Menu

It's been forever since I posted. I thought the best way to get going again was to get myself to put together a menu for the week. I love doing this because it forces me to do two things: use up parrishables, and grocery shop with a purpose.

Menu for this week:

Crock Pot Chuck Roast, with carrots and potatoes and leftover crescent rolls from Sunday dinner. This is always one of my favorites because it's so easy and it's ready for me right when I get home.

Caprese Paninis - I went out of town a couple weeks ago for work, to the exciting city of Casper Wyoming, and ended up finding a fabulous Italian restaurant called Boticelli. Who knew Casper would have good places to eat? Anyway, I ordered their caprese panini and it was so good it reminded me of my trip to Italy last summer. Just put fresh mozzerella, tomatoes, and pesto between some good bread, like ciabatta and press on a panini machine. If you don't have one, a George Forman grill does the trick.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos - place chicken in a crock pot with some salsa on low for around four hours. About 30 minutes before it's done add some sour cream and shred the chicken. Put chicken on flour tortillas and squeeze some lime juice on top. Add cheese and tomatoes.

Gorgonzola Steak Salad - I went with some girlfriends to the Sego Lily restaurant and had the best salad. It seems pretty similar to this recipe, so I'm going to give it a try and see how it compares.

Image 1, 2

Valentine Dinner

I think the trick to making a really good meal is finding the perfect balance for your palette. I love my new cookbook, because you can find great menu ideas that do just that.

The first recipe that caught my eye was the Tuscan Lemon Chicken. So easy and so good. When combined with Confetti Corn and Stephmodo's Herb Roasted Potatoes it was perfection.

Really, the best part about this meal is that I didn't have to pre-plan my menu. I just searched for recipes for items I already had on hand.
This meal is definitely going to be a staple at my house, and for those of you celebrating Valentines Day at home, this would be sure to impress.

Valentine's for Him or Her

Valentines can be such a fun holiday. Really the hardest part can be finding that perfect gift. As usual, my ideas center around great food. So I thought I'd share some gift ideas that anyone would love, male or female.

How fun would it be to sign up for couples cooking lessons? There are numerous places around the Salt Lake Valley that offer them. Try Les Madeleines (I hear great things about them), Sur La Table, or Caputo's Market & Deli, to name a few.

For a fun and creative gift, head on over to Color Me Mine and paint a pretty plate, then top it off with some homemade sugar cookies. Trust me, they'll notice all the effort that went into this gift. Or even better, make a date of it and do both projects together!

I love this idea I found over at Stephmodo - Print up a t-shirt declaring your love for your Valentine, but wait for a big reveal by keeping it under wraps (hide under your coat) until you go out to dinner (may I suggest Stoneground) and when you sit down take off your coat. I bet they get a kick out of it!

I know a box of chocolates is a bit cliche, but if you were to give me a box from Condies Chocolates it would be worth every calorie. They really are the best, and I happen to know the family that runs it. Trust them when they say that they really do hand dip every chocolate (they even taught me how).

If you want to keep it simple, cook a great dinner at home and avoid the long waiting lists at restaurants. I've been dying to try this simple french meal from Stephmodo (can you tell I love her blog?). Instead of spending a bunch of money on gifts, try giving your Valentine a thoughtful card and let them know how much you love them.

New Year

It's a new year and I feel like it would just be wrong to start off without giving you something healthy. I wouldn't even call this a recipe, but it's my go to quick and healthy dinner. You can find the chicken strips and vegetables from Costco in the frozen food section.

On medium high heat pour about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a frying pan. Place frozen chicken in pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, about 15 minutes. Steam vegetables in microwave. Mix chicken and vegetable together and you have a very good, very healthy meal.

Since I like to eat this meal several times a week when I'm trying to lose those extra holiday pounds I try to finds ways of making it interesting. For example: add some garlic and purple onions in the frying pan, or try different kind of seasonings. I also like to have this with a red potato with about a tablespoon of fat free sour cream. Really, there are so many options, but trust me, it's really tasty.

Pizza Dough

I get asked for this recipe a lot. Honestly, I think pizza is one of my favorite things to make, with the exception of pie of course.

Combine:
2 1/4 Cups Warm Water
2 Tbl Yeast
Let stand for about 10 minutes to activate the yeast.


Add:
2 Tbl Sugar
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbl Oil
5-6 Cups flour (you know you have enough flour when it pulls away from the sides of your mixer)


Mix for 8 minutes. Roll out and place on pan that has been greased and spread cornmeal all over it. Poke dough with a fork all over so you don't get bubble. Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 medium size pizzas.

Menu Tips

Stephmodo not only has a great menu laid out for the week, but has found a way to better articulate her meal planning than I was able to. Click here for her advice on how to save money on your groceries and eat great meals throughout the week. I did it and I never want to go back!

"The Menu" Part 3

This is the final round of my Menu Challenge. I found this recipe on a whim while researching healthy recipes and thought I'd give it a try. It was so easy and quick. It was also nice to watch the video, otherwise I probably wouldn't have chosen this recipe. To watch the video for Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, Over Couscous click here. The only thing I changed was I seasoned the chicken with lemon pepper and salt. It not only gave the chicken some much needed flavor, but color as well. I also cut the breasts so they were much thinner so they would cook faster. When I make this meal again I will probably change out the couscous for some flavored rice.

Remember the mere $20 I spent for all the items I didn't have to complete the menu? Well, I knew that if I made enough meals I would have plenty of left overs for lunches. So not only did we have great dinners, but lunches as well!

"The Menu" Part 2

I really wanted to integrate some new and different dinners for my Menu challenge, so I decided to try curry for a change. I was pleasantly surprised. Husband and I even ate the leftovers within 2 days. This is one of the meals that I made ahead on Sunday and just re-heated and prepared the rice the day of.

For the Curried Coconut Chicken recipe, click here. The only thing I changed was I substitued jasmine rice for brown rice. Other than that I wouldn't change a thing!

Warning: you're place may or may not smell like curry for a couple of days!

Putting "The Menu" to the Test

So my Menu Challenge last week went way better than expected. Believe it or not, I actually made 5 out of the 6 meals! The funny thing is that I had a crazy busy week, but still managed to make all these meals partly because they were easy and because I had all of the ingredients since I had planned ahead. I still think the biggest reason was that I knew if I made them I would be eating a lot healthier than grabbing something that you heat up in the microwave.

In my menu planning I had 2 goals; eat healthy, and make the most of what I already had. So the first thing I did was to assess what I already had in my fridge and pantry. Then I browsed through some new and old recipes to come up with a menu. I made a trip to the grocery store on Saturday and bought the few ingredients I needed, which mostly consisted of fresh items that you don't always keep around. In fact, I think I only spent about $20 for those few items I didn't have. On Sunday I made a couple of meals ahead of time that I knew I wouldn't have the time for, which was a total life saver.

Most of the meals were a big success, but throughout this week I'll share only the best of the best.

My top favorite was the tri-tip steak and fries. It's so simple, it doesn't require a recipe. Simply marinate the steak in soy sauce, at a minimum of 30 minutes. Throw them on the grill for maybe about 7 minutes per side for medium-well. What really compliments this meal is the sweet potato fries. Just cut up, drizzle with olive oil and some salt and put in the oven at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes. Time varies on size and amount. Trust me, you'll like this one.

Healthy tip: remember that your meat portion size should be the size of your palm.

The Menu

I have a new goal. I will admit that I've made numerous previous attempts at this goal, just to be defeated. But seriously, I mean it this time! It's grocery shopping with a purpose. I honestly think I spend more time and money at the grocery store than I do on my bad shopping habit. So not only am I on a self-imposed spending haitus, but I am going to start being a smart grocery shopper. I figure if I can actually plan a menu for the week, make a list, and stick with it, I will not only spend less money and time at the grocery store, but I will have better, healthier meals throughout the week. So here it goes.

The Menu:

Curried Cocunut Chicken

Tri-tip steak, marinated in soy sauce, with baked sweet potato fries

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, Over Couscous

Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Rosemary, Apples, and Onions

(taken from a version of this recipe)

Taco Soup with Homemade Breadsticks

Some of these are new, never tested recipes, and some are old favorites. I'll let you know how my challenge goes and share any recipes that prove to be fabulous!

Image via here

No Soup For You!

Yesterday the air was nice and crisp and the sun was still shining, it was fabulous! I've been waiting for this day so I could make some yummy soup. Sunday dinner was just me and husband, so we tackled this recipe together and finally perfected it. Really, this recipe is pretty easy, just a little time consuming, but really worth it.

Chicken Corn Chowder
Serves 8

3 - 4 potatoes (chopped into bite size pieces)
½ cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
½ of a yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ jalapeno
1 chicken bouillon cube (or 1 tsp)
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups water

Bring ingredients to a boil. Make sure that vegetables are fully covered, if you need to add water, do so. Once boiling, simmer until tender.

In a separate pan make a roux:
1 cube butter
¾ cup flour

On medium high heat, melt butter. Once melted, decrease temp to medium heat and gradually whisk in flour. Continue stirring until you get a nice thick consistency.

Then add:
1 tbl. sugar
1 quart of milk

Once this is all mixed, add broth mixture into the milk mixture. Then add the following:

Fresh Rosemary (to taste, you don’t need much)
3 cups cook and cubed chicken (I roast 4 breasts of chicken)
2 cans of sweet canned corn (drain liquid)
1 lb. velveeta cheese (at room temperature, cube, then add)
Salt & pepper to taste.

Cook until the cheese is melted and to desired temperature.

Husband started out by roasting 4 chicken breasts by placing them in a roasting pan, pouring one can of chicken broth, and then seasoning them with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. I know this is more time consuming than boiling the chicken, but it really tastes the best and makes it so the chicken isn't tough and rubbery. I then used the reserves to replace the one can of broth it calls for in the recipe.

This is probably my favorite soup. It's a large recipe for just two of us, but I like to have leftovers and some to freeze for another day. The only thing that would make this recipe better is if I had made my homemade crescent rolls to dip into it.

Sunday Dinner

We had family over this Sunday for Travis and Nikki's birthdays. On the menu:

Chuck Roast

Season with Salt & Pepper, fresh rosemary, lemon zest from one

lemon, and 2 garlic cloves. Put it in a crock pot on top of carrots and onions

and pour 2 cans of beef broth over it. Cook on low for about 8 hours.

Carrots

(placed on the bottom of the roast with onions)

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Homemade Crescent Rolls

Homemade Raspberry & Peach Jam

Eclair Cake

The roast just fell apart, it was really good. Putting a roast in a crock pot is great because the only thing I had to do right before the guests arrive was the potatoes and gravy. The best part of the meal really was the rolls and jam. My friend Lauren gave me this recipe years ago and it's turned into a family favorite.

Lauren's Crescent Rolls:

2 Cups warm Water

2 Packages Quick Rising Yeast

1/4 Cup Oil

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Salt

1 Egg

5 1/2 Cups Flour

In a large bowl pour warm water over yeast and let sit for about 10 minutes in order to activate the yeast. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Let stand for 1-2 hours for the dough to rise. Divide dough in half, roll out in circles and cut into pie shapes. Roll into crescent. Place on lightly greased sheet. Cover. Let rise for 1-2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen, depending on the size you make the rolls. I like them big, so I usually only make 16 large rolls.

A great tip I've learned when it comes to cleaning up after serving a large group is to always make sure your dishwasher is empty. That way you can gaurantee you'll have room for all the dirty dishes after dinner. This means making sure you clean up as you cook.

Oh yeah, remember my restaurant recommendation? Well, gift certificates and BBQ sauce make a great gift for guys who like their meat (Travis). And, homemade jam makes for a great parting gift for your guests. My cute niece, Kellie, recommended tying raffia to the container for better presentation.

Enjoy!

Keep it Simple

You want to know what the problem is when you eat Italian food in the States? Way too many ingredients. Seriously, the Italians know how to do it. They keep it simple.

Dinner typically starts at around 8:00pm and you first start off with appetizers, which for us was either caprese or bruschetta. Then you move on to the first course, which is pasta. The pasta consists of noodles and a sauce (no meat, extra veggies, or cheeses). Then you move on to the second course, meat. Typically fish, but sometimes you'll see a red meat or chicken. Then dessert, always dessert. And lastly, a cappuccino or coffee (and if you decline they look at you funny). In between each course they talk and smoke and hang out. It turns into quite the event, lasting at least 2 hours.

While in Rome we found a tiny restaurant tucked away in a little street, where I had the best pasta of my life. It was Spaghetti Carbonara, pictured above, which consists of bacon, eggs, and cheese. That's it. Anyone have a great recipe? I'm dying to test it!

Lunch pretty much consisted of caprese sandwiches. Tomato, mozzarella (the freshest I've ever had), and basil on a roll. That's it. Soooo good!

This may not seem to surprising to those of you who know me, but my favorite place also happened to have the best food. Vernazza, Italy - check it out (the picture speaks for itself).

Easter Dinner

Husband made dinner last night. It turned out fabulous! He can make dinner for me anytime.

This recipe can definitely be tweaked. For instance, we didn't have any cherries, so we used Craisens, instead of shallots use whatever onion you have in the fridge, and we ommitted the apple. So it's whatever works for you and your pantry! And it's also fairly healthy (i.e. we omitted the butter as well!)

Pork Chops with Cherry Apple Reduction Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 pork chops, medium thickness

1 shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 Pink Lady apple, peeled, cored and diced

3 tablespoons white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 pound cherries, pitted and diced

2 tablespoons butter

1. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

2. Season pork chops with salt and pepper to taste. Add to the pan and brown on both sides; remove and keep warm.

3. In the same pan, saute shallots and garlic until soft, about 2 minutes. Add apples and wine; saute for 1 minute.

4. Add chicken stock, mustard, diced cherries and pork to the pan, simmer over medium heat until the cherries are soft and the pork is cooked all the way through.

5. Remove pork and stir butter into the sauce.

6. To serve, drizzle sauce over pork chops.

Makes 4 servings

This would make a wonderful Easter meal, just add mashed potatoes, and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

Enjoy!

Mustard Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

I was looking to cook something for dinner the other night that was both delicious and healthy (and as always, easy to make). I remember coming across this recipe (from Real Simple) via one of my favorite blogs stephmodo. I had to tweek it to adjust for the items I had on hand, but it still turned out fabulous.

A few things to consider:

*You don't have to use a whole chicken, I used chicken breasts.

*You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, I used potatoes, carrots, and onions.

*The sauce can be adjusted, I added a couple tablespoons of honey. It's probably better with a really good deli mustard, but I didn't have any, and my plain, cheap mustard still did the trick!

The recipe is worthy of guests, just add a nice artisan bread and a yummy green salad and you have a quick, easy dinner!

Click here to view the recipe

photo by Ngoc Minh Ngo

Rigatoni with Pumpkin and Bacon

Pumpkin Obsession Part II

My lovely friend Jen makes this great Martha Stewart recipe every year for October book club. Well, she's due any day and I realized that I won't be getting my pumpkin pasta this month and decided to make it myself. It's always a crowd pleaser. I wouldn't serve it as a meal in itself (since it's so heavy), but it's great for a party with lots of other foods.

Ingredients
Serves 6
Coarse salt
8 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 sugar pumpkin (about 3 pounds), peeled and halved, seeds removed, and flesh cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons hulled raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted, for garnish
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Put bacon into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until bacon is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels; let drain.
Add onion to skillet with bacon grease. Cook, stirring, until soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Add pumpkin, sage, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the allspice. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add stock and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to mediumlow, and simmer until pumpkin is soft and sauce has thickened slightly, about 25 minutes. Season with pepper.
Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling water, and cook until al dente. Drain pasta, and add to skillet. Add the bacon and Parmesan, and toss to combine. Divide among bowls. Serve with Parmesan.

Fall Pizza

I had bookclub at my house and wanted a fall menu. Among other things, I served a homemade pizza that turned out delicious.

Use your favorite dough recipe (make sure you put cornmeal at the bottom of your pan). Top dough with the marinade from an artichoke jar and add a little bit of olive oil.

Toppings include: mozzarella cheese, slices of red onion, artichokes, and a little bit of crushed red pepper and cracked black pepper. Pine nuts would also make a great addition.

So good!

Tish