta bread rather than your traditional bun, and although it seemed a little dry, it was still an interesting switch-up. Mine don't look as pretty as the ones on the RR site, but they tasted fine and that's really what matters.
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