Mixing Bowl

I bought a new magazine the other day on our way home from Maine called Mixing Bowl from Better Homes and Gardens. It's the magazine for the web site mixingbowl.com. Who knew about this site already? I didn't but it's a pretty cool premise. You can use the site and join groups based on your food preferences so you can share and swap recipes that fit your needs. Pretty cool, huh!? I think I might just browse through the Guiltless Desserts, Live Healthy America, Nutrition Unplugged, Calling All Canners!, and Fast & Fab Chicken Recipes groups.

We tried one recipe from the magazine/site last night for dinner and it turned out great. Here it is for you:

Caribbean Fajitas

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:

8 6-inch flour tortillas
4 1-inch slices peeled fresh pineapple (about half of a medium pineapple)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 small red or orange sweet peppers, seeded and cut in strips
2 teaspoons Jamaican jerk seasoning*
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
fresh cilantro and lime wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and heat in oven. Meanwhile, coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high. Add pineapple slices; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until browned, turning once. Remove from skillet.

Cut chicken in strips; toss with sweet peppers, jerk seasoning, and pepper. Heat oil in skillet; add chicken and peppers. Cook and stir over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Core and chop pineapple. Serve with chicken, tortillas, cilantro and lime.

*We used McCormick Caribbean seasoning from the regular spice aisle. It wasn't nearly as spicy as real jerk seasoning (like the real stuff that Jan brought back from her cruise that could have burned the taste buds right off of your tongue, yeah this isn't as spicy) but it does have some kick so use according to your children's tolerance. You could sprinkle extra on your individual fajitas if you want more than they can handle.

Adventures with Mac & Cheese

My kids love macaroni and cheese, but I haven't bought the Kraft stuff in a really long time (I can't remember the last time I bought it).  I have discovered that making it from scratch isn't as difficult as it seems, it tastes better, and I can make it healthy.  But I do get bored.  So here is my small (yet growing) collection of macaroni and cheese recipes.

Mac and Cheese Dog Casserole - This is the recipe that started it all.  It is a Rachael Ray recipe and it holds true to the "30-minute meal" gimmick.  I have made this recipe countless times and it remains to be one of our favorite meals.  I have experimented with a variety of different hot dog brands and Hebrew National is probably my favorite, but a couple nights ago we tried turkey dogs and they were tasty.  If you wanted to go vegan, tofu dogs might work (though I haven't tried that yet).  My macaroni preference is the Barilla Plus brand, to be a little healthier.  I don't skimp on anything else.  Oh, and I use chicken broth instead of the beer.

Macaroni and Cheese with Cauliflower - This recipe is from the Real Simple Magazine (February 2009 issue).  It was delicious and my family loved it.  Requires a bit more time because of the cauliflower, but definitely worth it.

Spicy Mac & Cheese - This recipe is from Pioneer Woman.  As with pretty much every recipe I have tried if hers, it was good.  I didn't know how spicy it would be, and I wanted to make sure my kids would eat it, so I did not add the jalapeno pepper and I used regular Monterrey Jack cheese.

Dutch Macaroni - This recipe is from Kayotic Kitchen.  I don't think this link will take you directly to the recipe so just type "macaroni" in the search area and it will come right up.  I haven't actually tried this one yet, but very soon.  I'll let you know.

My one and only tip:  If the recipe you are using calls for cheddar cheese, use Sharp Cheddar -- you get more from the taste without having to add more cheese, if that makes sense.

Meat Loaf

I use my aunt's meat loaf recipe and it really is the best.  I have tried a few other meatloaf recipes, but this recipe just can't be replaced in my book.  

Mix together:

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. mustard

Set the sauce mixture aside.

Mix together, in a large bowl:

2 pounds ground beef (I like to mix my meats - 1 lb. ground beef & 1 lb. ground pork, or I'll do a mixture of ground beef, ground pork, and ground turkey.  I have even made it just using ground turkey, but this is meat loaf you're making and it really needs a little beef.  Sometimes you can buy a premixed meat loaf mixture or have your meat dept do a custom mix for you.)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. bread crumbs (I have used plain, Italian style, or I just rip up a slice of bread into tiny bits)

1 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

Add half of the sauce mixture (it's about 1 1/4 c.) to the meat mixture and combine.  Form into a loaf or meatballs.  Bake at 350 for one hour (less time for meatballs).  Spoon remaining sauce over the top before serving. 

We like to eat this with baked potatoes.  I prepare my potatoes (scrub, poke, & wrap) and stick them in the oven while I prepare the meat loaf.  They bake right along side the meat loaf so everything is done at once.  We had this last week and I made mashed potatoes instead, that was yummy!

This is what we ate last week...

Here are a couple of items from our menu last week.  I didn't type out the entire recipes (because I am feeling lazy), but gave you the link and any changes I made (which wasn't much).  Both recipes come from The Pioneer Woman -- she makes good stuff.

Penne with Shrimp - This was a huge hit with my kids.  It was delicious.  My kids don't like the full-size penne and I usually have to cut them in half.  I tried the Barilla Mini Penne and they were the perfect size.  I used 1 c. chicken broth in place of the white wine.

Chicken Spaghetti - I have made this several times.  It makes quite a bit so I usually split it between two square dishes and freeze one for future use.  Instead of cooking the chicken I usually buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco, debone it, and use two cups of the meat (using the rest for something else).  Wherever it calls for chicken broth, I use the store bought stuff or chicken bouillon cubes.  Sometimes I put the pimentos in, sometimes I don't.  I don't put the Cayenne pepper in either, maybe later when my kids' taste buds are a bit more mature.  This is another meal my kids devour.

Why does it smell so good?

Growing up we ate beans.  It's one of those things I thought I would never make for my own family.  Not because I didn't like them, but because I didn't know how to make them and if you don't cook beans right -- they're not fun to eat.  For some reason, cooking beans smells really good (maybe it's just me), but throw a ham hock in there (that's what you can see in the picture) and it smells even better.  I'm hoping this pot of beans turns out good because I'm salivating already -- beans with chunks of ham with cornbread on the side!  I have a hard time thinking of what I want for dinner the night before so putting beans out to soak overnight doesn't work for me.  If you're interested this is what I did (thanks to Pioneer Woman for her no-overnight-soak recipe):

-Pour 4 cups of pinto beans into a colander, keeping your eyes open for bits you wouldn't want to eat and beans that don't look so good, then rinse the beans really well under cold water; pour into a large pot.

-Cover beans with water by two or three inches

-Throw in some bacon (4 slices will do, but I usually add more), or a ham hock (I just happened to have one), or just plain diced ham.

-Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for two hours, or until beans are tender.  Add water to pot as needed.  Beans should have a thick broth.

-Toward the end of cooking time, add salt & pepper and season to taste.  Don't over-salt.  You can also add chili powder, garlic, or Tabasco.  You can get pretty creative with the spices, but I am not very daring in the kitchen so I keep it safe.  Just salt & pepper for me!

-Serve with cornbread (a must).  You can also serve with grated cheese, chopped onions, sour cream, or whatever else sounds good to you.  Aren't beans versatile?!?  Did I mention they're super cheap to make?  You most likely have some in your food storage already, they're good for you, and the leftovers are really good on some ultimate nachos, or homemade Indian fry bread!  

I'm looking forward to my dinner tonight!

Oh, and don't ask me for a cornbread recipe.  I rarely make it from scratch because I'm picky and I haven't found the perfect recipe yet.  I don't like my cornbread to be too dry, but I don't want it too wet either.  I buy the Marie Callender's mix from the store.  

Quinoa and Red Bean Burritos

Keeping with Annette's whole grain theme, here is a burrito option
that we had for dinner tonight that we liked.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen-wa, see Note)
• 2 teaspoons McCormick smoky sweet pepper blend (found in spice aisle)
• 1 can (15 ounces) red kidney beans, drained, rinsed and lightly mashed
• 1 1/2 cups jarred salsa
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-cheese blend

Directions

1. Place quinoa and pepper blend in a saucepan and cook following package directions (2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, boil water, add quinoa, cover and simmer about 15 minutes until soft and water is absorbed-same as rice). Once cooked, stir in beans and 1 cup of the salsa. I would eat this as a side dish without doing the burrito part, it's very similar in texture to Spanish rice, but the flavor is different. You can make it more/less spicy depending on the type and amount of salsa you use.

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oven to 350°. Coat large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Heat tortillas in microwave for 45 seconds to soften. Place 1/2 cup of the quinoa mixture in center of each tortilla and fold like a package. Place seam-side down on baking sheet.

4. Lightly coat burritos with nonstick cooking spray and top with remaining salsa and cheese, dividing equally. Bake burritos at 350° for 12 minutes until heated through, with cheese melted. Serve with additional salsa.

Note: Quinoa is found in the rice and dried bean aisle of the supermarket. I found quinoa in the bulk grain bins at Giant-you know, where they sell granola, different rices, etc. You can also find it at natural food stores.

Recipe from February 2009 issue of Family Circle.

Chicken Pot Pie = cold weather comfort

This recipe is my go-to recipe for Chicken Pot Pie (is it Pot Pie or Potpie?).  It has been rainy and cold at our house and when I made this last week, it hit the spot.  Why do I like this recipe?  It doesn't call for any condensed soups.  It's yummy and my kids eat it up, vegetables and all.  And it makes TWO pies (it can even make three if you use smaller pie pans)!  That's right.  You can stick one in the freezer to use at a later date, you can make one for a friend who just had a baby and have one for your own dinner, you can give a frozen pot pie to a new mother for her to use after the mothers have gone home and all the dinners have stopped coming, etc.  Below is my own version of this recipe, making it easier and faster to make.

2 cups frozen hash browns (I prefer Southern Style)

1 1/2 to 2 cups carrots, chopped or sliced

2/3 cup onion, chopped

2 sticks of butter (I know, it sounds like a lot, but remember this is making 2 pies)

1 cup flour 

1 tsp salt (add more if you want)

1 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups milk

1 rotisserie chicken from Costco or grocery store, deboned and cut/shredded into smaller pieces (enough to equal 4 cups)

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 - 3 packages of Pillsbury pie crust or make your own homemade pie crust (enough for two 9-inch pies, or 3 smaller pies)

disposable, aluminum pie pans if you plan on giving away or for easy clean up

In a large skillet, saute onion and carrots in butter until tender.  Stir in flour, thyme, salt & pepper until blended.  Cook for about one minute.  Gradually stir in broth and milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened (just a few minutes).  Add the chicken, peas, corn, and potatoes (hash browns); remove from heat.  Sometimes I add in more peas, corn, and/or potatoes if I feel like it.

Line two 9-inch pie plates (or three if you are using smaller pans) with bottom pastry; trim even with the edge of plate, if necessary.  Fill pastry shells with chicken mixture.  Place the top pastry over the filling; trim, seal, and flute edges.  Cut slits into pastry and add decorative cutouts, if so desired.  Brush with milk or egg whites (the egg whites will give it that shiny look).

Place one potpie on a baking sheet, and bake at 425 degrees for 35-40* minutes or until crust is lightly browned.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.  

With the remaining pie(s), cover with saran wrap and a couple layers of foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake frozen pie:

Remove all foil and saran wrap.  Shield pie crust edges with strips of foil (you can repurpose the foil it was wrapped in); place pie on baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350; bake 70 - 80* minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.  

*All temperatures and times are based on a 9-inch pie.  Some adjustments may need to be made if you are making smaller pies or baking multiple pies.  I would adjust the time before the temperature though.

Yield: 2-3 pies, 6 to 8 large servings per pie

Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This recipe is also from Real Simple, February 2009
(You can tell which magazine I was using for our grocery list)

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thin wedges
* 1 red onion, thinly sliced
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* Kosher salt and black pepper
* 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
* 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Preparation

Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes, onion, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

In a large bowl, toss the warm potato mixture with the spinach, lime juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with the chicken.

Substitutions: Tossing warm roasted vegetables with fresh spinach gently wilts and tenderizes the greens. In place of sweet potatoes, try butternut squash, rutabaga, carrots, or parsnips.

We really liked this recipe - the lime juice in the sweet potato salad was delicious. Eliza ate all of this meal including the onions!

Pulled Pork Tacos

Pulled-Pork Tacos

2 cups store-bought salsa, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Kosher salt
1 2 1/2-pound boneless pork butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat
18 corn tortillas
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
3/4 cup sour cream
1 lime, cut into wedges

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the salsa, chili powder, oregano, cocoa, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add the pork and turn to coat.

Cook, covered, until the meat is tender and pulls apart easily, on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

Twenty minutes before serving, heat oven to 350° F. Stack the tortillas, wrap them in foil, and bake until warm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, using 2 forks, shred the pork and stir into the cooking liquid. Serve with the tortillas, cilantro, sour cream, lime, and extra salsa.

I omitted the cilantro, but used lettuce. We also had some shredded cheese on our tacos. The corn tortillas we used kind of fell apart (probably my fault) so either cook them in a way that doesn't let them steam too much or use flour tortillas. We followed the recipe and wrapped them in foil but I think that venting the foil a little would have helped the steam to escape and would have prevented the breakage.

Tip: When using a slow cooker, resist the urge to lift the lid until the dish has cooked the minimum amount of time specified in the recipe. Each peek allows heat to escape and can increase cooking time by as much as a half hour.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

Brian rated this recipe 4 1/2 starts out of 5 which means it's pretty good.

Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna

I'm thankful for spell checker because no matter how many times I have written/typed it, I have a hard time spelling 'prosciutto'.  I would lose in a spelling bee if I was given that word.  Anyway, onto the recipe.  I love trying new recipes and I hope to share my successes with you.  A success, to me, is a recipe that I myself would make again.  Very few make it into this prestigious category.  My success this week was the Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna from Everyday Food (like my last post, coincidentally).  I usually steer away from lasagna recipes because in my mind it equates to too-much-work-for-a-week-night-meal.  On the contrary, this recipe was quick and easy to make, surprisingly tasty, and the true reward came when Gretchen said "I love spinach!"  

I about fell out of my chair.

Enjoy!

Spinach & Prosciutto Lasagna

2 packages (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry  (I have to admit I did not use this much spinach.  For those of you who have a Trader Joe's, I used 1 bag of their frozen spinach.  I can't remember the amount, but I know it was more than 10 oz, but less than 20 oz.  One package might be sufficient for you.  It is important to squeeze it dry, but I don't go crazy.  I just made sure it wasn't dripping.)

1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta (I threw in  the whole 15 oz tub I bought)

1 garlic clove, minced

salt & pepper

2 1/2 cups jarred tomato sauce (one 26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce was enough)

4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, finely chopped  (I don't know about you, but prosciutto isn't easy for me to cut up, the slices turn into one big clump.  I just tore the slices into small, bite size pieces.  I also used the whole package, which was more than 4 oz.)

6 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make filling: In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, ricotta, garlic, salt (to taste), and 1/4 tsp pepper; set aside.  In another medium bowl, stir together tomato sauce and prosciutto.

In an 8-inch square baking dish, spread 1 cup tomato sauce.  Layer 2 noodles, 1/3 filling, and 1/3 remaining tomato sauce; repeat two more times.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake until browned, 35 to 40 minutes.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Smoky Shrimp with Creamy Grits

Here's a recipe that may sound a bit weird, but tasty nonetheless. It's fairly simple to make.




Ingredients -

2 C Water
1 tsp salt
1 14.75 oz can cream style corn
3/4 C quick-cooking grits

2 oz cream cheese
1/4 C butter
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 lbs uncooked, de-veined, and peeled large shrimp
1 tsp seafood seasoning
1 tsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained

In a 3 quart saucepan, heat water, salt, and corn to boiling. With a wire whisk, gradually beat in the grits. Return to boiling, beating constantly. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remover from heat. Stir in cream cheese until well combined. Cover and keep warm

Meanwhile, in a 10 inch heavy skillet, melt butter over med-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir about 2 minutes or until lightly browned. A shrimp; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or just until shrimp are pink. Stir in seafood seasoning, chipotle chiles and tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium; simmer uncovered 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are thorougly heated.

Divide grits mixture among individual large soup bowls; spoon shrimp mixture evenly over top.

Italian Pot Pies

I tried this recipe back in December and it has become one of our favorites.  Personally, I find myself craving it.  It was also simple and quick to make.  What more could you ask for?

Italian Pot Pies

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped  (I used my Pampered Chef "chopper" to get it "finely chopped")

salt & pepper

1 pound ground beef  (I'm sure ground turkey would be a good substitute, or Italian sausage - yum!)

2 cups homemade or store bought tomato sauce (I used one jar of my favorite spaghetti sauce.  The better the sauce, the better it will turn out.)

1 cup flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp crushed dried rosemary

4 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 cup whole milk (I'm sure any milk can be used)

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onion and carrots; season with salt & pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.  Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk flour, parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 tsp salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk.  Stir just until dough comes together.
• Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top.  Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a tooth pick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Serves 4  (this served 4 adults and my two kids, theirs were in smaller ramekins) 
• Prep Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 35 min