Food to Keep You Warm

Now that the weather is changing (at least it is in Pennsylvania), I enjoy making food that is warm and comforting. The first things that come to mind for me are soups and stews.

Soups and stews are convenient and wonderful for a number of reasons. First of all, they are one pot dinners. I don't have to make anything to go with them (usually) and there is minimal cleanup. Second of all, I can easily double a recipe and freeze the leftovers for another week. Soups with a cream base don't freeze well, but almost all other soups do. Third of all, they are often very well balanced and healthy meals. There's usually at least one veggie involved and, many times, the other ingredients aren't very high in fat. Finally, they make a great lunch the next day as they reheat beautifully.

I have plenty of soup and stew recipes that I've made over the past few years. Here are some new ones I've tried in the last couple of weeks.

Shrimp and Chorizo Stew
~This is absolutely filling and delicious~

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 4 oz. Spanish chorizo, casings removed, sliced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup canned whole plum tomatoes, roughly chopped, plus 1/2 cup juice from the can
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
• 1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the chorizo, paprika, and 1 tsp salt and cook until the oil turns deep red, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes (reserve the juice), the bay leaves, thyme and oregano and cook 1 more minute.
4. Add the potatoes, 2 cups water, the tomato juice, and 2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
5. Add the kale and cook until the potatoes and kale are tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir in the shrimp and simmer just until they curl and turn pink, about 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and ladle the stew into bowls.

Recipe from the October 2010 edition of Food Network Magazine

This next recipe seemed like one I wouldn't like at first glance. I don't mind coconut, but I don't love it. Once I read through the recipe, I realized that it was made with coconut milk which is a bit more subtle than coconut flakes. I also have an on again/off again kind of relationship with carrots. Sometimes they work for me and sometimes I find them disgusting. I decided to throw caution to the wind and just try this recipe. I liked it a lot, but I don't think I would have liked it as much without bread to balance out the strong flavors. I heated up some Naan bread that I bought frozen at Trader Joe's. Yum!!

Coconut Shrimp Soup
~This Thai recipe is packed with flavor~

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 lb carrots (6 to 9 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 oz angel hair pasta
• 1 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• Coarse salt (Kosher)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Heat the oil in a large (3 quart) saucepan over medium-low heat (I used a Dutch oven). Add the ginger, garlic, and the pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant (about 1 minute).
2. Add the carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water until smooth; add to the pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Break the pasta in half; add to the pot. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the pasta is al dente and the carrots are just tender (about 3 or 4 minutes).
4. Add the shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt. Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with the scallions. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Great Food Fast by Everday Food (A Martha Stewart Living publication)

We all know how much I love Pam Anderson (no, not that Pamela Anderson). My parents gave me one of her cookbooks for my birthday. It's called The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great. I'm really enjoying it because she gives great tips for eating healthy without sacrificing flavor. I needed a quick recipe that used most pantry ingredients last week and I knew Pam would have one for me. This soup was fast, easy, and delicious served with tortilla chips for dipping.

Creamy Chili-Corn Soup with Chicken and Black Beans
~Using a rotisserie chicken makes this even faster~

• 2 tsp vegetable or olive oil
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cans (14.5 oz) creamed corn
• 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained
• 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I hate cilantro, so I used Italian parsley)
• Salt and pepper

1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, heat oil and garlic over medium-high heat until garlic starts to sizzle. Add chili powder and cumin and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add corn, tomatoes, broth, beans, chiles, and chicken. Bring to ta boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in cilantro, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Yes, it's really that simple. It's also only 377 calories per 2-cup serving.

I will certainly continue to try new recipes for soups and stews throughout these cold months. When I come across some good ones, I'll do my best to share them!

Last Summer Cookout

Believe it or not, I'll be heading off to work on Tuesday. We have four days of inservice and the kids arrive on Monday! I am sad to see summer go. I had such a nice summer doing whatever I wished to do each day. I got to see friends and go shopping. I painted the inside of our house and read lots of books. I made some spending money doing this and that. We drove down to visit my sister and her family and then last week my sister brought the kids up for a visit. All in all, it was a low key summer and I loved every minute of it.

But now it's over. To celebrate my last Sunday where I don't feel the dread of starting the work week, we had my husband's family over for a cookout. It kind of amazes me that I get the "Sunday Dread" each week because I love my job so much. I truly love being a teacher. I wonder what the "Sunday Dread" would be like if I hated my job!

Anyway. I wanted to make very simple things that could be prepared ahead of time so that I could spend most of the time lounging with everyone. The meal turned out lovely.
I made my delicious Apricot Turkey Burgers. I have the recipe in this post, but I'll re-post it below anyway.

Apricot Turkey Burgers

~These are a fresh take on the typical turkey burger~

• 3/4 cup drained canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/3 cup minced shallots
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground red pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
• cooking spray
• 6 multi-grain hamburger buns
• Tzatziki sauce (I got mine from Trader Joe's...although, you can make it yourself)

1. Prepare the grill or grill pan.
2. Place chickpeas in a food processor, pulse 3 times or until chopped. Combine chickpeas, apricots, and next 7 ingredients.
3. Divide mixture into 6 equal portions (I actually had enough to make 7), shaping each into a 1/2 inch thick patty.
4. Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 6 minutes on each side or until a thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove from grill and let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Serve burgers on hamburger buns topped with Tzatziki sauce and tomatoes (if desired).

In the picture, I served the burgers with over fries. But yesterday I served them with this awesome new pasta salad I made for the first time. I saw it in the September issue of Food Network Magazine. Strangely, the recipe comes from the Biden family (ya know, the Vice President).

I don't know why I find that strange...I just picture someone asking me:

"Ali, this pasta salad is delicious. Who's recipe did you use?"

"Oh, thank you! It's actually an old family recipe from Joe Biden."

Maybe I'm just strange.

Soooo, why don't I just give you the recipe now.

The Bidens' Pasta Caprese

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 shallow, minced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar (it says optional, but I threw it in there)
• 2 lbs mixed heirloom tomatoes, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces (getting real heirloom tomatoes is a must for this recipe)
• 1 lb pasta (I almost always use whole wheat pasta, but I used regular campanelle for this)
• 12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (I used at least twice that because I love me some lemon zest)

1. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, shallow and garlic in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add sugar, if desired (depending on the sweetness of your tomatoes).
2. Add the tomatoes to the bowl and gently toss. Marinate at room temperature , about 15 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
4. Add the pasta and mozzarella to the tomato mixture and toss. Stir in the basil and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, tossing occasionally, until serving.
   

Because pasta salad is even better when it sits and the flavors mingle, I made it right after Church and stuck it in the fridge. The burgers took minutes to put together and I just had to throw them on the grill when everyone arrived. I was going to make my Tzatziki sauce and then I realized that it was cheaper to buy it at the Olive Bar in Wegman's than to get the ingredients. Score!

My mother in law brought hummus and pita chips, my sister in law brought drinks, and my other sister in law brought delicious brownies for dessert. It was a truly relaxing and enjoyable way to spend my last few hours of summer vacation!

Fresh, Flavorful, and Filling

Last night I made the most delicious pasta salad. I got the recipe from the July/August 2010 edition of Food Network Magazine. It was pictured on the cover and I just had to eat it. It was beyond yum. I used whole wheat pasta, which makes it an even heartier meal. The fresh lemon juice and basil were just perfect in it. I'm going to try another recipe from the same magazine for dinner tonight...if it turns out well, I'll post it :)

Roasted-Pepper Pasta Salad
~Fresh, flavorful, and filling~

• Kosher salt
• 12 oz mezzi rigatoni or other short tube shaped pasta (I actually used the spiral kind)
• 2 bell peppers (red and/or yellow) halved, stemmed, and seeded
• 6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1/4 cup almonds (I used whole almonds from the bulk section of the grocery store)
  
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 8 oz bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls)*
• 1 bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
• Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the broiler and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Add the pasta to the water and cook as the label directs. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off the excess water.
3. Meanwhile, place the bell peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan, add the garlic and broil until charred (7 - 8 minutes).
4. Transfer the peppers to a bowl, cover, and set aside for about 5 minutes.
5. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and toast, shaking the pan, for 4-5 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
6. Squeeze the garlic from its skin onto the cutting board (this is fun). Add 1/2 tsp salt and mince/mash the garlic into a paste with a large knife (so was this).
   
7. Peel the roasted peppers and slice into strips; transfer to a large bowl. Add garlic paste and drizzle with olive oil. Finely grate about 1 tsp lemon zest into the bowl and squeeze in all of the lemon juice.
8. Add the bocconcini, basil, almonds, pasta, 1 tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Then toss together and serve.
   

* I actually had a large ball of fresh mozzarella and cut it into chunks. Incidentally, I had frozen this ball of cheese after buying it on sale. I had forgotten about it and kept it in there for several months. When I asked the lady at the fancy cheese counter at Wegman's if it was ok to still use it, she proceeded to act shocked and dismayed that I even froze it! She insisted that I couldn't freeze soft cheese like that. Um, ok...well I did, and it worked fine. The mozzarella tasted fresh and delicious. Crazy cheese lady.

I enjoy finding recipes that don't have meat in them, but are still filling. This was a complete meal and even though my husband was skeptical ("But where's the chicken?" The man loves chicken.) he quickly changed his mind once he began to eat it. Becoming less dependent on having a meat for a protein at every meal is not only good for the environment, but also for your budget. If you have any meatless meals that you adore, please feel free to send the recipes my way!

Use What You've Got

One of the main premises of "Cooking with a Plan" is to buy ingredients when they're on sale and use them in several different recipes. Furthermore, use the leftovers from those recipes to make new meals!

Here's an example of buying ingredients on sale and using them effectively:

Two weeks ago, frozen raw shrimp was on sale at Giant. I bought a 2 lb bag. This week, cherry tomatoes were 2 for $4 and bagged greens were 2 for $4 at Wegman's.

Last week, I didn't have much food in the house and decided to use some of the shrimp I had bought as a base for a meal. I discovered some delicious portobello frozen raviolis in the freezer and a jar of vodka sauce in the pantry. I also had a small piece of stale bread from earlier in the week.
I sliced the bread and brushed it with olive oil. I sprinkled some Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning over them and placed the slices on a cookie sheet. I broiled the bread for no more than 5 minutes (keep an eye on it!). Meanwhile, I thawed a handful of shrimp and peeled them. I also got a small pot of water boiling and cooked the ravioli. After a very quick saute of the shrimp, I tossed the cooked ravioli into the pan and then the vodka sauce. The shrimp and ravioli heated up the sauce and we were good to go. I wish I had gotten a picture of it because the bread was all golden and delicious and the ravioli looked much more decadent than a last minute meal should look.

Ok, now flash forward to this week. I made the Barley Salad with Chicken and Corn early in the week. This used up one of the pints of tomatoes and one bag of greens (baby spinach) and all the chicken I had in the house. As expected, I was flipping through Everyday Food Magazine when I was making my grocery list and saw that there was another recipe that would use the second pint of tomatoes, the second bag of greens, and the frozen shrimp that I bought on sale last week. With about ten minutes of planning, I was able to effectively use all the food I had purchased.

The biggest reason I like to cook with a plan is because I HATE wasting food (and money!). You think that you are getting this great deal when you get the 2 items for x amount of dollars, but then you never use both things. I've thrown away many bags of unused lettuce or pints of tomatoes because they spoil. You've got to have a plan for how to use ALL the ingredients you've purchased. I find that when I don't plan my meals around the quantity of ingredients I buy, things go bad and are wasted.

Sauteed Shrimp with Arugula and Tomatoes
~This is very simple, but satisfying~

• olive oil (about 1 tbsp and 1 tsp)
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (I used 1 pint)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 oz. wild or baby arugula (4 cups)*
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• cooked pasta** or rice for serving
  

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they blister, about 2 minutes (it took more closer to 5).
   
2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until almost opaque throughout, about 4 minutes.
3. Add arugula, season with salt and pepper, and toss until wilted, 1 minute.
   
4. Add lemon juice and toss to combine. Serve the saute over rice or pasta (I used Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti...our favorite!).

*Arugula is fun because it's got a unique peppery taste to it.
**I made a half of a box of spaghetti...but following the mindset of this post, I could have made the whole box and used the leftover spaghetti for one of my "Asian Take Out" meals I learned to make from How to Cook Without A Book. More on that idea is coming up in a future post!

A Family Meal

I absolutely live for making big family meals. There is something so deliciously wonderful about eating good food with people you care about. Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to love with food.

I've never been much of a Giada de Laurentiis fan. She's beautiful, but as I watched her show I would be somewhat distracted by her huge head and short arms (think: T-Rex).

Yeah...she scares me a little, too.

I also get annoyed at the excessive amount of cleavage showing in every episode (which may account for the large male fan base she has acquired). Furthermore, I get confused by the way she talks. One minute, she is talking like you and me. The next minute, she is pronouncing Italian ingredients like she lives in a Tuscan villa on the Mediterranean coast. Just say Parmesan and marscarpone cheese like a normal person...you grew up in California. Anyway.

I got her Giada's Family Dinners cookbook for Christmas and began to try her recipes. Um, wow. Every single thing I've made from this cookbook has been completely mouthwatering. I'm sorry I called you a T-Rex, Giada, because your recipes are awesome.

I've made the following recipe three separate times since Christmas because it's a total crowd pleaser. It yields enough to make 6 hearty main course servings. If you're anything like me, I find sun-dried tomatoes to be a bit much sometimes. The way they are cooked in this recipe really mellows their flavor and they are delicious. I followed up this pasta dinner recently with a yummy dessert recipe I found in Southern Living Magazine.

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
~I use whole grain pasta to make this hearty one dish meal~

• 3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tbsp of oil reserved*
• 1 lb Italian hot sausages, casings removed (I use hot Italian turkey sausage)
• 2 (8 oz.) packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (I have yet to find frozen artichokes, so I use the canned kind in brine, not oil)
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 3/4 cups reduced sodium-chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• salt
• 12 oz. penne (I use Barilla Whole Grain)
• 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed (she says this is optional, but I think it's essential)
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork (about 8 minutes)
2. Transfer sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly (about 8 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite (about 10 minutes). Drain, but do not rinse, the pasta.
5. Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta.
6. Stir in the mozzarella and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

*Those of you who are local: Jarred sun-dried tomatoes can be really pricey...especially the jars in the produce aisle. I actually found the Wegman's brand sun-dried tomatoes in oil (found in the pasta aisle) are the cheapest around.

Banana Bread Cobbler
~I wish I had gotten a picture of this...it was really good~

• 1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup all purpose with 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4 medium-size ripe bananas, sliced

• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour (or 1/2 cup all purpose with 3/4 tsp baking power and 1/4 tsp salt)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup uncooked regular oats
• 1/2 chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together 1 cup flour, sugar, and milk until just blended. Whisk in melted butter and pour batter into a lightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish.
2. Top with banana slices.
3. Combine Streusel ingredients (brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and butter) until crumbly, using a fork. Stir oats and pecans into the Streusel mixture.
   
4. Top the banana slices with the Streusel mixture and bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (I loved it with vanilla ice cream).

Family get togethers should not force you to be in the kitchen all day. Make simple and delicious meals like this and then spend your time doing what matters...being with the people you love.

Girls Only Getaway to the Mountains

For my Aunt Kathy's 50th birthday, we went on a Girls Only trip to the Poconos. It was my Mom, my sister, and my Aunts (Aunt Kathy and Aunt Lori). My Mom's other sister, Aunt Diana couldn't be with us and we missed her terribly. She always brings such joy and laughter to the people around her. She also is a phenomenal cook and baker and would have loved all the things my sister and I created. We will do the trip again, Aunt Diana, and you'll be with us next time!

We had a wonderful time. My Aunts live in Florida and North Carolina, so I don't get to see them that often. It was so much fun to talk until the wee hours of the morning and just hang out with one another. My sister and I decided that we would cook the entire weekend because we don't often get to cook together. She's been cooking long before I started and it was such a special time for us to be in the kitchen side-by-side.

We took pictures of most of the food we made, but they weren't on my camera and I need everybody to email them to me (hint, hint). The house that my Mom's good friend graciously let us use was absolutely unbelievable! I wish I had snapped a picture of the kitchen, because it was divine. But here's what the dining room looked like:

And here's what the view from the main balcony looked like (every bedroom also had it's own balcony):


And without further ado, here was our Menu (some are links and the many can be found in the recipes below)

Friday Evening
Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas
Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Pear Cardamom Bread

Saturday Morning
Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Herbed Scrambled Eggs

Saturday Evening
Zesty Ravioli Skillet
Herbed Garlic Bread
Parmesan Roasted Broccoli
Plum Galette

Sunday Morning
Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Strata
Pecan Praline Bacon
Cranberry Lemon Scones
(I used lemon instead of orange)

Snacks
Fresh Corn Salad
Puppy Chow
Banana Bread


Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
~These have a really unique flavor~

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
• Pure maple syrup

1. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.
3. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium low heat until it bubbles. Ladles the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes.
4. Distribute a rounded tbsp of bananas on each pancake.
5. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until bubble appear on the top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned.
6. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used.
   
7. Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Recipe taken from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Herbed Scrambled Eggs
~These went nicely with the pancakes~

Crack 1 dozen eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with a 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Cook over medium and allow to set a little bit before "scrambling". This gives the eggs a nice texture that is more like folds of eggs instead of lumps. Then add shredded provolone and/or Parmesan cheese while the eggs cook and then sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs such as chives and Italian parsley when they are done cooking.

Zesty Ravioli Skillet
~Fresh and flavorful!~

• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves
• 6 oz. provolone cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 package small frozen cheese ravioli
• Halved grape tomatoes (optional)

1. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Finely chop the jalapeno and add to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute or until crisp tender. Add garlic to the skillet and cook for 15-20 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the skillet and cook 1-2 minutes until simmering. Add ravioli, stir to coat. Cook, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until tender.
3. Stir cream into skillet. Cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or until simmering.
4. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli and cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach starts to wilt.
5. Remove from heat and top with cheese. Cover the hot skillet and let stand 1-2 minutes so that the cheese can melt. Garnish with grape tomatoes, if desired.

Recipe taken from The Pampered Chef

Herbed Garlic Bread
~I ate what seemed like 500 pieces of this~

• 1 loaf of nice crusty Italian bread
• 1 stick( or maybe a little less depending on how big the loaf is)of butter
• 3 or 4 cloves of minced garlic
• dash of garlic salt (optional)
• a couple tbsp chopped fresh herbs like Italian Parsley and Basil
• Olive oil
• Handful of shredded provolone or Parmesan cheese.
  

Soften some butter and mix some minced garlic in it, you could add some sprinkles of garlic salt as well to add flavor. Spread that on the bread. Then add the chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil on top and added shredded provolone and Parmesan cheese. Put it in the broiler and WATCH IT until it gets golden on edges and cheese melts.

Plum Galette
~This recipe was so easy and very impressive~

• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling (skip 2 1/2 cups of flour if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar (only need 5 tbsp if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1 teaspoon salt (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1/2 cup ice water (skip if using ready made pie crust)
  
• 1/4 cup whole, skin-on almonds, toasted
  
• 5 to 6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced inch thick (keep slices together)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream

*I used a Pillsbury ready made pie crust from the refrigerated section and it worked wonderfully*

1. If you choose to make your own pie crust, follow these directions. In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
   
2. Here is where I began. Wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness (I didn't have to do this...I just unrolled the ready made crust). Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (I made it on a stoneware pizza stone); sprinkle almond mixture over dough.
   
4. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
   
5. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

We had such an amazing time as a family. There is nothing in the world that makes me happier then sitting down to a table of delicious food with the ones that I love.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Kathy!

Friday Night Feast VII with a Little Wednesday Night Feast Thrown In

So I'm a little late on posting my Friday Night Feast from last weekend...but it's the last week of school and I'm a tad busy.

I had some Rhubarb Chutney left from my cooking class and decided to thaw some chicken sausage I had in the freezer. I had some peppers and picked up some steak rolls from the store. This was ridiculously easy.

Spicy Chicken Sausages
with Rhubard Chutney and Grilled Peppers
~The spicy sausage pairs well with the sweet chutney~

• 1 package of spicy chicken sausage (I got mine at Giant)
• Rhubarb Chutney (you don't need much...maybe a 1/2 cup?)
  
• 4 steak rolls
• 2 or 3 red, orange, or yellow peppers
  
• Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then add the sausages. Boil them for 30 to 45 minutes. (You can do this ahead of time...I actually did it on Thursday night while dinner was in the oven, then popped them in the fridge for Friday night)
2. While the sausages are boiling, cut the peppers into large pieces and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat the grill to medium high heat (you could use a grill pan, too).
   
3. Place peppers on metal skewers (if using wood skewers, soak them in water ahead of time).
4. Place the sausages and skewers of peppers onto the grill and cook for 5-10 minutes, turning occasionally.
5. Remove the peppers from the skewers and put the sausages into the steak rolls. Top sausages with chutney and enjoy. (Remember, the chutney keeps for weeks in the fridge...so it can be ready when you need it)

At cooking class last week we made a pasta salad. When I read the recipe I thought it sounded kind of weird and gross. And then we made it and I thought it looked kind of weird and gross. Then I ate it and I loved it! It looks kind of heavy, but it really isn't. The Greek yogurt balances out the mayo and then all the mix-ins add great texture and flavor. Don't feel limited to the recipe below...we just kind of made it up with what we had. If you think something in your fridge would be good...add it. If you don't like what we put in it...don't add it.

It makes quite a bit so I thought it was fitting to call it our "Wednesday Night Feast".

Summer Pasta Salad
~This is a great way to use up your produce~

• 1/2 package of bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 box of pasta (I like short pasta, but we used spaghetti in cooking class)
• 4 large heads of broccoli, cut into florets
  
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup light mayonnaise
  
• 2 cups of corn (if using frozen, thaw first)
• 1 cup golden raisins (sounds gross, tastes great in it)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh scallions
• 3 or 4 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• Handful of shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 cup?)
• 1 red pepper, chopped (optional)
• Sunflower seeds or toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. Saute the bacon in a tbsp of oil in a large skillet until it's crispy.
2. Cook pasta according the package directions. During the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking, throw the broccoli into the pasta water along with the pasta. Boil the pasta and broccoli for a couple minutes until broccoli is crisp tender.
   
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and rinse with cold water. This stops the broccoli from cooking and rinses the starch off of the pasta.
4. Toss the pasta and broccoli with bacon, Greek yogurt, mayo, corn, golden raisins, scallions, chives, cheddar cheese, pepper, sunflower seeds, and toasted pine nuts.
5. Allow to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Can be made ahead of time.

Now if only it would stop raining so that I could really get excited about my summer break....which starts in 3 days!!

Friday Night Feast V

Oh how I loved this week's Friday Night Feast! I wanted to do something light and summery and I thought of this recipe that I had tried more than a year ago and hadn't made since. I can't imagine why I didn't make this recipe again and again because it was absolutely delicious. It's healthy, too!

Warm Pasta Salad with Vegetables, Broiled Feta, and Shrimp
~This is a complete one dish meal~

• 12 ounces Pasta (I used Whole Grain Rotini and it was awesome)*
• 8 ounces feta cheese (in a chunk, not crumbled), cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 lb shrimp, shelled and deveined (I buy frozen raw shrimp)
  
• 1/2 cup red onion, sliced into half-moons
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups snow peas (fresh or frozen...I use fresh)
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 1/2 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (you don't really need this, but it's quite good in it)
• Salt and Pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions (you can do this ahead, if you want, and just heat it up in the microwave). Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Preheat the broiler while you arrange feta slices on a tin foil lined baking sheet.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add shrimp in a single layer and let cook 1-2 minutes, then flip them to finish cooking 1-2 minutes. They are done when they are pink and opaque. I actually sprinkled some Greek seasoning I had and it tasted great. Be creative with seasoning the shrimp, or just cook it plain. It tastes great both ways!
4. Remove the shrimp and set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the same skillet and add the onion and garlic to cook for a minute.
5. Add the snow peas and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
6. 
7. Meanwhile, pop the feta under the broiler for 2-4 minutes (keep an eye on it). It should get golden brown on top.
8. Add the tomatoes and the cooked shrimp to the vegetable mixture and cook for a minute. Sprinkle with basil.
9. Add the vegetable and shrimp mixture to the pasta. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add slices of broiled feta.
10. Enjoy it with someone you love, like I did, and then store the extra in the fridge for lunch tomorrow.

* I was super stubborn about the "use whole wheat or whole grain pasta instead of regular pasta" thing. I figured it had to taste really bad if it was whole wheat or whole grain. But then I watched this show (that I absolutely love, by the way, and plan to write a post on soon) called Zonya's Health Bites. She talks about how regular pasta has no nutritional value and that whole wheat and whole grain pasta is not only packed with nutrition, but it fills you up much faster. So you end up eating less pasta and it's better for you. I gave in and tried and it...I discovered that I actually like it better! It's delicious!

This recipe was adapted from a recipe in Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals

A few hours of cooking = A lot of meals to enjoy

I've been as busy as ever this past week. When I look at the calendar and see that I've got things to do each night of a given week, I know that I need to prep ahead or we will be eating fast food every night. And I don't know about you, but fast food always seems like a really good idea at the time and then I eat it and wonder why I've put that junk into my body.

Acme had ground turkey for $1.99 a pound so I stocked up to make a couple hearty recipes that would last me for the week. I also got some frozen raw shrimp from Giant to make a quick meal later in the week (it was on sale, of course). I also stocked up on some ingredients for soup and applesauce to add to the freezer.

Basically, I put in a good couple of hours of cooking and got at least 4 meals out of it. Here was my plan:

1. Assemble meat mixture for Turkey Meatloaf to bake on Monday night
2. Make Turkey Bolognese sauce to serve over pasta on Tuesday night
3. Make Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Soup to put in the freezer for a quick meal sometime
4. Make low fat Cream of Broccoli Soup to put in the freezer
5. Make Homemade Applesauce to put in the fridge for the week (a little for the freezer)

I did #1-4 and then got tired and made applesauce on Wednesday night instead. I also need to mention that I will not be sharing the recipe for the low fat cream of broccoli soup because we hated it. I still froze it in hope that maybe my Dad will think it's yummy and the ingredients won't go to waste.

So here is what we ate/will be eating this week:

Monday: Turkey Meatloaf (I halved the recipe and still had plenty)
Tuesday: Turkey Bolognese Sauce over pasta (recipe below)
Wednesday: Meatloaf Sandwiches (I heated up slices of leftover meatloaf with some provolone cheese on top. Then I put them onto ciabatta rolls from the freezer that I defrosted in the toaster oven)
Thursday: Hoisin Glazed Shrimp over Couscous (takes less than 20 minutes to prepare)
Friday: Eat out or Take out
Saturday: Having a small dinner party and serving Island Chicken (with the chicken that I bought and froze when it was on sale)

Voila! I cooked for a couple hours on Sunday and ended up with meals for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday as well as soup and extra bolognese for the freezer. Prepping ahead is so much easier than you think!

Emeril's Turkey Bolognese*
~This hearty sauce makes pasta into a one dish meal~

10 slices turkey bacon (6 oz.), finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 pounds ground turkey (97% lean)
3/4 cup dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 chopped parsley

1. In a 5 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium until crisp (10-12 minutes).
2. Add onion, carrots, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (8-10 minutes).
3. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink (8-9 minutes).
4. Add wine and garlic and cook until wine has almost evaporated (10-15 minutes). Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned (7-10 minutes).
5. Add broth and half and half; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sauce is thick and creamy (about 30 minutes more). Add parsley.
   
6. Spoon over pasta and top with Parmesan cheese or layer in a lasagna. One batch will serve around 8 people.

*This takes some time to make and I found it to be easiest to make it while I was already in the kitchen making other things. Also, it can be made a day or two in advance and it will just get better as it sits in the fridge. You can also freeze it and then thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Recipe taken from the March 2009 edition of Everyday Food Magazine

Recovering

Last week was a doozy, I'll tell ya...
(I actually had to look up the spelling of "doozy"...you can spell it "doozie", too...I'm sure you don't care and are tired of reading this parenthetical comment)

Things have been hectic, stressful, busy...people have been sick....there has been sadness at the loss of a life...there have been endless papers to grade and endless papers to write for my class...I'm worn out.

My husband is still on a "let's not eat anything exciting" diet and I tried to plan food that wouldn't upset his recovery too much.

Monday: Tri-colored spiral pasta with turkey meatballs

I cooked a double batch of pasta. I took 12 fully cooked turkey meatballs out of the freezer and put them into a saucepan with a jar of marinara sauce. They thaw as the sauce heats up. I combined half the pasta with the meatballs and sauce. The other half of the pasta went into a container in the fridge.

Tuesday: Parma Rosa ShrimpThis is very tasty and very simple. My sister used the sauce at a family dinner years ago and I thought it would go so well with shrimp.

1. I buy a small envelope of a sauce mix called Parma Rosa (it's made by Knorr).
2. Follow the directions on the package to make the sauce (it takes less than 10 minutes).
   
3. I pull some raw shrimp from the freezer (I always buy raw instead of cooked because it's much tastier if you cook it yourself). I heated up some olive oil in a frying pan and put the shrimp in a single layer into the pan. I let it cook for a minute or two and then turn each one...don't overcook them, they will turn rubbery. I promise they will be done after only 3 to 4 minutes total.
   
4. I heat up the pasta in the microwave, then combine it with the shrimp and parma rosa sauce. I've even thown a handful of peas from the freezer into the mix. This could not be more quick and delicious.

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner

I made omelettes and homefies...the recipes can be found here.

Thursday: Random snacks

I planned to make dinner and then collapsed from exhaustion after school. Sonny ate leftovers and I ate cheese melted onto tortilla chips...very gourmet.

Friday: Date Night!

Sonny surprised me with an "Italian" date to Fiorello's for dinner and Wegman's gelato for dessert! Gelato makes my heart happy.

Saturday (today): Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole

I am going to try a new recipe using my crock pot. I got the recipe from one of the blogs I follow. It's called Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole. Check out Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Mom for other tips and recipes.

*Update: We had this slower cooker chicken casserole for dinner and it turned out great! I will certainly be using this simple recipe again*

I got my new edition of Everyday Food Magazine and see tons of recipes I'm eager to try. I'm searching through the circulars this weeks for deals (and see quite a few deals to be had) and then I'm going to plan my meals. I'll post as soon as I'm done my two papers for my graduate class...which will be never, it seems.

Plan B

I had some motivation issues this week. I didn't really feel like lesson planning. I didn't really feel like grading papers. I didn't really feel like doing much of anything.

I'm not going to say for a minute that snow days aren't the most wonderful part of being a teacher. However, they kind of mess with my schedule and I get all off track.

I came up with a plan for the week based on the odds and ends of ground turkey, turkey sausage, soup, and chicken in my freezer. I kind of stuck to my plan and kind of didn't.

Here was the original plan for this week:

Monday: Prosciutto and Pesto Panini with Soup
Tuesday: Spinach-Cheese Casserole with Sausage
Wednesday: Humble Shepherd's Pie
Thursday: Chicken bites with Apricot Mustard Sauce
Friday: Kung Pao Chicken over couscous
Saturday: Eat out
Sunday: Family Dinner (Mexican dishes)

I started off fine because I pre-made the Spinach-Cheese Casserole and Humble Shepherd's Pie mixture on Sunday. But the end of the week got a bit mixed up. Here's what actually happened this week:

Monday: Prosciutto and Pesto Panini with Soup
Tuesday: Spinach-Cheese Casserole with Sausage
Wednesday: Humble Shepherd's Pie
Thursday: Prosciutto and Pesto Panini with Soup again
Friday: Wegman's Bake at Home Pizza
Saturday: Kung Pao Chicken
Sunday: Family dinner canceled due to my poor sister's bad cold. Made an assortment of food items instead.

My point is that I almost always have a plan, but I don't always stick to the plan. And that's OK. I sometimes need to just make something that works with my schedule and how I'm feeling.

Prosciutto and Pesto Panini*
~I serve this delicious sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper soup that I have in the freezer~

1 loaf ciabatta (I buy individual rolls and then freeze them...they are perfect for this)
1/3 cup pesto (I buy Classico)
1/3 lb Prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips (from a jar)
1/4 lb fontina cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup baby arugula or basil
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Or heat a panini press if you have one.
2. Slice the ciabatta horizontally and remove a bit of the soft interior.
3. Spread one cut side of ciabatta with the pesto and the other side with olive oil.
   
4. Layer one side of the ciabatta with prosciutto, red pepper, and basil (or arugula). Top with cheese.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread.
6. Brush the top and bottom of the sandwich with olive oil and place on the grill pan or panini press. If using a grill pan, use the weight of a heavy skillet or pan to press the panini. Grill 3 or 4 minutes on each side until golden and cheese is melted.
7. Cut into quarters and serve with soup for dipping

*I had plenty of the ingredients left over to make these again later in the week. They are yummy enough to have twice in a week!

Recipe taken from Everyday Food Magazine

Spinach-Cheese Pasta Casserole with Turkey Sausage*

8 oz. uncooked pasta shells
4 links of sweet turkey sausage
2 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 jar (26 oz.) marinara sauce
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray small casserole with nonstick cooking spray (I use a 1 1/2 quart round corningware dish).
2. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
3. Heat some olive oil in a skillet and cook the turkey sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook it until it's no longer pink.
   
4. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a large bowl until blended. Add ricotta and spinach to eggs and stir until combined.
5. Stir in pasta, marinara sauce, sausage, and salt until pasta is well coated. Pour into prepared dish.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella and parmesan evenly over casserole. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until hot and bubbly.

*I usually make this several days ahead of time by assembling the entire casserole and keeping it in the fridge until I'm ready to bake it.

Humble Shepherd's Pie*

I found this recipe online last year around St. Patrick's Day. I was trying to make an Irish themed meal without using beef. I wish I could remember where I found it so that I could give credit where credit is due, but I have no idea.

I also wanted to mention a couple of things about this recipe. You can use instant mashed potatoes instead of making them from scratch. I often do that to save time. Also, the spices used to flavor the turkey are totally up to you. I have played around with a couple different things and found I like the ones below the best.

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1 1/2 inches thick
6 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
Olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning (Mrs. Dash is great)
2 (1 oz.) packages instand chicken gravy mix
1 cup water
1 (16 oz.) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 cups shredded cheese (chedder is good)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
2. Cover potatoes with water in a saucepan and boil for 20 to 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
3. Drain and beat potatoes until smooth with a mixer. Add butter, milk, salt, and pepper.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook and stir turkey and onion unitl turkey is fully cooked. Add garlic and seasonings.
5. Add gravy mix and water, stirring often until gravy is thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Add turkey mixture to bottom of baking dish. Next, layer peas and carrots on top. Cover with mashed potatoes and then a layer of cheese on the top.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

*I often prepare the turkey mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. To finish it off, I layer the turkey mixture, then frozen veggies, then instant mashed potatoes. Because the turkey is already cooked and seasoned, the dish comes together in minutes on a busy weeknight.

Kung Pao Chicken
~This is one of my all time favorite recipes; I serve it over couscous~

1 tbsp canola oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets (I prefer fresh over frozen for this recipe)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, divided
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp coarsely chopped peanuts

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add broccoli and 2 tsp ginger to pan; saute 1 minute.
2. Add water. Cover; cook 2 minutes or until broccoli is crisp tender. Remove broccoli from pan and keep warm.
3. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in pan. Add remaining 1 tsp ginger, crushed red pepper, and chicken. Cook 4 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
4. Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add broth mixture to pan and cook 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Stir constantly.
   
5. Return broccoli mixture to pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle with peanuts and pour over couscous.
   

Recipe learned at The Kitchen Workshop

"Morph It"

One of my favorite cookbooks (that I've used many times already on this blog) is Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals. She has a strategy called "Morph it" where she makes one recipe and then turns it into several different meals. Not only is this a major time saver, but you can save money too!

Acme has ground turkey on sale this week until Friday. It's 2 packages (1 lb each) for $6. That's the perfect amount for the turkey chili I make ALL the time. Acme also has their 10 for $10 sale on different brands of canned tomatoes...which you also use for the chili (and countless other things).

I usually just make the chili and freeze it in portions to pull out of the freezer when we need a quick meal. However, you can use the chili as a base for 2 completely different recipes. Or you could just halve the chili recipe below and make enough for one meal. It's up to you.

I've made all three of these recipes many many times and can assure you that they are simple, fast, and delicious. The chili has a long list of ingredients...but most of them are either inexpensive canned goods or already in your pantry.

Turkey and Two-Bean Chili

Olive Oil
2 lbs ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced*
1/4 chili powder
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, or more to taste
2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes**
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz.) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
Toppings (I usually use chopped scallions, sour cream, and tortilla chips...sometimes a sprinkle of cheddar cheese)

1. Heat a couple tbsp of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook until browned and cooked through (roughly 5 to 7 minutes). Break up the clumps as it cooks.
2. Transfer the turkey to a bowl and heat up another couple tbsp of olive oil.
   
3. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until tender and golden (about 4 minutes). Return the turkey to the pot.
4. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and red pepper and stir to coat the vegetables and turkey with the seasoning.
5. Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, and both beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
6. Fish out the bay leaves (not so fun to eat) and ladle into bowls and top with your favorites!
7. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to enjoy again OR to make the recipes below.

*I buy jars that have chopped up jalapenos inside. I find this so easy, just as flavorful, and a lot less intimidating than chopping up a whole jalapeno. I use about a tbsp or two of the jarred jalapenos in this recipe.
**I always used petite diced tomatoes. Then one day I bought the regular large diced tomatoes by mistake and liked them in this recipe so much better!

Turkey and Cheese Burritos with Red Sour Cream

2 cups leftover Turkey Chili
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup frozen succotash (corn and lima beans), thawed
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles (near the taco stuff)
4 (8 oz.) flour or whole wheat tortillas
1 cup low fat sour cream
2 tbsp prepared chili sauce (you could skip this and just use regular sour cream if you want)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the leftover chili, 1 cup of the cheese, the succotash, and chiles.
   
3. Arrange tortillas on a flat surface and top each one with an equal amount of chili mixture, making an even layer down the center.
4. Roll up the tortillas and place side by side in the prepared pan. Top with remaining cup of cheese.
5. Bake until brown and bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Mix sour cream with chili sauce to serve with the burritos.

Spinach and Cheese Lasagna
~I enjoy this recipe so much that I've made it for company numerous times~

4 cups leftover turkey chili
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained*
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine the leftover chili and tomato sauce. In another bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and garlic powder.
3. Pour 1 cup of the chili mixture into a 13x9 inch lasagna pan, evenly coating the bottom. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top of the chili, overlapping them slightly to cover the bottom.
4. Spoon half of the cheese mixture over the noodles, spreading it evenly. Top with 1 cup of the chili and 4 more noodles.
5. Top the second layer of noodles with remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the chili and 4 more noodles.
6. Top the noodles with the remaining chili and remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle evenly with parmesan cheese. (you can wrap it up at this point and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze...thaw completely before baking).
7. Bake until top is golden and bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

*Use paper towels to squeeze the living daylights out of the spinach.

A Simple Plan

My menu planning was very simple this week. We entertained three times last week and I just wanted to take it easy for a few days.

Here was the plan:

Monday: Roast Chicken (from the buy one get one free sale at Giant last week) with roasted
vegetables and potatoes (all of which I bought at Produce Junction). (I'm going to use another set of parentheses to mention that I also took a stale loaf of french bread from Sunday's dinner, cut it up into cubes, tossed them with olive oil and Mrs. Dash Italian Medley, and roasted them in the oven on 400 degrees for 5 minutes to make croutons to use throughout the week)

Tuesday: Meatloaf Sandwiches (from the left-over meatloaf we had from Sunday dinner. A few weeks ago, I got some individual little ciabatta rolls. I wrapped each one up and froze them. On Tuesday morning, I pulled two rolls out of the freezer and put them in the fridge. At dinner time, I toasted them in my toaster oven and melted some provolone cheese on two slices of meatloaf.

Cheesy meatloaf on top of crusty bread + ketchup = Delicious

Wednesday: We had a snow day and were both home! I pulled some of the turkey chili I made a
few weeks ago out of the freezer and heated it up for lunch. Yummy! For dinner I made a new recipe using some chicken I thawed from the freezer (from a buy one get one free sale on packages of boneless skinless chicken breasts a few weeks ago). I saw a recipe in a cookbook I have all about chicken that I thought I would play around with. I made a few changes and got this:

Pesto Chicken and Vegetables over Pasta

1 box of bow-tie pasta (farfalle)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of Northern Italian salad dressing
3 or 4 Peppers - red, yellow, orange, or green....I used red - cut into quarters
3 medium zucchini (halved lengthwise)
1 jar of prepared pesto
Croutons (Italian seasoned or homemade like the ones described under '"Monday" above)*

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pound chicken until it is even in thickness (you can skip this step but I find it makes the chicken cook so much nicer).
   
2. Make pasta according to package directions.
   
3. Combine the chicken breasts, peppers, zucchini, and Italian dressing in a bowl...making sure the dressing coats the chicken and vegetables.
4. Spread the chicken and vegetables in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes (until chicken is cooked through).
5. Cut the chicken and the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
   
6. Combine cooked pasta with chicken, vegetables, croutons, and pesto in a large bowl.
   
7. Serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold.

*You don't really need the croutons, but I loved how they soaked up the dressing and pesto and added a crunchy texture to the dish.

Thursday: Leftovers (I had leftover turkey chili and Sonny had leftover pesto chicken and veggies). I also took some avocados that I got at Produce Junction on Sunday and scooped out their yummy insides, added some salt and pepper, and scooped the guacamole up with tortilla chips.

Friday: PF Chang's with friends (only the BEST restaurant ever!) Yay for gift cards leftover from Christmas!

Saturday: Spaghetti and Meatballs (I keep a bag of already cooked turkey meatballs in the freezer) I just throw the frozen meatballs in some store bought sauce and they thaw quickly.

I made a whole week of meals with stuff I had in the freezer and a few things I picked up at the store. Simple and stress-free!

Making a Menu

I cannot cook with a plan without making a menu. Here's my menu this week. Several of the selections are discussed in my previous post, A Turkey Kind of Week.

Monday: Peppercorn pork tenderloin with mashed potatoes and green beans
Tuesday: Turkey tacos
Wednesday: Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage
Thursday: Hoisin Glazed Shrimp over Couscous
Friday: Island Chicken with Roasted Vegetables over Couscous
Saturday: Date night -- Eating out
Sunday: Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes

OK. Now I'm going to break it down a little more.

Monday:
I bought an already marinated pork tenderloin when it was on sale two weeks ago (and froze it). I made instant mashed potatoes and grabbed some green beans from the massive bag I got at Produce Junction.
My favorite way to make green beans is to get a pot of water boiling and then drop them in. Boil for a few minutes (3 or 4) and then pour into a colander. Immediately run them under cold water to stop the cooking and to keep them bright green. Then heat some butter or olive oil in a frying pan and quickly saute them to give them lots of flavor!

Tuesday:
Taco Seasoning packet + 1 lb ground turkey + yummy things like flour tortillas, lettuce, sour cream, and salsa.

Wednesday:

Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage*

1 lb ziti noodles
2 tsp olive oil
8 oz. turkey sausage, casings removed
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta cheese
8 oz. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 grated parmesan cheese (freshly grated, if at all possible**)

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, and basil and bring to a simmer.
4. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. In medium bowl, combine the ricotta, half the mozzarella, and the garlic powder until well combined. Spoon 1 cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish.
6. Layer half the pasta on top of the sauce. Then layer half the cheese mixture on top of the pasta, spreading it around with a rubber spatula. Top with another cup of sauce. Repeat layers using remaining pasta and cheese mixture, then top with remaining sauce.
7. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top and cook for 30 minutes (covered with foil) at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes until golden and bubbly.

* This can be made days in advance. I put it together on Monday to bake on Wednesday night.
**Real parmesan cheese is kind of expensive, but if you store it in waxed or parchment paper in the fridge it lasts for a while.

Recipe taken from Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Thursday:

Hoisin Glazed Shrimp

Glaze:
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/4 lbs large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined*
1/4 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp to the hot pan and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the shrimp over, add the glaze, and simmer until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through**, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, top with the scallions, and serve over plain or garlic flavored couscous.
   

*I get bags of frozen uncooked shrimp when they're on sale. The ones I buy are deveined, but not peeled. They are split to make peeling easy and I don't really mind doing it. Shrimp takes minutes to thaw under cold water...perfect for a last minute dinner.

** Try to resist to overcooking the shrimp. It literally takes 1 or 2 minutes per side and they're done. I know it's hard to accept that they are done in such a short period of time...but accept it.

Recipes taken from Robin to the Rescue by Robin Miller

Friday:
I'm having company over and plan to make Island Chicken with couscous and roasted vegetables. I always use Near East brand of couscous and for this dish I'm using the "original plain" box. Instead of using water as instructed on the box, I use chicken broth*. It just gives it incredible flavor as a backdrop for roasted vegetables. I'll toss some vegetables (red peppers, asparagus, and zucchini) with olive oil and roast in the oven for 20-ish minutes at 400 degrees.

*I buy little jars of chicken broth paste called Better than Bouillon. You just scoop out 1 tsp for every cup of broth you need. The paste will dissolve in the water and tastes great! This product keeps you from wasting leftover broth from cans or boxes. It's sold near the broths and comes in lots of varieties.

Saturday:
I'm taking the night off -- we'll eat out.

Sunday:
My parents and sister (and brother-in-law and niece and nephew) are coming for dinner. I'll make the whole meatloaf mixture on Saturday and store in a ziploc bag in the fridge. After church on Sunday, I'll mold it into a loaf and bake it for dinner.

Turkey Meat Loaf*

3 cups chopped yellow onion (2 large onions)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dried)
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
5 lbs ground turkey breast (I'm actually going to use closer to 6 lbs)
1 1/2 plain dry bread crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 ketchup (please use Heintz and not Hunt's...just do it for me)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. In medium sauté pan, on medium low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until the onions are translucent but not browned (approx. 15 minutes).
3. Add Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Mix well. Allow to cook to room temperature.
4. Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased baking sheet.
5. Spread ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees and the meat loaf is cooked through.

*This recipe is for one large loaf. I have halved it in the past to make one smaller loaf.

~Anything smothered in ketchup is a good thing~

Recipe taken from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten