Mimi's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is an old family recipe and it's definitely a family favorite around here!  It's rare that we have a meal of which everyone (even the baby!) requests second helpings.

Mimi's Chicken Noodle Soup
for the noodles:
1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

for the soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 small baking potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (or you can substitute a store-bought rotisserie)

For the noodles, add flour to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  In a small bowl, combine eggs, water, oil and salt.  Pour liquid into the flour and mix with a spoon until a dough forms.  With the bread hook attachment, "knead" the dough for about 10 minutes.  (Alternatively, you can do this with your hands if you don't have a stand mixer - I'm sure that's what Mimi did originally!)  Cover and let rest an hour.

Meanwhile to start working on the soup, place a large pot over medium-low heat and heat oil or butter. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and onion is translucent.  Add the garlic, potato, thyme, salt and pepper and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.  Add chicken broth and let simmer while you finish working on the noodles.

After an hour, roll the dough out on a floured surface.  (If the dough keeps shrinking, let it rest another 10-20 more minutes.)  Roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thick and use a pizza cutter to slice into noodles.  Let the noodles dry out another 30 minutes.

Once the noodles have dried, add them and the chicken to the soup.  Cook another 10-20 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through.  If the noodles are chewy, let them cook another few minutes.

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Shrimp and Grits

Quick and easy!  My husband loved this dish so I wanted to write it out before I forgot what all I had done.  It was perfect for such a cold night.

Shrimp and Grits
recipe adapted from Tyler Florence
For the grits:
4 c homemade (or organic) chicken broth
1 c milk or cream
1 c stone-ground corn meal
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
2 T butter
6-8 oz organic white cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste

For the shrimp:
2 T olive oil
1 lb organic, no nitrates andouille sausage, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
couple dashes of thyme, oregano, and smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c flour
2 c homemade chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 lb wild-caught, local shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1/2 lemon, juiced
garnishes: chives, parsley

For the grits, in a large pot add broth, milk, corn meal, garlic powder, onion powder and a few shakes of salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 20-25 minutes.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in butter and cheese until melted.  Remove from heat and cover until shrimp are ready to serve.

For the shrimp, in a deep skillet over medium heat add olive oil.  Saute sausage until browned.  Remove sausage from skillet.  Add onion, bell peppers, celery and seasonings.  Cook, stirring often, until veggies are softened and onion turns translucent.  Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.  Stir in flour to make a roux.  Slowly drizzle in chicken broth, stirring well to avoid lumps.  Add bay leaves.  Once mixture starts to bubble, add shrimp and cook for a few more minutes, or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in lemon juice.  Toss with chives and parsley and serve over cheesy grits.

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Week 1 Menu - 100 Days of Real Food

Here is my basic plan for the first week of eating real food!  Some of the recipes below had to be tweaked a bit to better fit with the real food diet.  If I have any real winning recipes, I'll post them as we go.

Breakfasts -

• Breakfast taco with veggies (onion; red, yellow and green bell peppers; spinach) on whole wheat tortillas
• Pancakes with organic nut butter and maple syrup (using this homemade pancake mix recipe)
• Greek yogurt with granola

Lunches -

• Dinner leftovers
• Fancy BLT sandwiches; veggies and ranch dressing
• Nut butter and honey sandwiches; veggies and ranch dressing

Snacks -

• Granola
• Veggies with ranch dressing
• Fresh fruit (grapes, blueberries, apples)

Dinners -

• Crockpot Whole Chicken; Roasted Veggies (onion, fennel, sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts); mac and cheese
• Pasta with Burst Tomatoes and Mascarpone; steamed broccoli and cauliflower
• Tex-Mex Chicken Chili with Lime
• Tasty Frittata; Green Salad
• Turkey Lettuce Wraps; Steamed Edamame

Tips and Tricks -

• I started the week off with the Crockpot Whole Chicken recipe.  After we ate it for dinner, I picked all the remaining meat off the chicken to use later in the week for the Tex-Mex Chicken Chili.  Then I put the carcass back in the crockpot; threw in some onion, carrots, celery and parsley; filled the crockpot with water; and let it cook on low over night.  The next morning I strained the homemade chicken stock and poured it into mason jars to use for the Tex-Mex Chicken Chili too.
• I made a double-batch of the lettuce wrap filling and froze half.  I love knowing I have a healthy, already prepared dinner in the freezer.  I'd like to try to freeze at least one recipe every week so I can have a nice supply of dinners in the freezer.
• The pasta recipe made a lot of tomatoes, so I planned to serve the extra tomatoes in the fancy BLT sandwiches.  
• I saved the frittata until the end of the week because I knew that it was a recipe that could easily be tweaked to include any remaining veggies that I had leftover from the week.  So it became more of an 'everything but the kitchen sink frittata' but it was still delish.  And that's what counts!
• I loved having my snacks prepared ahead of time for the week.  I usually don't go to grab a snack until I'm already famished, so I knew it was imperative for me to have healthy things ready to eat.

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Our 100 Days of Real/Whole Foods Challenge

After the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Andrew and I were tired.  Tired of eating easy to make but unhealthy food.  I stumbled upon the website 100 Days of Real Foods and decided to give it a-go for the new year.  Luckily Andrew was on board!  After reading all the guideline for the whole foods diet, we tailored it a bit for our family.  Specifically here are the goals/guidelines that we decided upon:

• Try to make as many things as possible from scratch.  For instance, this week I made ranch dressing, chicken stock and pancake mix from scratch - each of which were truly easy and fast recipes.  And they all taste much better homemade than they do store-bought!
• Cut out processed foods as much as possible.  We are only buying products with 5 ingredients or less and the ingredients must be all-natural.  No chemicals or preservatives or ingredients with ten syllables that I can't for the life of me pronounce.  Our exceptions right now are our bread products - we bought fresh whole wheat tortillas and whole wheat sandwich bread from a local bakery.  I found out that Great Harvest Bread Company makes a whole wheat bread with just five ingredients (whole wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and honey).  
• Switching from white flour to whole wheat flour and switching from refined sugars to honey and maple syrup.  This is a process and not something we're doing overnight, but as long as we're moving in that direction, I feel like we're doing well.
• Incorporate more vegetarian meals.  Our tentative plan now is to try our best to make 3 vegetarian dinners each week.
• Limit eating out to twice a week.  Period.  The end.  No exceptions!

We spent January 1st cleaning out the fridge and pantry, meal planning and grocery shopping.  What I've found so far (you know, a whole three days in!) is that we saved money making things ourselves but spent more money because we bought more fresh fruits and veggies.  So overall, we spent just about the same amount on groceries for the week.

To be successful in this endeavor, I sat down and spent several hours planning out all of our meals, not just our dinners.  I am not a morning person, so I made a dozen breakfast tacos using this method but making them healthier.  I omitted the meat; added sauteed onions, bell peppers (yellow, red and green) and spinach; and I used whole wheat tortillas.  Now they are in the freezer ready and waiting for me to pop them in the microwave while I brew my coffee in the morning.

I also prepared some snacks to have on hand to help curb my sweet and carb cravings.  For snacks, I usually will grab chips, crackers, cookies or some other unhealthy snack.  No bueno!  I made some homemade granola and stored it in mason jars to keep it fresh longer.  I plan on eating the granola plain just to much on or over Greek yogurt and fresh berries if I need a more substantial snack/meal.  For our other prepared snack for the week, I cut up a bunch of fresh veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery, yellow bell pepper) and threw them all in a large tupperware container filled with water.  I eat the veggies with some of my homemade ranch - it's delicious and the veggies can also stand in for a quick side dish at lunchtime.

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French Peasant Beef Stew

My mom makes an awesome beef stew, and with this cold snap we've had, I decided to make it for dinner one night.  Being pregnant, when I have a craving, I want it right that instant.  So I immediately called mom for her recipe...but she wasn't home.  So I headed to the grocery store and just hoped that I could wing it.  While my recipe wasn't exactly like my mom's recipe, it was still delicious - and easy!  Since I cooked it low and slow, it wasn't necessary to pre-cook the vegetables and the potatoes broke down and served to thicken the broth of the stew.  And the meat was fall-apart tender...yum!  Serve with crusty bread and a glass of the remaining red wine and you've got a fantastic winter meal.

French Peasant Beef Stew

2 T vegetable oil
2 - 2 1/2 lb beef stew meat
1/2 bottle good quality red wine
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t herbes de provence
3 1-inch pieces of orange rind
salt and pepper
32 oz low sodium beef broth
16 oz fresh whole mushrooms, cleaned and halved (or quartered if large)
2-3 large carrots, thinly sliced
2-3 celery ribs, sliced
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
2 T worcestershire sauce
1/8 - 1/4 t ground cloves

In a large pot or dutch oven, add the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat.  In batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pot, quickly sear/brown the beef.  Remove beef to a plate.

Lower heat to medium.  Pour in red wine, bay leaves, garlic, herbes de provence, orange rind and a little salt and pepper and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Let simmer for a few minutes, 2-3 minutes.  Stir in beef broth.

Add meat back into the pot.  Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, potatoes and onions.  Stir well.  Cover pot and let simmer 20-30 minutes.  Stir again and lower heat to low, stirring occasionally, and let cook for 4-5 hours.

About an hour before serving, stir in worcestershire sauce and cloves.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Mexican Shrimp Tostadas with Cilantro-Lime Slaw

I think I could eat these once a week and never tire of them.  I really, really love these tostadas and luckily so does everyone else in my family.  As good as shrimp, black beans, guacamole and cheese are, it's definitely the cilantro-lime slaw that elevates these tostadas into the realm of super awesomeness.  My family has some food sensitivities and this recipe is naturally gluten-free and for Finley, I simply omit the cheese.  Easy-peasy and everyone is happy!  If you aren't a shrimp fan, you can easily substitute chicken, pork, or beef or they're hearty enough to just serve them vegetarian.

Mexican Shrimp Tostados with Cilantro-Lime Slaw

for the shrimp:
2/3 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Tex-Mex seasoning (or a mixture of garlic powder, salt, pepper, Mexican oregano and cumin)

for the slaw:
1/2 bag cole slaw
3-4 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 lime, zest and juice
2-3 tablespoons cilantro
salt and pepper

for the tostadas:
12 tostada shells
1 store bought container good-quality guacamole (or make homemade)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz crumbled Mexican or feta cheese
1 tomato, chopped

Early in the day, combine all of the shrimp ingredients together in a ziplock bag and gently mix well.  Refrigerate until ready to cook.  Then assemble all slaw ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a mixing bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with foil and arrange the 12 tostado shells on the baking sheets.  Cook the shells for 2-3 minutes to crisp them up.   Remove them and let cool until you can handle them.  Spread 1-2 tablespoons of guacamole on each tostada.  Evenly divide the black beans between the tostadas and then top the beans with cheese.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is softened.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook shrimp, flipping halfway through, 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink.

Remove tostadas from oven.  Top with slaw, tomatoes and shrimp.  Serve immediately.

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Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos

It's no secret in our house that my husband loves him some chorizo.  It's also no secret that I'm always on the look out for a quick weeknight meal.  This recipe fit both and sounded delicious, so I decided to give it a try.  Normally when I make tacos, I serve them with cheese and sour cream, but now that we're a (mostly) dairy-free household, I can't do that anymore.  This recipe was so flavorful and filling that I didn't miss the dairy at all!  So next time you have taco night, I highly recommend you trying this recipe!

Chorizo, Potato and Mushroom Tacos

Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday, as seen on Pink Parsley

12 oz fresh Mexican chorizo, casings removed
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz of your favorite mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
12 oz red skin, yukon gold or russet potato, grated
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
12 warm corn tortillas, for sering
3/4 c tomatillo salsa, for serving
1 avocado, sliced, for serving
Margaritas, optional but definitely recommended!

Crumble the chorizo into a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring often to break up any large lumps, until some of the fat starts to render and the sausage looks half-cooked, about 4-5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Cook, stirring nearly constantly, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the grated potato over the sausage mixture and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft, about 3 minutes, stirring often.  Reduce the temperature if the potatoes start to brown before they soften.  Taste and season with salt if necessary - some chorizo is highly seasoned.

Scrape mixture into serving bowl and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Serve with warm tortillas, tomatillo salsa and sliced avocado.

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Crusty, No-Knead Bread

About ten years ago, I decided to make homemade bread for my co-workers for their Christmas presents.  All I remember from the experience (I think I blocked it out as it was so traumatic) was that I swore I would never make bread from scratch again.  Ever. Kneading bread dough was just not my cup of tea.

Trying to find good bread without any dairy in it is possible, but definitely not an easy task.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it because it didn't have any dairy and because you didn't have to knead it.  Praise the Lord for no knead bread recipes!

I loved this recipe for so many reasons.  Have I mentioned that you don't have to knead it?!?  There are only four ingredients, all of which you probably already have in your pantry.  Your active work time for this recipe is only about 5 minutes.  And lastly, the bread has this wonderful crust while still being soft and moist inside.  Delicious!  Also, you can easily add-in other ingredients if you'd like to make flavored bread.  I think my next loaf will be a breakfast bread with dried cranberries and pistachios in it...

Crusty, No-Knead Bread

recipe from Simply So Good (for step-by-step pictures, check out SSG's blog post)

3 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 t salt
1/2 t yeast
1 1/2 c water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside (don't refrigerate) for 12-18 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven reaches 450 degrees, place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and let pot heat for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Remove pot and carefully place dough into pot.  Cover with the lid and return to oven for 30 minutes.  Take lid off and bake another 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

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Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork

This recipe was the best pulled pork I've ever made.  The meat had a wonderful flavor and was so tender.  It only took me about 45 seconds to shred the meat since it was literally falling off the bone.  Yum!  This recipe is going back on the menu again this month.  The liquid smoke was a crucial element as it added a true barbecue flavor that is normally lacking in slow cooker recipes.  (I found liquid smoke in the aisle with the BBQ sauces.)

Also, I couldn't find less than a 9 lb pork shoulder roast at my grocery store, but the butcher was more than happy to cut it down for me.

Slow Cooker Smoky Pulled Pork

recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

3-4 lb pork shoulder butt roast (can be bone-in)
3 T paprika
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 1/2 T pepper
1 t garlic powder
1 t dry mustard
1/3 c liquid smoke
1 (16-20 oz) bottle of BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's)
buns

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with nonstick spray.  In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard and liquid smoke and whisk to combine.  Rub marinade into all sides of pork and place meat into slow cooker.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Remove pork roast from slow cooker and shred meat.  Add meat back into slow cooker and stir in BBQ sauce.  Serve on buns and enjoy!

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Once a Month Cooking

Does anyone do this?  I'm trying to figure out if I can swing it.  I think we'd eat out less often (and thus save money) if I had meals in the freezer ready to cook.  I literally spent four hours yesterday trying to plan out a menu and collect recipes and I'm still not finished.  Anyone have any advice for me???

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Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

When it comes to enchiladas, nine times out of ten I will order Queso Enchiladas, beef enchiladas topped with chili con queso.  Be still my heart.  Sadly, now that we're a (mostly) dairy free household, I can no longer indulge in such delicacies.  So in order to feed my enchilada craving, I came up with these delicious, and much healthier, Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas.  Serve a plate of these with a green salad or Spanish rice and you've got a fantastic Mexican meal that you don't have to feel guilty about!

In order to save time, I used canned enchilada sauce, but these would be even better with a homemade sauce.  If we could eat dairy, then I think this Poblano Cream Sauce would pair beautifully with these yummy enchiladas.  Also, I like my enchiladas on the drier side, so I only used one can of enchilada sauce, but if you like them wetter, use two cans.

Avocado and Black Bean Enchiladas

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup water or broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 large ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 lime, juiced
salt and pepper, to taste
12 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cheddar, pepper jack cheese, or Daiya cheddar cheese substitute
1 10-oz can red enchilada sauce
optional garnishes: sour cream, extra cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and/or black olives

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent.  Stir in beans, water, chili powder, oregano and cumin.  Let beans mixture simmer, stirring often, until the liquid is almost all gone, about 10-15 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a casserole pan with nonstick spray.  Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.

In a small bowl, toss avocado slices with lime juice.  Season to taste with salt and a little pepper.  Set aside.

In a saute pan, add 1/2-inch depth of vegetable oil and heat it on medium.  Test the oil by dropping a few water droplets into the oil.  If they sizzle and bubble, the oil is ready.  If they don't, then let the oil continue heating and test again.  Using tongs, carefully drop one tortilla into the hot oil for 5-10 seconds. Remove to your work surface.  Spoon about 1/4 cup of bean mixture down the center of the tortilla and top with 1-2 slices of avocado.  Roll up enchilada and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas.  Pour enchilada sauce over the cheese.  Bake 25-30 minutes in preheated oven.  Let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sour cream, more cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro and/or sliced black olives.

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Weekly Meal Plan

This Week's Menu:

Avocado and Black Bean Enchilada; Spanish Rice

Tomato Basil Cream Sauce; Rosemary Baguette

Cobb Salad; Homemade Bread

Pulled Pork Sandwiches; Potato Salad; Kale Chips

Turkey Lettuce Wraps; Brown Rice; Edamame

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Weekly Menu

This Week's Menu:

Tacos al Pastor; Black Beans; Sliced Avocado

Barefoot Contessa's Steak Sandwich; Roasted Potato Wedges; Fresh Fruit Salad

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto; Rosemary Baguette

Spanish Roasted Chicken with Chorizo, Potatoes and Asparagus; Green Salad


Last Week's Menu Reviews:

Key West Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Skewers; Cilantro Lime Rice - a wonderful, and easy, dish to with which to welcome the beautiful spring weather!

Chorizo, Mushroom and Potato Tacos - this recipe is quick to prepare and a delicious alternative to the traditional ground beef taco filling.  Yum!  Look for a full recap of the recipe on the blog soon.

Artichoke Chicken; Caramelized Brussels Sprouts - This chicken dish was really tasty, even using the fake, non-dairy cheese!  Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to get dinner on the table that evening so I completely forgot to take a picture.

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce - I love this one-dish meal.  Whenever I'm in the mood for spaghetti, this is the recipe that I use.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps - always a family favorite. And healthy to boot!

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Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce

This whole 'dairy free' thing has turned out to be a wonderful change of pace for the family.  Finley is actually eating more (and hopefully gaining weight since she's a skinny minnie), Andrew has already lost two pounds and while I haven't lost any weight (but I'm crossing my fingers I do!), I feel great because we're eating so much healthier than we did before.  I'm also enjoying that going dairy free has pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone and forced me to try new recipes, like this one!

This sauce truly felt decadent while we were eating it, but I loved not feeling guilty about it since there wasn't actually any cream or butter in it!  The sauce is so flavorful from the roasted tomatoes, garlic and loads of fresh basil.  Really, how could you go wrong with those ingredients?!?  Even my carnivorous husband happily ate every bite without any comments/complaints about the lack of meat.  Finley and I happily ate our dinner and then we had leftovers for lunch the next day.  While the leftovers still had a wonderful flavor, the sauce had disappeared (i.e. absorbed by the noodles), so these noodles are definitely best served immediately.  Or just serve the sauce on the side rather than tossing them together.

Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce 
adapted from Oh She Glows

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
6-7 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly charred and bursting.  Let cool.

Meanwhile, put water on to boil for the noodles.  When boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions.  Drain.

In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, cashews, chicken broth and tomato paste.  Blend until fairly smooth.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add tomato mixture and stir to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce if it is too thick.   Let sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and stir in most of the basil (reserving some for garnish).

Toss sauce with hot pasta.  Garnish with reserved basil.

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Key West Chicken and Veggie Skewers

This past weekend we had glorious spring weather and that put us in the mood to bust out the grill for the first time in 2012.  I love grilling, mostly because it means I don't have to do all the cooking myself since my husband is the Grill Master!  This marinade was so simple (as in I had everything I needed for it already) and delicious.  And I love that I got the main dish and a side dish all in one - that makes this mama very happy.  You know what else makes this mama happy?  The fact that any food on a skewer will automatically be consumed by my child.

Key West Chicken and Veggie Skewers
adapted from Grocery Budget 101

for the marinade:
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 limes, juice and zest
1 1/2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons cilantro, minced

for the skewers:
2 large chicken breasts, cubed
1 zucchini, cut into thick slices
1 yellow squash, cut into thick slices
8 oz fresh whole mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large chunks
wooden or metal skewers (if using wooden, soak in water for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling)

In a small bowl, stir together all the marinade ingredients.  Pour marinade into a large ziplock bag.  Add chicken and cut vegetables.  Close bag and shake well to evenly distribute marinade.  Refrigerate for 1 hour, flipping bag over once.

Preheat grill.  Drain marinade and discard.  Threat chicken and veggies onto skewers.  Grill over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, flip and move the skewers to indirect heat for another 4 minutes, or until juices run clear.

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Freezer Friendly Berry and Banana Smoothies

Okay so the recipe title is a bit misleading.  Really, I just froze the "innards" per se of the smoothie rather than the actual smoothie as a whole.

You see, I am not a morning person (not in the least), but my sweet munchkin seems to enjoy waking up around 6:00 every morning.  For some odd reason, she wakes up hungry, whereas I just wake up grumpy.  Once I'm out of bed, I move at a snail's pace until I've consumed my first cup of coffee (after which, the world is a much happier place).  So to combat the exhaustion in the morning, I first made the freezer friendly breakfast tacos.  While they're totally awesome, they could be more nutritious.  So I decided to also make fruit smoothies.  In combination they are the perfect breakfast trifecta...you know, if you only needed two things to make a trifecta.

FYI - I bought whatever berries were available and on sale, so feel free to mix things up a bit.

And if you need any more convincing to try these, here is Finley's review: "Yummy foothie, Mama!"

Freezer Friendly Berry and Banana Smoothies

to freeze:
1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
2 pints raspberries
1 pint blackberries
4 bananas, sliced

for smoothie:
1 bag frozen fruit medley
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 milk, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk

Wash and dry (dry them well! or else they will freeze together in big icy clumps) the berries.  Cut strawberries in half.  Spread fruit (berries and bananas) on foil lined baking sheet and freeze for a few hours.  Package 1 cup of fruit in ziplock snack-sized baggies.  Return fruit baggies to freezer until ready to use.

To make smoothies, combine the contents of 1 fruit baggie with orange juice and milk of choice in a blender.  Blend away and serve immediately.  Makes 1-2 servings (1 serving if you're serving the smoothie by itself or 2 servings if you're serving it with another dish, like the breakfast taco).

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Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce

When I hear people say that if you prepare vegetables well enough and often enough, then your child will eat them and love them, I automatically think one of two things.  First, they are incredibly lucky to have a child who apparently isn't a picky eater.  Or secondly, they don't have kids.  These naysayers also judge those parents who choose to 'hide' vegetables in the food they prepare their children.  "I mean, by hiding vegetables in food, how will the poor child ever learn to eat and appreciate vegetables on their own?!?"

I used to be one of these people.  Being somewhat of a foodie, I naively believed that by offering Finley the same foods I prepared for Andrew and myself, she would naturally develop a sophisticated palate.  And compared to most kids her age, maybe she has.  But she's still only two and a half and will choose a (veggie, organic) chicken nugget over broccolini any day of the week.

But here's what I've learned through my short years of motherhood.  Most kids are fickle eaters and they go through phases (usually fairly quickly!) of what they like and don't like.  For instance, one night Finley ate 10 spears of asparagus with her dinner.  I was so proud, pretty much ecstatic really, that I had a toddler who loved a green veggie besides canned green beans!  I marched to Costco the next day and bought the 6-lb bag of asparagus only to come home to a toddler who adamantly refused to eat. a. single. bite. of. asparagus. ever. again.

And this is why I am a firm believer of offering tasty, fresh vegetables at every meal (because sometimes Fin surprises me and eats her carrots or broccoli) BUT also hiding vegetables in meals wherever I can.  I mean, really what is the harm in packing more vegetables into a meal?  It's healthier all the way around!  This is a spaghetti sauce recipe I created when Fin was going through her 'I-only-want-to-eat-pasta-and-ice-cream' phase.  We enjoy the sauce so much, it's now the only meat sauce I ever make anymore.  It's jam packed with vegetables (onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini and squash) so it's healthy and tasty.  When I make this spaghetti, I can rest easy because if Finley refuses to eat any of her vegetable side dishes that night, I don't have to worry since she ate some of the dreaded veggies without even knowing it.  And that makes me happy :-)

This recipe makes enough for about 10-12 servings.  I always make the full recipe - I serve it for dinner and then divide the leftovers into two or three large ziplock bags and throw them in the freezer for another night. Also, if you need to clean out your veggie drawer, feel free to throw in any other vegetables too!

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce
a Baking and Eggs original

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
4-8 oz fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, shredded
1 yellow squash, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup red wine (or substitute with more beef stock)
1/2 beef stock
1 lb Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 lb ground beef or ground bison
2 29-oz cans tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)
1 14.5-oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving (omit if you're dairy free)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small can tomato paste
cooked spaghetti noodles, for serving

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent.  Add mushrooms, garlic, zucchini, squash, basil, fennel seed, oregano and rosemary and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in wine and beef stock and let simmer while the meat cooks.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan cook Italian sausage and ground beef over medium heat, breaking up any big lumps, until meat is browned.  Drain fat.  Add meat to vegetable mixture.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and lower heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for at least one hour.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  About 20 minutes before serving, stir in tomato paste if the sauce is too watery.  Continue to cook sauce over medium-low heat until ready to eat.  Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with extra parmesan.

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Weekly Meal Plan

This Week's Menu:

Key West Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs; Cilantro-Lime Rice

Chorizo, Mushroom and Potato Tacos; Roasted Tomatillo Salsa; Black Bean, Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Artichoke Chicken; Caramelized Brussels Sprouts; Creamy Chive Pasta

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce; Roasted Lemon Broccoli

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps; Edamame


Last Week's Reviews:

Arroz con Pollo - great comfort food!  I loved how well all the different flavors married together.  A company worthy dish!

Best Meatloaf; Caramelized Brussels Sprouts - While the meatloaf was good, it wasn't the "best" to me.  The meatloaf was fairly crumbly and didn't stay together well and I think I just prefer traditional flavors in my meatloaf rather than Asian-ish flavors found in this meatloaf recipe.  But enough about meatloaf because the brussels sprouts totally stole the show.  They were fantasticly delicious!

Wonton Soup - It was good but it was also a lot of work to make all those homemade wontons.  Not sure if the end result was worth all the time and effort...

Chicken and Veggie Quinoa Stir-Fry - When it came time to make this dinner, I just wasn't feeling it.  So I opted to improvise and I made homemade chicken nuggets, quinoa and roasted veggies.  Good food but nothing to write home about.

Spinach Stuffed Shells - I didn't ever make it to the health food grocery store for nutritional yeast so I postponed this recipe for another week.

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Seared Scallops with Cauliflower-Corn Puree

Even though I'm not a huge seafood lover, I was really looking forward to this fun, classy, little-bit-more-gourmet-than-usual meal.  I love to get in the kitchen and make dinner when I'm really excited about a new recipe.  I decided to serve this as our Valentine's meal at home.  I love to celebrate Valentine's at a fancy restaurant...just not actually on the day because I hate the crowds.  So I usually make a nice dinner at home (like last year's Filet Oscar) and then we got out to dinner on another night.

This meal really isn't hard to put together, even though it has several different components.  This is a pretty healthy, low carbohydrate meal.  Sure it has some butter in it, but not too much.  And it was a celebratory dinner after all.  (Of course it was before our household was dairy free!)  The scallops were fantastic and I was really surprised at how good the cauliflower puree was.  So if you're looking for a fancy-schmancy, but easy-peasy, meal, look no further!

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower-Corn Puree
recipe adapted slightly from So Forking Good

Olive oil
6 thin slices pancetta, chopped
8 large scallops
1 head cauliflower
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted completely
salt and pepper, to taste
arugula or watercress, for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet.  When hot, add pancetta.  Cook, stirring often, until pancetta is crispy and has rendered its fat.  With a slotted spoon, remove pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate.  Leave pancetta fat in the pan and set aside.

Clean scallops by rinsing in cold water.  Gently slice an X-pattern on the top of each scallop.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Heat a pot of water to a boil.  Add cauliflower and cook until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain and return cauliflower back to pot.  Add cream, butter and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with a hand mixer until smooth.  Stir in corn kernels.

Meanwhile, heat the pan with the pancetta fat on medium-high heat.  If needed, add a little more olive oil until the surface of the pan is coated.  Once hot, place scallops in the pan.  Pan fry for about 2-3 minutes and then flip, browning the other side for an additional 1-2 minutes.

To serve, spoon a good helping of the cauliflower mixture on a plate.  Top with scallops.  Garnish with pancetta and arugula (or watercress).  Serve immediately.

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Chorizo Chile con Queso

So this recipe isn't dairy free, but it was too good not to post!  I apologize for the crap-tacular picture, but it's hard to get a photo in which queso looks pretty!

To celebrate the Super Bowl, I made several appetizers on which to munch.  For me, the Super Bowl is about food, not football.  Sad, I know.  Anyway, one of the dishes I made was Chorizo Chile con Queso and it was fabulous.  Why have I never thought to add chorizo before?  The chorizo adds a great savory and spicy depth to the queso.  Even my mom, who told me ahead of time that she didn't care for chorizo, really liked this queso!

Chorizo Chile con Queso
a Baking and Eggs original

12 oz chorizo sausage, casings removed
1 small white onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 lbs Velveeta, cut into cubes
2 14.5-oz cans Rotel (or diced tomatoes with green peppers)
Chopped jalapenos, optional
Milk or chicken broth, if needed
Tortilla chips, for serving

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute chorizo, onion and bell pepper, making sure to break up any large clumps of chorizo.  Continue cooking 10-15 minutes, or until chorizo is cooked through and vegetables are translucent and soft.  Drain off the red grease.

In the bowl of a slow cooker, place cubed Velveeta.  Pour chorizo mixture over top of cheese.  Drain 1 can of Rotel and add to slow cooker.  Do not drain the second can and add entire contents to slow cooker.  If you want to dial up the heat, add jalapenos.  Stir to combine ingredients.

Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.  If the queso is too thick for your liking, add a little milk or chicken broth to thin it to your desired consistency.  (I didn't have to do this.) Lower heat to low or keep warm (this allows the queso to stay at the perfect dipping consistency/temperature) and serve with tortilla chips.

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