Dinnertime: New Recipes

We've been so busy around here that I haven't had the chance to make a new meal in a while! Here are a few that I'll be trying in the next few months:

• Beer battered fish tacos
• Avocado BLT egg salad sandwiches  
• Garlic brown sugar chicken
• Italian wedding soup
• Zucchini chips 
• Chicken tikka masala or another Indian dish (like the one picture above that Jess made)

Also, I have been pinning a lot of Weight Watchers recipes. I'm not on that plan, but they have a lot of easy and healthy recipes out there that are good for calorie counting and/or portion control.

Any good meals you've had lately?

Recipe: Stuffed Breakfast Sandwiches

This is one of the easiest and tastiest breakfast sandwiches I've ever had.

Ingredients

1 package of crescent rolls (8 triangles of dough) 

3 eggs

4 slices of cheddar cheese

8 slices of bacon 

1 tablespoon butter melted

Preheat your oven according to the crescent roll package directions. 

Scramble your eggs over medium heat in a medium skillet. Cook your bacon until it's cooked through and crispy, set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain the grease. Cut the cheese slices in half.

Lay the crescent rolls flat on a cooking sheet. Add egg, one slice of bacon (folded in half to fit), 1/2 slice of cheese and wrap the ends of the crescent roll around the ingredients until it becomes a pocket. 

Brush the top of the rolls with butter and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Serves 8!

Some alternate, and healthier, ideas for the ingredients:
Egg, fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes
Egg, onion and feta cheese
Egg, black beans, salsa and cheese
Cream cheese and  berries
Chocolate, hazelnut or peanut butter with banana or honey

Dinnertime: Bacon & apple mac-n-cheese

This was the first time I made this and it did not disappoint! 

Ingredients

2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

8 slices of bacon, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 leek, rinsed with white and green parts thinly sliced crosswise (don't use the stalks)

3/4 pound elbow macaroni

8 ounces of white cheddar, shredded (about 2 cups)

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups milk, at room temperature

1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat stiring frequently until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the bacon grease, then cook the apples in the same skillet until slightly browned and softened. Transfer the apples to a bowl.

Place the leeks in a collander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions, then drain over the collander with the leeks (thus cooking them a little with the hot water).

Melt the butter in a medium size saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook about a minute. Then add the milk and stir until thick. Remove from the heat and add in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese.  Stir in the parsley, bacon and apples until everything is coated. 

In an oven safe dish (I used an 9 x 13 pan), spray with a little cooking spray, then add in the pasta and leeks, and pour the bacon/apple sauce over top. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Serves 8. Enjoy!

Recipe: hazelnut & sea salt chocolate pie

This is so decadent and a crowd pleaser but most importantly SO easy!

Ingredients:

10 oz bittersweet chocolate (I recommend the chips - easier to work with)

8 oz heavy cream

2 oz half and half (I used a sweetened version)

1/4 cup chopped and toasted hazelnuts

2 tablespoons hazelnut liquor 

1 graham cracker pie crust

Coarse sea salt to taste

Instructions:

In a medium sauce pan, heat the cream and half and half to medium and slowly wisk in the chocolate until melted. Add in the hazelnut liquor and pour into the pie crust.

Cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Right before serving, sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt (I did about a teaspoon) and the hazelnuts. 

Enjoy! Serves 8. 

Dinnertime: Potato and Goat Cheese Frittata

This is one of my favorites and is a definite crowd pleaser! It is also easy and quick to make.

Ingredients

10 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 scallions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup crumbled soft goat cheese (4 ounces)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs, cream, scallions, and thyme in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Grab a 10-inch cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet) and heat the oil over medium heat. Add potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown and soft - about 6-8 minutes. 

Pour egg mixture into skillet and stir. Bake until set about 10 minutes, then remove from oven, sprinkle goat cheese and keep baking until it melts and the eggs are cooked through, about 8-10 additional minutes. Garnish with scallion ribbons.

Serves 6-8 people. Enjoy!

Dinnertime: Seared Tuna Steaks, Radish & Avocado Salad and Roasted Acorn Squash

Via

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tuna steaks 

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 ripe avacado, pitted and chopped

8 radishes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup sweet onion (can also use red onion)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup chopped, salted, roasted and shelled pistachios

1 medium acorn squash

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons orange juice

1.5 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

 

Acorn Squash Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the acorn squash into rings and discard seeds. Brush squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the squash is golden brown. Combine the broth, juice, honey in a saucepan and bring to a boil - cook until the mixture is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir butter into the sauce and drizzle over the squash. 

Tuna Steaks Instructions

 Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle the tuna steaks with salt and pepper and and sear for 2-5 minutes per side. Toss together the lemon juice and avocado in a bowl and gently stir in radishes and onion. Serve over the tuna steaks and sprinkle with basil and pistachios.

Serve with a good bottle of chilled white wine and enjoy!

Dinnertime: Pork Fried Rice Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

3/4 cup chopped ginger-orange pork (leftover from last week's roast)

4 romaine lettuce leaves, washed and dried

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 large carrot peeled and diced

1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the butter in a skillet, add cooked rice, onion and carrot and cook 10 minutes stirring until rice is browned. Add peas and cover, let stand for about 5 minutes. 

While the stir fry is setting, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and all of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork and cook for 5 min, turning often, lower heat and add soy sauce.

Add pork mixture to rice, and spoon into lettuce. Serve with sriracha or a sesame based sauce if you'd like. Wrap up and enjoy!

Dinnertime: Orange and Ginger Pork with Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

 

Ingredients for Pork Roast

2 pounds pork shoulder

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (you can also used dried)

3 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon Chinese five spice (optional)

Rub pork with salt and pepper and place in a slow cooker. Add the spices, rind and juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Shred pork and save 3/4 cup for another recipe (I will share that one next week).

Ingredients for Roasted Carrots and Potatoes

1 cup carrots diced into long strips

1 cup potatoes diced into 1 inch cubes

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons ginger

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

Pre-heat oven to 400. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Melt butter in a cup or bowl (I used the microwave) and stir in spices and sugar. Combine the carrots and potatoes into a large bowl and pour the mixture over them, ensuring they're covered. Roast for 25 minutes, toss, then roast an additional 10.

Serve with the pork and enjoy!

(Ginger-orange pork lettuce wraps with stir fried rice next week!)

Dinnertime Series: Eating "Clean"

My original food series photo (this makes me laugh because that knife is so big!)

I never understood what "clean" eating meant until I tried it. Truth be told, I am a skeptic about diets that sound like fads - Paleo, voluntary gluten-free, clean, etc. But now that I know what it means (see here for more details), I'm open to it!

Matt and I were convinced by a few friends (and a nice Groupon discount) to sign up for an electronic meal plan in hopes to eat a better variety of food and save a little money. Each week the company sends you recipes and a shopping list for 7 meals based on the kind of meals you desire. The site we chose has lots of options - classic, mediterranean, vegetarian, portion control, gourmet and the like.

We chose the clean eating plan because it looked like the healthiest option, it had some variety of proteins and veggies and lets you use your slow-cooker if needed. It did not disappoint!

Over the next few months, I'll share some of the best recipes with you. Tomorrow we'll start with ginger and orange pork roast with roasted ginger carrots and potatoes.

The Great Grilled Cheese Experiment

 Lately my cooking has been boring. We have standard “staple” meals in our house that I can cook at anytime (a lot of them have common ingredients), but after so many years of enchiladas, grilled chicken, pasta, BBQ pizza, stir fry and chili, we are getting super tired of dinner.

I attempt a new recipe at least once a month, but have also been trying to incorporate some creativity into a normal, everyday meals. I am also trying to cut corners where I can since our time is so limited with a crawling little one. I wanted to find some quick recipes that were delicious, somewhat healthy and not boring.

I subscribe to Rachael Ray’s food magazine and she did a feature in the spring on a grilled cheese potluck party. She gave a few good recipes (and some weird ones too) for different kinds of grilled cheese, along with some easy, healthy sides, so I decided to try some out. So far we have made the following grilled cheese varieties:

Sharp cheddar, pepper jack and bacon on French loaf
Brie, granny smith apple and roasted turkey on sourdough
Mozzarella, sun dried tomato, basil on rosemary foccicia
Jalapeno, Monterrey jack and sweet corn on Italian loaf

We typically serve the sandwiches with grilled corn on the cob or a side salad and fresh fruit. It’s a perfect quick meal, but the sandwiches make the meal feel a little special.

Any cheap/fun dinners you have tried and loved this summer?

Recipes as of late...

I have been trying to experiment a little more in the kitchen this past month because Matt and I have been so bored with our staples (does anyone else ever get that way)? Here are some recipes I have cooked that were pretty darn good:

Via

Williams Sonoma's Egg and Bacon Pizza (see photo above - soooo good!)

Food & Wine Magazine's sausage and potato tacos

Martha Stewart's Mediterranean chicken

Food Network's Roasted Red Pepper Soup

All Recipe's Goat Cheese and Arugula Pasta


Any recipes you have tried recently that you'd recommend? If so, please share in the comments!

Dinnertime: Drumsticks and Carrots in Peanut Sauce

Matt and I love Thai food, but we both needed a break from carb-heavy dinners. This is like my Thai Peanut Chicken recipe, minus the noodles.

Ingredients

6 chicken drumsticks (bone in, skin on)

5-6 large carrotts

1/2 cup peanut sauce

1/8 cup peanuts, crushed

1/4 stick butter

1 tablespoon honey

fresh cilantro

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Slice up your carrots julienne style (each piece should be about 4 inches long and 1/4 inch wide). Melt your butter and toss the carrots, honey and butter together in a bowl until each piece is well covered.

Grab a roasting pan or a non-stick baking sheet and lay the chicken out on the pan, then baste with the peanut sauce on both sides. Lay the carrots on the pan and drizzle any leftover butter/honey mixture on the chicken. 

Roast for 30 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through and add the peanuts to the pan. 

Serve with fresh cilantro. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Dinnertime: Cast Iron Skillet Pork Chops with Roasted Potatoes

This is my version of this recipe by Rachael Ray, but instead of mushrooms, I made a red wine and balsamic glaze. This was the first time I tried to cook pork chops like this and it was really good!

Ingredients

2 bone-in pork chops

5-6 small red potatoes

1 small onion, sliced longways

1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette

1/4 cup sugar

1/8 cup red wine 

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 stick butter

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Take your potatoes and poke some holes in them with a fork , then microwave them for about 10 minutes, flipping 1/2 way through. Once they are cooked, slice them up into cubes, toss onto a baking sheet with 1/2 of the butter (melt it) and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes, tossing at the 15 minute mark.

In a small sauce pan combine the balsamic vinaigrette, wine and sugar and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for a few minutes, stirring often, then reduce to low heat and simmer.

While the potatoes are roasting and your sauce is simmering, take your salt and pepper and rub them into the chops (both sides). Melt 1/4 stick of the butter in the skillet over medium heat and add the onions and cook until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the pork chops and brown each side, keeping the heat at medium. Add another 1/4 of butter as the sides brown.

Once the potatoes are done, add them to your skillet with the onions and chops and pour the glaze over all of it. Place the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes to get the glaze nice and crisp on the meat.

Serves 2 and goes well with a green salad. Enjoy!

Dinnertime: Creamy Spinach and Pea Pasta

This is one of the easiest recipes plus it's incredibly filling and yummy! 

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 

1/2 box penne

3 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded

Cook your penne according to the directions. Add the peas during the last minute of cooking. Drain the pasta and peas and reserve the pot.

Melt the butter in the pasta pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Then add the cream, chicken, spinach, and salt and pepper to the pot and cook until the chicken is warmed through and the spinach is wilted. Add the pasta and peas and toss well.

Top with a little Parmesan cheese. Serves 4!

Valentine's Day Treats

I love dessert, but I am a terrible baker (save my grandmother's apple pie. Seriously, you cannot mess up apple pie unless you burn the crust). 

So for Valentine's Day this year I want to make an amazing dessert for me and Matt to enjoy. He doesn't have as strong as a sweet tooth, but he does love a fancy dessert now and then. I've found a few recipes that seem pretty good / easy to master.

Tollhouse Pie

Via

 Candy Bar Truffles

Via

  Chilled Kahlua Cappuccinos

Via

Molten Chocolate Cake 

Via

Creme Brulee

Via

I'm leaning towards creme brulee, but I don't own one of those little torches to crisp the sugar top. Which one should I make?

Dinnertime: White Bean Chicken Chili

This is a spin off of the Ruby Tuesday's White Bean Chicken Chili, but slightly modified (I omit the tomatoes for Matt's sake). 

Ingredients

1 cup frozen white corn

2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 cans great northern beans drained and rinsed

1 small sweet onion chopped

1 4oz can of green chiles chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup sour cream

1 packet of White Bean Chili Seasoning Mix (or 1/4 tsp of each of the following: corn starch, chili pepper, cumin, red pepper, flour, salt, garlic and pepper)

2 chicken breasts cut into cubes (not pictured)

Cilantro, shredded cheddar and avocado for garnish

Toss into a Dutch Oven (large pot) and cook for 1 hour on medium heat, stirring often. (You can also put in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours). 

Serve with a handful of cilantro, shredded cheddar and some avocado on top. (I only had dried cilantro, but that worked fine too!)

Serves 4-6! Enjoy.

Alternatives: 2 fresh jalepnos chopped and seeds removed gives a great spicy flavor.

A dash of lime juice adds some freshness to the dish.

Dinnertime: Cheese Ravoli with Bacon & Peas

I've been trying to find some quick and easy dinner recipes and this one is from Real Simple.

Ingredients

1 package cheese ravioli

1 1/4 cup frozen peas

6 strips bacon

2 garlic cloves, sliced into thin slivers

extra virgin olive oil

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Cook the ravioli according to directions. While that is cooking, pour a little olive oil in a big frying pan and cook the bacon to crispy perfection (about 6-8 minutes). Once it's done cooking, remove the bacon to a paper towel and let it cool. Add the garlic to the pan and cook about 2 minutes on medium, then add the peas and turn down the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes.

Slice up the bacon and add back to the pan. Take about 1/4 cup of the pasta water and add to the peas, garlic and bacon, the drain the ravioli and toss it all together with some salt, pepper and a little parmesan cheese.

Serves 4. Enjoy!

Cheap Dinners

 Over the last two weeks I have been trying to be very strategic about saving money on groceries. Although our food budget has been cut, I still wanted to ensure that we ate healthy and yummy meals. I pulled out cookbooks, looked at Pinterest and clipped coupons.

What I found is that if I meal plan 3-4 weeks at a time and "chain" my meals together by some common ingredients I can use in multiple dishes (thank you Zephyr for that idea), I can still cook some pretty amazing dinners and stay well within our budget. 

Here are a few cheap dinners that we've tried to date (but that I try to make more fun):

Chicken with Black Beans and Rice 

Sounds plain and boring right? To spruce up this meal, I marinated the chicken in lime juice, olive oil and paprika, then roasted it with about 1/4 chopped onion. The rice and beans had a little lime juice added and I chopped up an avocado for garnish. 

Breakfast for Dinner

Instead of simple scrambled eggs or pancakes, I made mini pancake muffins and then added a small omelet for each of us that had spinach and a handful of shredded cheddar. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I always buy frozen meatballs from Trader Joe's (so cheap!) but to add some zest to this meal, I cooked the spaghetti, defrosted the meatballs, then tossed it all into a baking dish with the sauce, toppedd it with some Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and bake it for 20 minutes. Somehow, it seemed fancier, but it isn't!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I bought 2 cans of a low sodium chicken noodle soup, but to spruce it up I added a cup of corn (defrosted from frozen), a tablespoon of hot sauce, and a can of rinsed black beans. It turned it into "Mexican" chicken soup - served with some crushed tortilla chips on top. 

Any cheap, but healthy dinner ideas you'd like to share?

Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes

Laura, her son Hudson, me and my sister in law Faith at Thanksgiving 2009

 I'll admit that I am SO over the traditional green bean casserole, gelled cranberry sauce and plain mashed potatoes as side dishes for Thanksgiving! I've been searching for some healthy (and different) side dishes and found a few I'd like to try...

Instead of green bean casserole: Real Simple's Sesame Green Beans or Mayo Clinic's Green Beans with Red Pepper & Garlic

Instead of gelled cranberry sauce: Martha Stewart's Cranberry Chutney or The Pioneer Woman's Cranberry-Pomegranate Sauce

Instead of mashed potatoes: Rachael Ray's Smashed Sweet Potatoes or Food Network's Cauliflower Garlic Mash

I wonder if my family would be willing to try any of these... ;)

Any fun dishes you are making for the holidays?

Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

 I've seen this recipe all over Pinterest, but this is actually a Weight Watchers recipe that I heard about a few years ago. I make these every year and I love them! I've changed it a little bit, so this is my take on the recipe. 

Ingredients*

1 can pumpkin puree

1 box Spice Cake mix 

2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, dish out into cupcake liners/pans and bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with cream cheese icing and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. 

*The original recipe calls for just the pumpkin puree and a box of yellow cake mix, but I find that version really dry and not at all tasty.