Tag: Recipes

Perfect Springtime Meal

One of my favorite meals when the weather warms up is salad – garden salads, veggie salads, pasta salads, you name it.

I love a cool pasta salad the most, I think, next to my green salad concoctions I’ve come up with.

This is one that I have made my own over the years but it comes from the days I was a road warrior. I was teaching in Dallas (or was it Houston? I can’t remember.) One of my fellow instructor-buddies was based there and offered to fix me a home-cooked dinner.  Since eating in restaurants was 90% of my daily intake Monday thru Friday, I was only too happy to accept his offer.

He had the tiniest apartment. I remember it because I remember wondering if I would be happy if I were on my own and had a tiny little apartment like that. I loved it, though. His decorating was serene and simple. It made you feel calm and peaceful.  Funny that I remember that even though it has been, oh, I don’t know, fifteen years?

Anyway, he whipped up this awesome pasta salad for our dinner. And I was in heaven.  Most pasta salads I’d had prior to that were typical Southern, mayonnaise-laden affairs which I could barely stomach.  This was light, cool, and fresh.

I later found out that James had invented the recipe on his own. It made it all that more special to me.

I’ve since altered it a bit to suit our tastes, but the essence of the salad is still all James’ original dish.

IMGP3420Chicken Pasta Salad

1 Deli Rotisserie chicken, diced into bite-sized pieces (you can also use baked chicken, but rotisserie seems to have a better flavor for this dish)
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 chopped green or yellow bell pepper
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 pound fusilli pasta, cooked al dente & drained
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Sweet basil (about 2 tsp)
Garlic powder (about 1 tsp)
Italian Seasoning (about 1 Tbsp)
Cajun Seasoning (about 1 Tbsp)
Black Pepper
Salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

  1. In a large bowl, combine chicken, pasta & vegetables. Mix well.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients except the parmesan cheese. 
  3. Pour dressing over pasta mixture & toss to coat.  Dressing should have a little “bite” to it from the Cajun seasoning but not be too spicy. 
  4. Top with parmesan cheese. Chill before serving.

If I am making this for a crowd, I double the amount of pasta & veggies and make a double batch of the dressing.

The batch you see above also has some cucumber, peeled, seeded & diced in there.

And this is one of those recipes that’s even better made a day ahead.

 

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 11 April

Back to school today – back to our normal routines.

Waking up with the alarm clock after a week plus break was no fun, that is for sure!

While I know the girls are going to miss their free time and their “Ammi-time” they are excited to see their friends and ready to get back to the routine, I’m sure.

Can you believe there are only SIX WEEKS left to the school year? Hard to imagine. After this past week with the kids at home (and me on vacation) I am not ready to start finding creative ways to entertain them while I work this summer!!  They are bigger, so they are more self-directed, but I’m sure there will be days when they’re b-o-r-e-d and I’ll have to be prepared with some good activities to entertain them.

So, I’m asking for your help… what are some ways you entertain your kids when they’re bored and need some diversion?

I’d love some suggestions!!

On another note…

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My clematis are blooming! Aren't they beautiful!?!?

And since we’re back on our routine, I’m back to menu planning. Here’s what we have planned for our menu for this week: Mealplanmonday_v2

Lenten Food

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How many of you observe Lenten rituals?

Any of you?

I grew up not eating meat on Fridays during Lent (and Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, etc) so we ate a lot of fishy-type things during those evenings. Growing up on the coast, it was a relatively easy thing to do.  There were shrimpers selling fresh-caught shrimp right off the boats, fish markets, and then the fish Daddy caught whenever he went fishing.

But one of my favorite dinners, ironically, didn’t have anything to do with fresh-caught fish and was (gasp!) made from canned fish.

It’s still one of the few fishy-type things I like to eat.

Salmon Croquettes – and Momma would serve them with grits, usually. Actually, I don’t remember her ever serving them with anything else.  If she did, it didn’t register. And I can’t imagine eating them with anything else.

SuperMan likes the leftovers for breakfast sandwiches (or for his morning break at work) but the thought of fish for breakfast makes my stomach do not-so-nice flips and turns.

Little Bit loves them as well, but Big Girl (like her Momma and Grandmama) doesn’t care too much for food of the aquatic nature.  When I cook salmon croquettes, I usually have to give her another option. It’s just not gonna happen for her.

image Anyway, if you’re looking for something to serve one night, give these a try. For you non-Southerners, I don’t quite know what to suggest you eat them with… since grits are what I prefer!

Here are links to a few grits recipes. They are not really complicated to make, but if you’ve never made them before, I’m sure having something to follow will make you feel more comfortable.

And here is the recipe for the Salmon Croquettes.

Salmon Croquettes

~ 1 lb of salmon
(I buy the pouches from the grocery & usually get 4-6 large pouches.
There is also canned salmon, too. You’d need 2 cans)
1-2 eggs
corn meal
cracker meal
salt/pepper

Momma puts diced onion in hers, but I’m not a big fan of onions in them, so I usually leave them out. SuperMan, however, loves the addition of the onions.

Mix the salmon, egg, corn meal (and/or cracker meal) to form patties. Season with salt & pepper.  You may need 2 eggs depending on how wet or dry your salmon is. If you buy the canned salmon (rather than the pouches) you will want to remove the skin and bones before you make your patties.

You can make the patties as big or as little as you like. I try to make them about palm-sized, so they fit nicely in a bun or biscuit when SuperMan takes them as “to go” meals.

I roll them in some additional corn meal/cracker meal (blended & seasoned) to make a crust before I put them in the frying pan.

Fry them in vegetable oil until they are a nice, rich brown.  I use a slotted spatula to flip them because sometimes they are cranky and may try to fall apart.

Remove them to a paper-towel-covered plate to cool.

It’s a quick and easy supper and one that is filling, too.

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Pasta Fagioli

This is a hard recipe to give you.  It’s hard because it’s one of those that I make with a pinch of this, a dash of that, and I just keep stirring, tasting and adjusting until I know it tastes right.

But, I’ve paid attention the last couple times I’ve made it, trying to get the portions down so that I can share this recipe with you.

I hope you will try it. I think you will like it.  I absolutely love it.  If you have ever had the Pasta Fagioli at Olive Garden, it’s a lot like that. Of course, mine is better because it’s homemade!

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Pasta Fagioli 

*updated in 2013 to include Italian Sausage*

1 1/2 lb ground sirloin
1 lb ground mild Italian sausage.
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup diced celery
1-2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup shredded (or julienned) carrots
1 can stewed tomatoes
2 can pinto beans (or great northern beans) (I use one of each)
1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 beef bouillon cube
~ 2 cups water 

Italian Seasoning
Houston House Seasoning
Grated parmesan/romano cheese blend
Ditalini pasta (about 1/2 lb)

  1. Brown ground beef & sausage, seasoning lightly with Houston House Seasoning.
  2. In a large Dutch oven, lightly sauté the onion, celery and peppers until the onions are transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute – you don’t want the garlic to burn, so watch it carefully.
  3. Add to the Dutch oven your carrots, tomatoes, beans, beef and enough water to get your soup to the consistency you like. I prefer mine more stew-y, but SuperMan likes his more broth-y.
  4. Add about 2 Tbsp of Italian seasoning.  You may need to add some salt/pepper, depending on how heavily you seasoned your meat when you browned it.
  5. Bring the soup to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover, and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
  6. Taste occasionally – you may need to add more salt, pepper or seasoning – depending on how strongly seasoned you like your soup.
  7. About 10 minutes before serving, add about 2 Tbsp parmesan/romano blend to the soup and stir.
  8. At the same time, boil your Ditalini pasta (you can also use small elbows or small shells) al dente.  You don’t want it too soft because it will absorb more liquid in the soup.
  9. Keep your pasta and soup separate until just before serving. I usually just put a few tablespoons of pasta in the bowl and ladle my soup on top of it. That way my pasta stays firm and doesn’t soak up all of the broth in the soup.
  10. To store, keep your pasta separate – I usually store it in a zip top bag with a little olive oil drizzled on it – to keep them from sticking together.

You can also cook this in the crock pot, combining all the ingredients after you’ve browned the meat and sauteed the vegetables. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Keep the pasta separate until serving.

The ultimate Italian comfort food!

Enjoy!!

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 3 January

Happy New Year!!

My menu planning is back on track this week. I took the two weeks of holiday vacation off – mostly because we had so much going on I wasn’t sure which nights I would be cooking and which ones I wouldn’t.  Add to that a very nasty cold that I developed right before Christmas, and my cooking was way off track for most of the holidays.

But, I’m feeling better (thank goodness!) and ready to get my family back into our normal groove. I think they are, too, even if they don’t verbalize it.

Here’s what I have on tap for this week’s dinners:

  • Mama’s Meatloaf with roasted vegetables
  • Fried Chicken with mashed potatoes & gravy
    (this was actually our New Year's day dinner)
  • Crock pot roast with rice and veggies
  • Sloppy Joes with homemade fries
  • Salmon croquettes with cheese grits
  • Crock pot chicken parmesan with pasta
    (This was Sunday dinner with the leftover chicken from New Year's Day) 
  • Taco night

I will figure something out to re-invent the leftover roast (there are always leftovers of that) – maybe toss it into a stew or soup. 

I’ll share the recipes for a couple of the other dinner items later this week – so stay tuned…

Join us over at orgjunkie.com for more menu planning ideas… and share yours!

Saturday Sweetness

Every one needs a good banana bread recipe.

Seriously.

Everyone should have one.

It’s not rocket science to bake and it tastes so good.

And, it’s a great, easy to make, gift at holiday time.

My mom and I used to bake thousands (or so it seemed) during the holidays when I was growing up. She’d use these cute little mini-loaf pans and mini-muffin pans and we’d bake banana bread for what seemed like days. And then we’d give it all away.

Because that’s what we Italian women do. We feed people to show them we love them.

It’s how we do things.

Anyway, I had my great-grandma’s recipe that Mom and I had used for years – my whole life, I think – and I never strayed from that.

Then, I found a recipe somewhere browsing on the web that claimed it was the “best banana bread ever” and I thought I should at least give it a shot and see how it compared to Grandma’s recipe.

Well, all I can say is I hope Grandma forgives me.

It really is the best banana bread I’ve eaten. And when I bake it I can’t seem to keep it around long enough to give it away. My family gobbles it up.

So, if you want a really good banana bread recipe to add to your recipe book, here you go.  I’ve altered it just a teeny bit from the original with the addition of some flaxseed meal to make it a little healthier. I like the nuttiness it gives the bread, even if you leave out the nuts the recipe calls for (Big Girl doesn’t like the nuts so this is my compromise)

You can leave that out (the flaxseed) if you want. It doesn’t affect the texture of the bread if you do.

Best-Ever Banana Bread

4 whole, overripe bananas
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 whole egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  2. Put the peeled bananas in a bowl and mash with a wooden spoon or potato masher.
  3. Add melted butter and mix together.
  4. Add sugar, egg, vanilla.
  5. Sprinkle baking soda, salt & cinnamon and mix together with banana mixture.
  6. Add flour and combine.
  7. Finally, add flaxseed and pecans.
  8. Pour into well greased loaf pan. (you can use one 4×8 loaf pan or 3 small loaf pans)
  9. Bake for one hour (the large loaf pan)
  10. Cool on a rack before serving.

(if it lives that long – mine always “mysteriously” has a slice cut out of it (or two or three) before it cools)

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 13 December

Oh, the weather outside is frightful…

…and that means I’m planning warm, hearty and filling meals for my family this week.  Especially SuperMan, as he recuperates from surgery and braves the frigid temps at work. Stubborn man refuses to stay home and rest.

So, I will keep the ‘home fires burning’ and have a hot meal waiting for him in the evenings.

Here is what’s on tap this week:

  • Sunday: Baked Chicken, fresh green beans with new potatoes, carrots, rice and gravy
  • Monday: Pork Butt BBQ, sticky rice, raspberry vinaigrette salad w/ pears & gorgonzola
  • Tuesday: Rotel Chicken Pasta bake (Big Girl’s request, made with leftover chicken)
  • Wednesday: Chili with all the fixins
  • Thursday: Beef Strognaoff w/ egg noodles
  • Friday: Rib Eye steaks, baked potato & salad (the steaks are on sale at Kroger this week!)
  • Saturday: leftovers or eat out

If you’d like the recipes, check out my Recipe page. They are all listed there.

Also, hop on over to orgjunkie.com for a whole bunch of other menu plans and recipe links.

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Mid-week meal check-in

I mentioned on Monday I was planning to make meatloaf this week.

Well, I cooked it for dinner Tuesday night. It was a big hit.

I also made roasted vegetables. Loved the fact that everything went into the oven and I didn’t have to stand at the stove while my dinner cooked. Almost as good as the crock-pot.

I thought I’d share the recipes for the different menu items with you because this was a really, really good meal. Very filling – one of those nights when I actually wished my little tummy wasn’t so little so I could enjoy more.

Big Girl says that everyone at school says their meatloaf tastes awful. She said she told them you haven’t had my Mama’s meatloaf, then. *grin*

no… not THAT meatloaf!

Mama’s Meatloaf

(click on the link to print)

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
~ 2/3 cup bread crumbs
~ 1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic

Houston House Seasoning or Season Salt

Glaze:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (or 1/4 cup brown sugar)
1/4 cup honey bbq sauce
1 tsp ground mustard

  1. In a large bowl, mix milk and bread crumbs. Mix to combine and let sit for about 2-3 minutes. You will need only enough milk to coat the bread crumbs to make a paste – maybe a tiny bit more.
  2. Add meat, eggs, & seasonings. Be careful not to over mix the ground beef or it gets tough. It’s gross, but I use my hands to mix this part. You just can’t do a good job with a spoon or fork.
  3. Mold into a loaf shape. I put mine in a stoneware loaf pan. Cover with foil.
  4. Bake at 350 for about an hour and a half.  After about an hour remove foil and add glaze. Bake uncovered for at least another 30 minutes.
  5. Let rest about 5 minutes (tented with foil) before serving.

If you are making mini-meatloaves, use a muffin tin and make them into fist-sized meatballs. Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes.  Add glaze in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

~*~

Nothing outstanding about the making of these potatoes, but they sure cook up good.

Roasted Potatoes

2-3 Russet potatoes, washed and cut lengthwise into spears or wedges.
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Paprika
Houston House Seasoning

  1. In a large zip top bag, combine all ingredients. Shake well.
  2. Pour out potatoes on baking sheet.
  3. Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes.
  4. Finish on Low Broil setting for about 5 minutes to crisp up the skins.

 ~*~

Remember my post a while back about “the best broccoli you will ever eat?”  Well, I finally got around to trying this recipe. All I can say is, “Broccoli, where have you been all my life?”  This takes broccoli to a whole new dimension in flavor. Nothing like the “regular” broccoli we eat all the time. Soooo good.

Try this.

Trust me.

You won’t be disappointed.

Roasted Broccoli

Ok, there you go. Now you have the perfect menu for dinner tomorrow night. Or tonight if you have time to get the ingredients on your way home.

Your family will thank you.

A recipe for you

Happy Friday to you all!

I haven’t shared any new recipes this week, so I thought I’d give you a treat today and post a new one. It’s not new to me, it’s a well-loved family favorite, but I don’t think I’ve ever shared it on the blog before.

This came to me through some of my past Weight Watchers friends.  It can be WW friendly very easily by using ground turkey and low-fat cheese in the recipe. I’ve tried making it low carb before by substituting sweet potato for the baking potato but that wasn’t very well received by the family. Sweet potato is too mushy when baked and the sweet flavor didn’t meld very well with the spiciness of the cumin and chili powder. Oh well. Lesson learned.

This is a great make-ahead recipe and it also freezes well and doubles well. So if you are a fan of making 2 while you’re making one, this is a great candidate. You could serve one for dinner tonight and freeze the other one for dinner on another night.  I’ve also doubled it before to serve to a large crowd.

I usually serve with salsa and sour cream to top the casserole. Other than that, I don’t think it really needs much else. It’s just yummy all by itself.

I hope you enjoy.

You can access the recipe for printing from here.

Mexican Potato Casserole 

Hearty and delicious recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Yields: 8 Servings   

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Olive oil
1 pound Ground beef or ground turkey
2 medium Bell pepper diced
1 medium Onion diced
1 can Diced tomatoes (I use mild Rotel or Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Chilies)
2 cups Mexican blend cheese shredded 
1 can black beans
Chili powder 
Cumin 
1 tablespoon Minced garlic 
Salt/pepper to taste 
2 large Baking potatoes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Using a mandolin, slice potatoes on the bias (diagonal) into thin slices (about 1/8" thick). Set aside.
Brown meat in skillet with olive oil, seasoning with Houston House Seasoning, chili powder and cumin.
Add onion & bell pepper and cook until vegetables begin to soften.
Mix in tomatoes and season to taste.
Cook 5-6 minutes.
In a greased 13×9 casserole dish, layer potatoes and meat mixture, adding cheese between layers.
Top final layer with cheese.
Bake 40-50 minutes, covered. Bake additional 10 minutes uncovered to brown cheese if desired.
Serve with salsa & sour cream for topping.

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 4 Oct

I’m not going to be cooking much this week.  That is because I spent a lot of time cooking this past weekend. We had company all weekend and dinner guests Sunday night – I cooked several big meals and we’ll be enjoying the bounty of leftovers for a few days.  I love it when that happens.  I love cooking, so it’s not a chore to me, but it is really nice when you cook a little extra and can take a break – especially after a marathon cooking session.

Here’s what we have planned for the week:

  • Monday: Rotel Chicken Pasta Bake (leftover from Sunday night)
  • Tuesday: Spaghetti (leftover from Sunday lunch – may make this into baked spaghetti to mix it up a bit)
  • Wednesday: Chicken and Dumplings (using leftover chicken from the 2 5-lb chickens I grilled this weekend)
  • Thursday: Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan (using leftover spaghetti sauce from Sunday)
  • Friday: BBQ Ribs & baked acorn squash

That should take us through the week quite well.  I have no idea what we will do Saturday night – SuperMan and I have plans and so the kids will probably do something easy like pizza.

What are you doing this week?  Any good recipes to share?
Join us over at orgjunkie.com for your Menu Plan Monday.

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