The Flavors of Fall

I just can't seem to get enough of the flavors that Fall brings. (It must be in my genes, my brother is a pumpkin addict.) It is a good thing that you can buy canned pumpkin all year round because there are just some recipes I can't do without, even after October & November come and go. Like pumpkin waffles and pumpkin cookies. Here are a couple of recipes that I recently tried out on my family that we all really enjoyed. The muffins stayed moist for days and were even good cold right out of the fridge. And the soup . . . oh, the soup . . . Let me just tell a quick story.

When I was at BYU I came home for the holidays and somehow got roped into being in a play, "A Christmas Carol," at the last minute because someone dropped out. It turned out to be OK, I had a small, simple part and basically just had to die on stage dressed in a flowy white nightgown. It happened to be President Howard W. Hunter's son's family who was putting this play on and after one of our performances we went to their home for a little social. Sister Hunter served the most delicious pumpkin soup - it was a little sweet, but not too sweet, and it was one of the most delicious things I had ever tasted. Stamped on my memory, I have not forgotten it all these years later. I have been on the hunt (no pun intended) for a recipe that would come close to the flavors I remembered in that pumpkin soup. As soon as I tasted the Butternut Squash soup, my first thought was that this is as close as I have ever come. If you could put the holidays in one bowl this would be it! It would make a perfect appetizer to a beautiful holiday dinner.



Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2 1/2 C flour
2 C sugar
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C oil
2 C finely grated peeled apples

Streusel:
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cold butter

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the apples. Fill paper lined or sprayed muffin tins 2/3 full. In a small bowl combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon for the streusel. Cut in the butter until it is crumble. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Makes 18 muffins.

Notes: These are pretty sweet muffins! Cake really. I might think about increasing the salt a little next time and maybe even decreasing the sugar a touch.




Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 C peeled and diced butternut squash
2 large apples (any kind) peeled, cored and chopped
3 C low sodium chicken broth
1/4 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 C fresh apple cider (NOT apple juice)
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves

Melt the butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Stir in onions, cover and, cook 10 minutes. Add squash, apples, broth, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med-low; simmer, covered, until the squash and apples are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. While the soup simmers, pour the cider into a medium skillet. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced to about 5 Tbsp. Set aside. Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Spoon the solids into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Stir back into remaining liquid. Add the reduced cider. Reheat soup and stir in the brown sugar and spices.

Notes: I used one granny smith apple and one honeycrisp. I will consider adding a little garlic next time too. This soup is divine but may be a little too sweet for some. Taste it before you add the brown sugar and decide if you want to add both Tbsp. And I would definitely NOT serve it with the muffins, just in case you were thinking of overloading on the flavors of Fall. This soup needs something truly savory to accompany it. Enjoy!

Unexpected Guests at Dinner

Part I
It's time for a food post! Between a recent two week vacation, with little cooking involved, and a huge amount of fun produce from my food co-op, my kitchen's been running on over-drive and I've tried all kinds of new things this week. Some things that are rather unexpected for our family's diner table. . . a whole, fresh coconut . . . brussell sprouts . . . shrimp . . . to name a few. And I was in picture taking/blogger mode, so this is what you get (just went to see Julie and Julia - LOVED it!!!).


Dessert first! I began my cooking quest with a plum "tatin," (whatever that is) - Ina Garten's Plum Cake "Tatin" (upside down cake?) - since I got a zillion pluots from my co-op. I knew they were ripe and ready to eat but I also knew we couldn't get to all of them before they were too soft to enjoy. (I like mine still firm and a little tart.) I think I even saw the episode of Barefoot Contessa when she made this cake while I was on my vacation. It looked SOOOO gorgeous!


The cake was good, but I almost like the pictures better! The "tatin" tasted like a sugar cookie in cake-form which is not a bad thing at all and the warm fruit with it was a yummy combination. Peaches or apricots would be divine too. The bonus is that this cake is pretty easy to make. If you are dying to try this recipe you can go to food network to check it out. I have too many other recipes to get to in this post! But I just couldn't resist the pics!

Part II
We had the cake Sunday night and with dinner I served brussell sprouts (did I hear an audible YUCK!?) - another thing I acquired from my insanely wonderful food co-op Bountiful Baskets. But what do you do with brussell sprouts? Who will even eat them? Ina does.


I tracked down another of the Barefoot Contessa's simple recipes for oven roasted brussell sprouts. I am a sucker for crispy/salty roasted veggies of almost any kind and so I knew this was going to be the best way to stomach my sprouts.

They did turn out browned and beautiful and every member of my family ate them - including AAH the two year old.


Oven Roasted Brussell Sprouts

brussell sprouts
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil

Turn the oven on to 400 degrees. Wash the sprouts and pick off the bottom leaves. Trim them down if necessary - mine were very large! In a bowl or right on a cookie sheet, toss the brussell sprouts with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cooking them right on the metal vs. parchment paper or a silpat with help with browning and they still won't stick so don't worry. Bake for 45 minutes or until your desired brown-ness. I like mine dark! Salt again if you'd like. Serve and watch people be surprised that they might actually like brussell sprouts.

Part III
One of my most major accomplishments this week was making use of my fresh coconut - again a food co-op prize. Don't point fingers and call me Martha Stewart but . . .I turned mine into fresh coconut milk. This was a surprisingly simple process. And BTW the liquidy stuff you hear inside the coconut isn't the milk - surprised? Read on and you'll learn.

Fresh Coconut Know How

The coconut has three "eyes." With a long, large, CLEAN, nail pierce one of the eyes using a hammer. Pierce a second eye and then pour the coconut water into a bowl (again, this is NOT the milk). Then put the whole coconut right on the rack in your oven and bake it at 325 degrees for 30 minutes - applying heat loosens the woody husk on the outside. When it is done baking take your hammer and crack the coconut open. It will break apart and as you work with it, pry the husk off the white meat. There will still be a thin layer of brown skin left on the white meat. With a vegetable peeler, take off that brown layer. You can grate the coconut at this stage and use it in recipes or if you want to make coconut milk do this:

Chop up the white coconut meat and put it into a blender. Pour in the coconut water. If it doesn't totally cover the chopped coconut then add warm tap water to cover and process together until it's finely grated. Over a fine mesh strainer covered with cheese cloth, pour the contents of the blender. Let it drain and then squeeze out all of the liquid - what is left is coconut milk! Discard the coconut pulp remaining in the cheese cloth. The milk will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

So now the big question - what did I do with all that coconut milk? I made Coconut Rice of course! To accompany my Teriyaki Pinapple Grilled Shrimp Kabobs for dinner club. Could you just die and go to heaven now? It was crazy good. You are not going to want to wait - run right on over to the market right now and make this for dinner. Your family will kiss you for it! At least that's what the Pioneer Woman said would happen if I made her kabobs - she was right.

(I should clarify one major point, I am a great recipe stealer - I am no chef or recipe genious - I just want to pass along the great recipes out there that I have inflicted upon my family, which I have ever so conveniently taken from other great cooks - Ina and PW being two of those.) Enjoy!

Coconut Rice

1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt
2 C med. grain rice
1 can coconut milk
2 C water
1/2 C chicken broth
sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

In a med. saucepan melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Add the rice and stir well. Add the coconut milk, water, and broth. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and heat to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes without opening the lid. Serve topped with toasted coconut.

Notes: this is not a sweet rice but the toasted coconut adds some sweetness and crunch - it is a MUST!!! So, so delish.



PW's Yummy Easy Pinapple Skewered Shrimp

Peeled and de-veined Jumbo shrimp
1/2 to 1 C teriyaki sauce
about 3 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 to 3 sliced green onions, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp. sugar
pinapple juice (reserved from pineapple chunks)
splash of lemon juice
2" piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
zest and juice of 1 lime
(optional red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeno)

In a bowl combine the teriyaki sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, sugar, pineapple juice, lemon juice, & lime zest and juice. Rinse shrimp and place into marinade for at least 2 hours. Skewer the shrimp wrapped around a pineapple chunk - about 3 or 4 per skewer. Grill on a very HOT grill, 1-2 minutes per side. Flip again to make sure you've got good, dark grill marks. PW says, "serve to a hungry crowd.. Get ready to be kissed because they will love you for the shrimp, if nothing else."


Notes: Taste the marinade as you're adding ingredients and adjust flavors to your taste. (Always add the meat last!) The lime zest and ginger were optional ingredients in her recipe and the lime juice was my own addition - I couldn't help myself - to me this recipe REQUIRED all of those ingredients. But suit yourself.

Mother of the Year

Many mothers of children with Down Sydrome have warned/told me stories about how our little ones have a tendancy to escape and disappear at the drop of a hat. I doubt that is true across the board with kids who have DS, but it is problem we now own. AVH is walking like a pro and loves to be outside which has now brought us into the "watch-him-like-a-hawk" phase of life. This especially becomes a problem when his two older brothers can't seem to remember to close doors. We will quickly be moving to "out of reach door chain" phase of life as well.

Today while I was so serenely reading in my bed (husband off at meetings, kids playing in the basement or so I thought) I heard the voice of a strange man in my house. I walked out to see what was going on and I found my 19 year old heighbor in my hallway holding AVH. Apparently, my little one escaped out the front door (left wide open by two older brothers who were setting up their Feather-Selling-Stand on the Sabbath in the front yard. A Feather Stand is similar to their Rock stand and Water stand that have all been money makers for my boys. Go figure.) crossed the street, walked down the block to the neighbor's house who has two terrifying dogs and gigantic trucks, walked into his open garage, into the house, and interrupted a room full of guys playing poker! Holy Cow. My next-door-neighbor who knows AVH well clued into the situation and brought him home. Uh, can you scary?!!! And embarrassing?!! That was the last straw before my emotional breakdown - which we all are entitled to once-in-a-while. Let me just say it's been a rather awful weekend no thanks to my husband's job, his church calling, and his three children. No Mother of the Year prize today.



Kind of makes you want to escape yourself huh? How about Hawaii? I made these Hawaiian pork chops the other night - a rare Saturday night that I actually cooked a decent meal. I have often been disappointed by pork chop recipes that just don't turn out that flavorful. I have to say, it is the sauce on these chops that makes you want to lick your plate. It's simple but tasty. What more can you ask for? I know . . . an actual beach, sand under your feet, and a cool tropical breeze might beat it. Oh well, we can't have it all.

Hawaiian Pork Chops

6 pork chops
1 Tbsp. olive oil
20 oz. can pineapple rings, juice reserved
apple juice
1 tsp. Worcesterchire sauce
1 tsp. salt
dash pepper
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water

Drain the pineapple juice. Add apple juice to the pineapple juice to make 2 cups total. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to the juices. Brown the pork chops in the olive oil. Place a pineapple ring on each chop - throw the extras in the pan too. Pour the juice mixture over the chops and simmer until the pork chops are cooked through (160-170 degrees). Mix the cornstarch and water together and add to the pan. Cook until thickened. Serve the chops with mashed potatoes and the gravy from the pan.

Notes: I know mashed potatoes sounds a little odd with pineapple rings but it is pretty good. I have been a big fan lately of mashing potatoes with a hand mixer. It makes them so creamy and smooth. YUM. Don't forget to add enough butter and salt to those spuds. I am also a sucker for Worcestershire sauce - I almost always add more than a recipe calls for 'cause I love it. And I did that with these chops.

My Favorite Things Salad

I took my turn for dinner club this week and I decided to make something on the lighter, summery side: salad. It is always a gamble to make a recipe that you have never tried before, especially when you are serving it to two other families besides your own. I got lucky this time because the salad we ate was FANTASTIC - not because of anything I did, but because it is packed full of so many of my favorite things! How can you go wrong with toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries, grilled chicken, and arugula I ask?! It got such rave reviews that I thought I'd better post it here. And hence, no pictures 'cause the salad was gone in a flash. Enjoy!

PS - the recipe came from our dear little elementary school cookbook. I think my OBGyn's husband submitted it. Isn't it lovely that I will think of her every time I make it?

Grilled Chicken and Orzo Salad
(AKA: My Favorite Things Salad)

1 1/2 lbs. chicken grilled and chopped (I seasoned my meat with salt and Mrs. Dash)
1 pkg. orzo pasta, cooked and rinsed
1 bag baby arugula
2 (2.25 oz.) pkgs. pine nuts, toasted
1 pkg. dried cranberries
1/2 C fresh chopped basil
6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Mix the cooked and rinsed pasta with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl mix the chopped chicken with the pine nuts, cranberries, feta, and basil (I used my hands). Mix in the orzo and then gently fold in the arugula. Refrigerate until chilled and serve.

Notes: This salad works for kids cause it is easy to pick out the big green leaves and just eat the pasta and chicken. At least that is what my kids did. And just a reminder, this salad is really light - not heavily dressed at all - no vinegar. But still out of this world. Really, it is. Change any of the quantities in the salad to suit you and it will still be perfect.

Another Random Note: While I was preparing this salad I looked out into the backyard and found my two older boys on the trampoline with our two chickens. How hilarious. I really should have snapped a picture of that before I ordered AAH, our resident chicken handler, to put the girls back in their coop!

CAUTION!!! Mystery Casserole Ahead

You know that casserole recipe you have that you ONLY serve to your family - you just couldn't bring yourself to take it to a pot luck or a new mommy 'cause it has tater tots in it or tuna fish? You know the one. On the other hand, aren't we all constantly on the look out for quick dinners that our kids will eat?

I came across this recipe in a magazine a while ago and I finally gave it a try this week. Now, it probably is in that category "only serve to family" because it has frozen mixed veggies in it - BUT it's pretty darn good I have to say. And my family wolfed it down. So, don't be afraid, give it a try . . .


Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake

1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, drained
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.
Mix chicken, soup, sour cream and vegetables in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with the stuffing.
Bake 30 min or until chicken is cooked through.

*Notes: This is the updated recipe from KRAFT. In the recipe I cut out of the magazine it said to sprinkle some of the dry stuffing on the bottom and then add 1 C of water to the remaining stuffing for the top. I happened to have 2 boxes of Stove Top on hand and so I used half a box for the bottom, dry. And then I prepared a full box for the top. You could also just use a smaller baking dish and get away with one box I think. Also, I cooked my chicken and cut it up before putting it in the casserole dish. (sautee it in a pan with some garlic! yum.) And I added 1/2 C sour cream instead of 1/3, which is a must in my book. It helps to cut the canned soup taste a lot. Throw in some cheese too - wouldn't that be good? This is simple but a crowd pleaser.

Get Those Cranberries before they're Gone!

Cranberries.

THE Cranberries.


Here is a delicious and Super Simple dinner for you. The only requirement is to grab some cranberries from the store before you can't find them anymore!

Berry-Balsamic Pork Chops (or Chicken)

4 bone-in pork chops, 3/4 inch thick (or chicken breasts)
1 C fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/3 C water
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat about 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a pan until hot. Salt and pepper your meat and then cook through until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. To the same skillet add the cranberries, vinegar, sugar and water. Heat to boiling, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Add the juices from the meat on the plate. Cook 2 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Serve sauce over meat.

Note: cranberries freeze very well so buy a couple of bags and stick them in the freezer for later.

Holiday Pounds

Holy Cow! It has been almost a month since I have last posted!!! YiKeS! Is it the holidays or what?!

Speaking of holidays and weight gain - I thought I should report that AVH has put on another pound and a half this last month! That brings him up to 21 pounds 13 ounces. And that is good news since he has seemed to enjoy drinking milk more than eating recently. I say that, and yet he couldn't get enough of the rice that I made tonight for dinner. He even reached over and swiped AAH's plate and dumped it on his own tray and started chowing down. We are crossing our fingers that one day he will actually eat a steak - that may not be 'til he's 30 but we're still hopeful.

We've had a whirlwind of a Thanksgiving - complete with a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express, a baptism, a hockey game, lots of wonderful family, shopping, and a visit from Santa himself right in the comfort of our own living room! Whew! Here are some highlights from our last few wonderful weeks:


Here's us ready to get on the train in our pajamas with Ma and Papa. I have never seen so many grown men, head-to-toe, in fleece pj's! What a fun trip.

Here is Santa on our train after we reached the North Pole.


Here is my Bro with some other very excited hockey fans!

CMH's baptism day.

CMH in his sweet little suit enjoying refreshments after the baptism.

My Lil Bro striking his usual pose.

Family Foto - thank you all who came to be with us on this great day!

CMH listening to the naughty and nice things about him on Santa's list!

AAH with Santa and his list.

We had a full house for Santa's visit. He had a naughty and nice list for everyone!


Christmas is really here but back to Thanksgiving . . . We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner - it really helps when your mom is visiting and she teaches culinary arts classes at a university! We have thoroughly enjoyed eating all of the leftovers and I have enjoyed not having to cook much but tonight we had a cranberry chicken recipe that is one that I make all year long. So, if you have leftover cranberry sauce or you want to pick up a can from the store, give this recipe a try.

Cranberry Chicken

1/2 C whole cranberry sauce
(I used our homemade stuff. See next recipe)
1/2 C chili sauce (YUM-O! find it in the ketchup aisle)
1/8 tsp. allspice
zest from 1/2 an orange
4 chicken breasts

Combine the cranberries, chili sauce, allspice, and orange zest. Set aside. Salt and pepper your chicken (I also cut my chicken in half lengthwise. )In a hot skillet brown the chicken on all sides. Turn the heat down and pour the cranberry mixture over the chicken. Cover and simmer until cooked through. Uncover towards the end to reduce the sauce.

Apricot Cranberry sauce (from our RS bulletin last year - this is SO yummy!)
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. finely grated ginger
16 oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries (I used a 12 oz. bag of fresh)
2/3 C sugar
1 C orange juice
1/2 C apricot preserves

In a saucepan over med. heat, melt the butter. Add the ginger and cook stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in the cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and apricot preserves. Cook stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm.

Note: We made our the day ahead and served it cold and it was delish.


Easy Rice Pilaf (the rice AVH stole)
1 C med. grain rice
1 C angel hair pasta broken into 1" lengths
1/4 C butter
3 C water
3 tsp. or cubes bouillon (beef or chicken)

In a large skillet melt the butter and brown the rice and pasta together. Reduce heat and pour in the water. Add the bouillon and cover. Simmer 20 minutes.

Miracle Minestrone Soup

Tonight we had good ol' comfort-food for dinner. Soup, salad, and Rhodes Rolls. (Man, I've got a soft spot in my heart for those rolls.) It was a long shot but we tried to feed AVH some of the veggies in the soup. We were shocked that he ate them without much problem. A miracle from heaven! Or maybe just the Campbell's Soup company. That kid NEEDS more veggies!!!

This soup is super simple but has good flavor, inspite of the main ingredient being canned Minestrone soup. I know, sounds kind of yuck - but it really is tasty. The things you add to the soup makes it a million times better than just eating it right out of a can.

Sorry - my camera is on the blink - no pictures. You'll just have to trust me on this one.


Miracle Minestrone Soup
(part of the miracle is that this goes together really quick)

Brown together:
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped

Add:
3 cans Campbell's Minestrone soup
3 soup cans of water
1 large (28 oz.) can Bush's Homestyle Baked Beans (take out the bacon chunks)
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper
1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar (optional)

Simmer for 15 minutes. That's it.

Notes: I would never leave the brown sugar out - but that's just me. Bring on the shuga!

Make Ahead Baked Chimichangas

Here is another simple meal for your recipe box: Baked Chimichangas. One of the most beautiful things about this dinner (besides not being fried) is that when you whip up a batch of these chimis, you are also planning ahead for those nights when you just don't want to cook - 'cause it makes lots.


I happened to have Food Network on just as I was beginning to work on the chimichangas and CMH got the cooking bug. He got out his apron and asked me what I wanted him to help with. Well he couldn't be the only helper of course, AAH pulled a stool over to lend a hand too. It occurred to me that this is a perfect meal to involve the kids in making. It's really just a dump, dump, stir, fold kind of process. There is a little cutting, so I did that part, but really CMH and AAH did everything else. Thanks boys!

Here's the recipe:

Baked Chimichangas

1 lb. cooked and shredded beef or chicken
1 1/2 C salsa (your favorite)
1 can refried beans
4 oz. diced green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning
16 (8 inch) flour tortillas
16 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese, cut into 16 sticks

In a large bowl combine all of the ingredients except the tortillas and cheese. Take a tortilla and scoop a rounded 1/4 cup of meat mixture in the center of the tortilla. Top with one stick of cheese. Fold the sides in and roll up burrito style. Repeat with all tortillas and cheese. Wrap each chimi in foil and put in a Zip Loc Freezer bag. Store in the freezer until you need 'em!







To bake, place frozen chimis, still wrapped in foil, on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until desired crispness - 10 or more minutes. I like mine browned and crunchy. You can use the broiler to speed this up a bit, but watch closely!

Serve topped with lots of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa. Guacamole if you have it. A side of Spanish rice is great too.

Notes: This time I used 2 cans of roast beef from Costco. It worked perfectly. I have also done this with ground beef, but over all I prefer the shredded meat. Also, if you are baking these the day you prepare them (un-frozen), just bake them for about 30 minutes wrapped instead of 50. Missionaries like these alot.


We had some yummy peach lemonade with our chimis too. Here's the recipe:

Peach Lemonade

1 tub Crystal Light Lemonade mix
2 cans peach nectar (soda pop sized)
water

Put the Crystal Light drink mix in a pitcher. Pour in the peach nectar and fill the rest of the way (to 2 quarts) with water. Stir well. Serve with Ice.

"Normal Food"

Tonight was my night to cook for our little dinner club. One of our husbands asked recently why we can't just make "normal food" for dinner club - the women involved have sophisticated palates I guess. We thow in all kind of herbs and things that are hard to pronounce on occasion. In all honestly we just cook for the other women - if the men folk and kiddos don't like what we fix, they have cereal.

So, to appease the simpler ones among us I opted for the good 'ol Sloppy Joe tonight. I am almost embarrassed to type that but that is probably better than "Tuna Surprise" or something along those lines that would fit in the "normal food" category. But I do have to say - I believe these are the best Sloppy Joes around. Put it on a nice toasted buttery bun, top it with some big juicy slices of tomatoes and pickles and it is quite a tasty meal I must admit.

Forgive me for not posting a picture, I ate mine open faced, my kids shared one so it was hacked in half, and MJH had to cut his up in little pieces to eat it (see previous post about his tooth). So, there were no pretty Sloppy Joes to photograph.

Here's the Recipe:

Rachel Ray's Super Sloppy Joes

1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 C brown sugar
2 tsp - 1 Tbsp. McCormick's Montreal Grill Mates Steak seasoning
1 med. onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcerstershire sauce
2 C tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Break up the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is about half-way cooked add the brown sugar and the grill seasoning. When the meat is cooked through, add the onion and red pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce - cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes longer. Taste and adjust your seasonings.

Pile meat onto toasted, crusty rolls (or large potato buns, which are my favorite) and top with tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and sliced dill pickles. Bring on the napkins!

Note: I like my Sloppy Joes pretty sweet so I almost always add more brown sugar at the end - but then again, I don't do a lot of measuring in this recipe so I'm not sure how close to 1/4 C I usually am. I also go heavy on the grill seasoning - it is the secret weapon in this recipe. But beware, it has a fair amount of pepper in it. This recipe freezes well.

Grillin' Time

I am so glad that it is warming up enough so that we can sit outside on our deck and eat dinner. I titled this post grillin' time - now that it's warming up, that's how a lot of people feel. We actually grill most of the year where we live and I love that. I know we will be putting our BBQ to good use a little more often now though. We had some friends during college who used to grill EVERY SINGLE DAY! I can see why, there is so much that you can prepare on a grill that is more than just burgers and dogs. Have you ever tried pizza on the grill?! It is basically wood fire pizza from the comfort of your own home. YUM.

Tonight we tried a recipe from Family Fun Magazine - Grilled Teriyaki Shish Kebobs and Asian Grilled Pineapple Coleslaw. You put the cabbage, fresh pinapple and green onions right on the grill. It was just OK. A great concept. They used bottled teriyaki sauce for the meat and the coleslaw which saves time but I think it all needed more flavor. I may try and build on the basics of this recipe and improve it so . . . I won't share it with you now. I will say however that the grilled pineapple alone is out-of-this-world. You could try it for dessert a number of different ways but I was just dreaming about how insane it would be topped with some coconut ice cream. Wow!

My dinner tonight brought to mind another recipe that my sister-in-law gave to me for a honey chicken marinade that I use for Shish Kebobs. I think it has a lot of flavor. I will mention here too that my friend Nicole makes some amazing rosemary chicken kebobs, so sky's the limit! Kids love eating food off a stick - you can't go wrong with these. Plus, marinading is a great way to get dinner started in the morning, and it makes for simple prep at dinner time because they cook quick.


Honey Chicken Marinade

1/4 C vegetable oil
1/3 C honey
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix together and pour over your chicken that you have cut into pretty small chunks. Skewer just before grilling or broiling.

Note: Soak wooden skewers in water for a couple hours before grilling to prevent a camp fire on your grill!

My "Go To" Dinner

We all have a dinner that is our "Go To" meal - one that is cheap and easy to prepare. At our house it is Meatless Tacos (and pancakes). It is a great vegetarian meal that taste good to boot. My family would actually drive a half-hour away to get these at a restaurant when I was growing up. The "Mexican" in my husband just loves when I fix these - and the beauty is that it really isn't even cooking - it's heating, and anyone can do that! We call these "jumping bean tacos" for the kids - 'cause many of the beans tend to jump out of your taco and onto your plate. Cute huh? Here are the instructions:


Meatless Tacos

Heat a griddle or large skillet over fairly high heat. While your griddle is heating, warm up one or two cans of whole pinto beans (we use two cans for our family of 4 eaters), undrained, in a saucepan on your stove. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Keep warm. Place corn tortillas on the griddle and heat on one side until starting to crisp. (I like mine more crunchy than soft so I let them heat for a little while.)





Turn the tortillas over and top with two slices of Monterey Jack cheese. Let it heat through until the cheese is melted. In the picture we used pepper jack cheese or what I thought was pepper jack. It would have been great if it was actually pepper jack and not the "hot pepper processed cheese" stuff I picked up - gross. I obviously didn't read the label very well. Plain old jack is what I prefer - you can heat things up with your salsa.





Spoon warm beans onto your tortilla with a slotted spoon. Top with sliced avocado and your favorite salsa. Fold and eat with plenty of napkins.

Sweet Sesame Chicken

I made this for dinner this week and we all really liked it. And it is so simple to prepare. I have a feeling that this one will be a regular on my dinner table. Edamamae made a great side dish - if you haven't ever tried these, they are so good with a little salt and pepper! I found them in one of those new, cool steam fresh bags in the freezer aisle.



Sweet Sesame Chicken

2 Tb. sesame seeds
2 lb. chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Tb. cornstarch
1 Tb. olive oil
1/2 C pineapple juice
1/4 C honey
3 Tb. light soy sauce
2 Tb. grated fresh ginger
2 green onions, chopped

Place skillet over medium-high heat until hot; add the sesame seeds and cook stirring constantly 3-4 minutes or until toasted. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Combine chicken and cornstarch in a plastic bag, toss to coat. Heat olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the pineapple juice, honey, light soy sauce and fresh ginger. Bring to a boil and cook about 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Remove chicken to a serving platter and top with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onion. Serve over rice.

Notes: I used the light soy sauce that it called for - next time I might try 2 Tb. of light and 1 Tb. of regular for a tad more salt. Go for the fresh ginger, it makes a difference. If you buy a big hunk of it, you can store what you don't use in the freezer for next time. Make sure you peel it before you grate it! Also, I didn't want to buy a large can of pineapple juice, so I just got a can of chunked pineapple (in juice) and used the drained liquid. I ended up with about a cup and that was plenty. Lastly, if you want your rice to seem a little more "Asian," buy the medium grain. I love sticky rice, so I use this for almost all of my rice needs. Brown rice would be good too - if you have the time. Thank heaven for rice cookers. Enjoy!

Dinner Club

It was my week to do dinner club and so I decided to try something new - which is always a risk, but it paid off this week. I stole a recipe from the Pioneer Woman (check out her blog for step by step directions to some of the most heavenly food you have ever seen: www.pioneerwoman.com). I made her Asian Noodle Salad, which she adapted from Jaime Oliver. It was oh-so-good and very healthy. . . Brandi, this would be a great one for your family!

Since I was going healthy, I thought why not throw in an almost-fat-free, almost-sugar-free lemon cheesecake. This recipe I stole from Paula Deen, who stole it from her friend Joann. Nicole said she and her hubby enjoyed this cheesecake even more because they knew it was not going to clog their arteries. So, here's the recipes. Enjoy!

Asian Noodle Salad
* Beware - this makes a ton of food! This one recipe basically fed three families for dinner and lunch the next day. Adapt it to your taste and scale it down if you desire.

1 package linguine noodles, cooked, rinsed and cooled
1/2 - 1 head Napa cabbage
1/2 - 1 head purple cabbage
1/2 - 1 bag spinach
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin (I used 2)
1 yellow pepper, sliced thin
1 orange pepper, sliced thin (I just used carrots for color instead of the pepper)
1 small bag bean sprouts
3 sliced scallions
3 peeled and sliced cucumbers
up to 1 bunch chopped cilantro
1 can whole cashews (I used halves and pieces and it was fine)lightly toasted in a skillet

Dressing:
juice of 1 lime
8 Tb. oilive oil
2 Tb. sesame oil
6 Tb. soy sauce
1/3 C brown sugar
3 Tb. chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 jalapenos
more chopped cilantro

Mix together salad ingredients. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad. Mix with tongs or hands and serve on a large platter. The dressing can be made ahead up to three days - without the cilantro.

Notes: I left out the jalapeno because kids were eating this. I did add a little asian chile sauce though for a tiny kick. To feed all three families I doubled the noodles and 1 1/2 the dressing.


Joann's Almost Fat-Free Lemon Cheesecake

(The beauty of this recipe is that you can make is super low fat/low sugar or not)

Crust:
1 3/4 C fat free vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (I used reduced fat Nilla Wafers)
1/4 C unsalted butter

Filling:
3 (8 oz) packages fat free cream cheese
1 C fat free sour cream
2 C sugar or sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
3 large eggs or 3/4 C egg substitute (I used real eggs)
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tb. lemon juice

Lemon Curd:
1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
6 Tb. lemon juice
1 large egg plus one egg yolk
1/2 C sugar or sugar substitute (I used real sugar here)
2 Tb. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch. spring form pan. Mix the cookie crumbs with the butter. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan and about 1 1/2-inches up the sides. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Cool on a rack.

For the filling, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together on medium-high in an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, just until incorporated. Beat in the zest and juice. Pour into crust and bake for 1 to 1 hour, 15 minutes or until the center is almost set but still jiggly. Do not overbake because it will firm up while it cools. Let cool completely.

For the lemon curd, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, egg yolk and sugar in the top of a double boiler with gently simmering water underneath. Whisk until hot and frothy, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the butter and continue whisking for 7 more minutes or until thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and cool 30 minutes (it will continue to thicken). Spoon on top of the cheesecake. Chill until serving. Garnish with raspberries if desired.

Lucky Food

OK, so I am back tracking a little - I haven't had time to publish pictures lately and so I am catching up today. I don't know about you, but life has been a little hectic with St. Patricks day, Spring Break, and then Easter all in one week. Yikes! My house is still trying to recover.

So, here is a recipe that we used for our St. Patrick's day dinner (with other green food items on the side) in lieu of traditional corned beef and cabbage. We opted for Cabbage Rolls - these were yummy and definitely could be used any time of the year. I got this recipe from my friend Jenny and she typically fixes these for New Years. So pick any old time or month to try out some cabbage rolls on your family.

Cabbage Rolls

1 egg
1/4 C water
1 C cooked rice
1/4 C onions
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 lb. raw beef or beef/pork mixture
3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
3 Tb. brown sugar
3 Tb. lemon juice
1 head cabbage

Submerge the whole head of cabbage in gently boiling water. Let sit just a few seconds so the cabbage becomes limp but not cooked. Pull off a leaf at a time, submerge again, and pull off the next leaf . . .until you have peeled off most of the useable large leaves. (I got about 20 leaves from a small-ish head)

Mix the egg, water, rice, onions, salt, pepper and thyme. Add the meat (I used beef only in mine). Take a leaf of cabbage (cut out the hard core if desired - it's hard to chew) put a spoonful of the meat mixture on it, fold the sides in and roll up. Use an amount of meat that matches the size of your cabbage leaf. Secure the roll with a toothpick. Continue using all of your meat and cabbage leaves.

Mix together the tomato sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice. Then choose cooking method #1 or #2. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.


Cooking method #1: Put your cabbage rolls in a large pot or skillet on the stove. Cover with the sauce, bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the lid the last 5 or 10 minutes.

Cooking method #2: Put all of your cabbage rolls in a 9x13 pan. Cover with the sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil for 1 1/2 hours (or up to 3 hours). Remove the foil and continue cooking a few more minutes to allow the sauce to reduce down slightly.

Note: This recipe makes plenty so invite your neighbors over when you make these!

Steak and Potatoes

OK, so my new favorite cut of meat is flank steak. Have you ever tried it? It is great on the grill because it cooks fast and a rub or a marinade will add a lot of flavor to it quickly. Here are two recipes that we have tried recently and enjoyed.

I just bought a 2 1/2 pound flank steak and cut it in half. We grilled one and froze one. It was the right size to feed two adults and two kids - but I have discovered that my little boys are true carnivours (how in the world do you spell that word?!) and would have taken down their fair share of meat and asked for more.

This meal is a huge time saver too. Marinade it in the morning - throw it on the grill at dinner time while you are cooking some rice and a veggie. I also read recently that you can "bake" potatoes in the crockpot all day. Just wrap them in foil and stick them in to cook. Now THAT is a time saver. I haven't tried it but let me know if one of you have!

Spice Rubbed Flank Steak

3 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt (it could have used a tad more)
1/4 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-lb. flank steak

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Stir in the olive oil. Gently rub mixture all over the steak and let stand 20 minutes.

Coat your cool grill with cooking spray. Grill steak over medium-high heat about 5-8 minutes per side or to your desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes and cut diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Note: I halved the rub recipe since I used less meat than the recipe called for. You can also keep the rub prepared ahead of time and add the oil when you are read to use it.


Marinated Flank Steak

2-lb. flank steak
1 C soy sauce
1 C pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
5 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tb. Caribbean Jerk seasoning

Mix all ingredients together except the steak until the sugar dissolves. Place steak in a Zip Loc bag and pour marinade over it. Chill at least 1 hour or up to 8, turning the steak occasionally.

Remove the steak from the bag and discard marinade. Grill steak about 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat or until desired doneness. Let stand 10 minutes and slice thinly across the grain, diagonally.

Note: I think I added more pineappe juice than it called for because it tasted fairly Soy-ish. Maybe try the low-sodium variety. I also cut back on the jerk seasoning a bit because mine was pretty spicy and I was worried about my kids eating it. Turns out I could have used it all because it didn't taste too spicy in the end.

Lettuce Wraps - take 2

Ok, so I made lettuce wraps again last night for our Dinner Club and I was reminded once more of what a wonderful meal this makes. And it is amazing how a hug pile of yummy vegetables can fill you up. I tried to take a picture of my veggie-hater CMH (age 7) eating these but he wouldn't let me becuase he said he was too sad that I didn't make the wonton soup too. He did eat and love the lettuce wraps though. BTW these get pretty messy but they are worth it every drip and slurp.

I tried the sauce #1 from my previous "Super Bowl Food" post but I have to say, sauce #2 is much much better. So, go on - try some lettuce wraps tonight!

Super Bowl Food

OK - so we didn't watch the Super Bowl or have a party but this is what we had for dinner last night. I got the recipe from Family Fun Magazine. I decided to make some Lettuce Wraps to go with it - a recipe that I got from another blog (sorry can't remember which one). I was sure my soup was going to be better than the lettuce wraps cause I knew they couldn't stand up to P.F. Changs. I was wrong! The soup was good but the lettuce wraps were great! I assumed that my kids would turn their noses up at the lettuce so I just dished them up a pile of rice and meat. When CMH saw how the adults were eating, with the good stuff all wrapped up in a big lettuce leaf, he was intrigued and wanted to give it a try. He loved it! Wow - I was shocked. It actually ended up being a very kid friendly dinner. And the lettuce wraps are a seriously low fat meal!

Here are both recipes. Have your kids help you fold the wontons - they'll have so much fun. Enjoy.

PS - the beautiful bowl in the picture is one in a set my MIL got for me last year when she went to Japan. I love them.


Wonton Soup

For the soup:
5 C chicken broth
2 C water
4 thin slices of fresh ginger
5 bok choy leaves (I don't love bok choy but this is mostly for color - it doesn't taste strongly at all cut thinly in this soup)
pepper

For the wontons:
1/2 lb. ground pork
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 Tb. fresh minced ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tb. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
35-40 wonton wrappers

Combine the broth, water and ginger slices. Cover and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let it sit. Wash the bok choy and cut into thin slices, set aside.

Combine all ingredients for the wontons, except the wrappers. Mix well (I used my hands). Remove wontons from their package but keep covered so they don't dry out. To assemble the wontons: with your finger, wet all 4 edges of the wrapper. Put a teaspoon of the filling in the center and fold it over to look like a triangle. Make sure edges are sealed no air is left inside. Take the two bottom corners and pinch them together with a little water. Put finished wontons on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap until you are ready to use them.

Bring your broth back to a boil. Add the wontons a few at a time, keeping the broth at a low boil. Cook for 7 minutes. Open a wonton to make sure the meat is cooked through. Add the bok choy and cook for another 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste. When serving, remove the sliced of ginger from the broth and discard.


Lettuce Wraps

1 lb. ground turkey
1 Tb. soy sauce
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
(I added a splash of rice vinegar and about 2 Tb. brown sugar)

Cooked rice - white or brown
Lettuce leaves

Optional veggies (diced or shredded):
carrots
green onion
cucumbers
avocado
red bell pepper
radishes

Heat up your skillet and add turkey. Add your seasonings and brown a little. At this point I added chopped crimini mushrooms. You can also add chopped water chestnuts if you like - but I would put them in at the end.

To serve, take a lettuce leaf and spoon in some meat, rice and any veggies that you like. drizzle with the dipping sauce (or you can dip it) and eat. Watch out - it gets messy! But it's so yummy.

Diping sauce #1
1/3 C soy sauce
1/3 C water
3 Tb. lemon juice
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tb. ginger root (fresh or dried?)
1 tsp. sugar

Dipping sauce #2 (I used this one from a P.F. Chang's knock-off recipe)
1/4 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 Tb. rice wine vinegar (is rice vinegar the same? That's what I used)
2-3 Tb ketchup
1 Tb. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tb. hot mustard(I used regular and was just going to add Tapatio if it needed it)
1-2 tsp. red chile past with garlic - this is good stuff!
Dissolve the sugar in the water and then add all of the rest of the ingredients - putting in the mustard last. (Mix a liitle of the sauce with the mustard and then add it so it doesn't just stay in clumps in the sauce.) It will be very thin. I added a little more of this and that to my taste - you can do the same.

Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas

Okay, here is another recipe for you. I found it after I watched the Pilsbury Bake-off comeptition on the Food Network a while ago. Nicole and I made some improvements on it and I have to say that they are tasty! The Young Women that I work with at church were making fun of me for taking a picture of my enchiladas - but hey, hopefully seeing all of that yummy melted cheese on the top will convince you to give them a try. Bon Appetit!

Recipe:

2 tsp. veg. oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, extremely well drained (reserve the juice!!!!)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4.5 oz) green chiles

1 tsp. salt

4-6 oz. cream cheese (your preference)

Cooked, diced chicken - or used canned to save time (I used canned this time and it was great!)

1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

3 C shredded cheddar/Jack cheese blend

10 oz. MILD green enchilada sauce

8-10 flour tortillas - 8-in. size

sour cream

Heat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan. Heat oil in skillet and add the red pepper and onion. Sautee until softenend. Stir in the pineapple, beans, green chiles, and salt. Make a well in the middle of your ingredients and put in the cream cheese. Let it soften well or melt and then stir it into the other ingredients. Gently fold in the chicken, cilantro, and 2 cups of the cheese. Spoon and spread about a tablespoon of enchilada sauce onto a tortilla. Spoon 3/4 C of filling onto the tortillas and spread to the edges. Roll up and place seam side down in your pan. Repeat using up all of your filling. In a small bowl, mix the remaining sauce with 1/3 C pineapple juice. Pour over all of your rolled enchiliadas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray. Cover the enchiladas with the foil and seal tightly. Bake for 40-45 minutes, removing foil during the last 10 minutes to brown. To serve top the enchiladas with sour cream and more fresh, chopped cilantro.