Spoiled Rotten November 10, 2009

Yup, that is what I have been lately.  Ross is the best ever and has not only been planning meals, but grocery shopping for them and cooking them as well… and even doing the dishes!  I wonder how long I can make this last after  the baby is born?

This past weekend, Ross made a super delicious home cooked, comfort food meal.  He made homemade mac and cheese and oven fried chicken.  They were both so very delicious.  The baked chicken had a delicious flavor and was so juicy and tender.  The baked mac and cheese was awesome – we have almost cleaned off the 9×13 dish of it that was made only 2 nights ago!  Ross said that after reading the reviews he doubled the amount of evaporated milk (adding 1 cup total) and added an extra egg as well.  It was perfect.  I loved it and can’t wait to make it again.  It is different than my Mom’s mac and cheese - just different enough that it is worth keeping both recipes in our repetoire!

Tonight, Ross made Curried Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole.  We both really, really loved it.  The mixture of the curry, tomatoes, raisins and cinnamon sound so random, but taste so well together.  Ross used chicken thighs instead of breasts and it was so delicious – and according to him, fairly easy to prepare.  I can’t wait to make this one again very soon. 

It’s been forever since I posted last, and with a baby joining our family on Wednesday at the latest, it will probably be awhile again.  These were all just too good not to share!

Homemade Burritos September 10, 2009

I’ve been extra spoiled lately by having lots and lots of homemade meals cooked for me.  Tonight, Ross and I cooked together, but he did the bulk of the work.  He made his famous homemade burritos – something that he has made a few times for himself while I was not home.  I’ve been wanting to try them for a long time, so I was super excited when he agreed to make them this week.

 

The recipe that he uses for the chicken filling is found on allrecipes.com.  It is called Salsa Burrito Chicken Filling, and it is oh so tasty.  The real treat about these, however, is the homemade crepes that serve as the tortillas.  That recipe can be found here on cooks.com.  He only uses the recipe for the crepes, we haven’t tried the first part of that recipe. 

 

After preparing the chicken and crepes, he spreads a layer of refried beans on the crepes, fills them with the chicken filling, tops them with some cheese and rolls them up.  They are placed seam side down in a 9×13 dish (spread some salsa on the bottom of the dish first), topped with salsa and more shredded cheese, and baked for about 20 minutes at 350.

 

Aaaaaaah…. SO good.  And so creative!  Once again, I am so thankful to have found a man who is such a good cook, and who enjoys being so creative in the kitchen. 

 

We served these up with some sour cream on top and with some fried Mexi-corn.  Just delicious!

Ham and Asparagus Strata August 26, 2009

Once again, it’s been awhile!

My sister had a baby shower for me this past weekend and there was a bunch of leftovers, including some leftover ham.  I decided at the last minute today to search for a recipe that I could make to use up the ham.  I went to the Campbell’s website, a place I rarely go, but I thought I’d give it a try.  I found this recipe for Ham and Asparagus Strata and I really loved it. 

Here’s the basic idea:

Chop up ham, add to a casserole dish with 4 cups of dry stuffing, 2 cups of Swiss cheese and about 3/4 lb of asparagus, cooked.  In a separate bowl, whisk together 5 eggs, a tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a can of cream of asparagus or cream of mushroom soup, and 2 cups of milk.  Mix it all together and pour it over the ham and stuffing mixture.  Bake (recipe says 45 min but mine was in for over an hour before the eggs seemed cooked through).

 

This was really easy and really tasty.  I love the combination of ham, Swiss, asparagus and mustard.  The stuffing and soup/egg mixture was an added treat.  A great way to use up leftover ham!

As a side note, while looking for recipes, I went to the Kraft website, another place I don’t visit often.  I love it because you can put in a few ingredients that you are craving and it will spit out recipes that contain those.  Brilliant idea!  I’m making 2 recipes this week from that site so I will be sure to share those as well!

Taco Pizza July 13, 2009

I’ve never really stolen anything, but I suppose I’ve come close.  In high school, one of my jobs during the summer was to work at a local ice cream stand.  I ate my share of ice cream (which was ok – I think), but when it got late, we would call our friends who worked at the pizza parlor across the street.  We’d strike a deal – we’ll give you free sundaes if you bring us free pizza.  Probably not the most honest thing to do.  I remember so many of those late nights cleaning the ice cream machines and eating slice upon slice of taco pizza – my favorite from the pizza place. 

As Ross makes super good homemade pizza now, I’ve been thinking of taco pizza a lot.  I decided that this week we were going to try to make it.  I found this recipeon allrecipes.com, and it turned out so super delicious.  Instead of making this crust, we used the recipe for crust that Ross uses (recipe in this post). 

The basic idea is to start with a dough – either homemade or store bought.  Mix together a  can of refried beans, 1/3 cup salsa and 1/4 cup chopped onions.  That is spread on top of the dough.  Next, mix together a 6 oz can of tomato paste, 3/4 cup water and some spices including chili powder, taco seasoning mix, and cayenne pepper.  That goes on top of the bean mixture.  Ground beef browned with a little taco seasoning and a splash of water is spread on top.  Sprinkle all with cheddar cheese and bake.

Oh my goodness.  So tasty.  We topped it with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and sour cream when we served it.  This recipe makes 2 pizzas, so we only  made one.  We’re planning on using the leftovers later this week for either another pizza, nachos or some other Mexican concoction!

Ross’ Pizza July 13, 2009

We’ve never been ones to repeat meals too often in our house.  We love experimenting with new recipes and keeping things interesting.  The past few weeks, however, have been an exception.  Ross decided one day to make a homemade pizza, just to entertain himself for awhile on a lazy Saturday.  Since then, we have a few pizzas a week.  They are excellent, and he’s tweaked the recipe each time until we believe that we’ve reached perfection.  We’ve even made calzones with the ingredients and they’ve turned out amazing as well. 

If you are going to repeat a recipe, pizza is a good choice.  A different set of toppings can make it taste like a completely different meal.  The recipe that we use for dough is based on Tyler Florence’s recipes, with a few adjustments that Ross has made along the way.  It makes 3 balls of dough (or 3 medium sized pizzas), so it allows for many variations of toppings.  We’ve tried broccoli, fresh sliced tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese, pepperoni and portabella mushrooms.  All have been delicious, and we’re excited to keep testing.

The sauce is my favorite part, a basic tomato sauce with some herbs mixed in and just the right amount of sweetness.  Other sauces can be used such a pesto, broccoli pesto (see a great recipe for that on my blog), taco sauce, alfredo sauce, et cetera.  The opportunities are endless – and so are the requests for more!

Ross’ Famous Pizza

Crust:

• 1 package active dry yeast 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• Teaspoon of maple syrup

In the bowl of a stand mixer using a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water; stir gently to dissolve. Let the mixture stand until the yeast starts to foam, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Turn the mixer on low and add the salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and teaspoon of maple syrup.   Add the flour, a little at a time.  Mix at the lowest speed until all the flour has mixed in. When the dough starts to come together, change the speed to medium.  
Feel the dough, if it’s crumbly, add more water; if it’s sticky, add more flour – 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough gathers into a ball.  This should take about 5 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over itself a few times; kneading until it’s smooth and stretchy. Form the dough into a large ball and place in a lightly greased bowl, turn it over to coat. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let it rise in a warm spotuntil doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter. Roll and stretch the dough into a cylinder and divide into 3 equal pieces. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes so it will be easier to roll out.

Roll or pat out a piece of dough into a 12 inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Brush the crust with a thin layer of olive oil, and top with your favorite sauce and toppings.

Basic Pizza Sauce:

• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• A pinch of sugar (more or less to your liking)

In a medium bowl, Mix together tomato sauce and tomato paste until smooth. Stir in seasonings.

Sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom of a cookie sheet (as in upside-down cookie sheet -we’ve found that this works even better than a pizza stone).  Bake at 500 (or as high as your oven goes) for about 7-8 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

Mom’s Mac and Cheese July 9, 2009

This one was in the Herald yesterday, but with a mistake by me.  It’s 16 oz of cheese, not 8.  Sorry!

It’s no secret that food is one of my favorite things in life.  When I plan my meals, I have to make sure it is going to be something really tasty.  One of the biggest disappointments to me is eating a meal that just isn’t that good.  It feels like such a waste to me, a missed opportunity for something I love. 

The thing is, for me it isn’t just about the taste.  Sure, I want it to taste good – but it also has to feel good.  I’m a texture person.  It took me well into my teenage years to be able to stomach peas – not because of how they taste, but how they felt in my mouth.  The pop of the outside followed by the mush on the inside was just more than I could handle.  I’m not sure what made me finally get over it, but I’m fine with peas now. 

Often times when planning meals, I plan more around the texture I am craving than the taste of the food.  One of my favorite textures is smooth and creamy.  Whether it is a dessert made of cool whip and pudding or a pasta dish with a rich creamy sauce, these foods are just as satisfying to the soul as they are to the palate. 

Like most children, mac and cheese was one of my favorites growing up, and it still is.  The good ol’ box will work in a pinch, but Mom’s homemade mac and cheese is better than anything else.  My favorite part has always been the fresh sliced tomatoes layered on top with the crunchy breadcrumb mixture finishing it off.  A bite of warm, creamy pasta with the slight tang of tomato and just a tiny crunch is the perfect texture recipe for me.  And just to top it off, it tastes incredible as well.  This is one that you just can’t go wrong with.

Mom’s Mac and Cheese

1 box macaroni (elbows or shells are best), cooked al dente or a tiny bit less

1 tomato, sliced

16 ounce box Velveeta, chopped

¼ stick butter

¼ cup flour

2 to 2 ½ cups milk

1 tablespoon minced onion

Parsley to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup breadcrumbs

¼ cup parmesan cheese

 

Over low heat, melt butter.  Whisk flour into it, and then add milk slowly.  Before boiling, add cheese, bring to a slow boil.  Add minced onion, salt, pepper and parsley.  Stir in macaroni.  Place in a 13×9 inch baking dish.  Top with parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs and sliced tomatoes.  Bake for 30-45 minutes.

French Onion Tomato Soup July 6, 2009

We just finished the bulk of our kitchen floors!  It was a project that took the entire long weekend, but is well worth it.  We love them!  Now we just have to re-build the energy to do the living room and hallway.  Then we’ll really  be done!

 

I needed to make a dinner that would be quick and easy since I knew we’d be finishing in the evening.  The stove has been in the hallway all weekend, so we haven’t had a real home cooked meal in days.  By the time we’d get the stove back in the kitchen, there wouldn’t be time for a big meal.  We decided grilled cheese and tomato soup would be quick and easy, as well as tasty.

 

Well, since I haven’t cooked in a few days, I was kind of in withdrawal.  I hopped on allrecipes.com to see if I could find a recipe for a homemade tomato soup that was still quick and easy… and tasty.   I found this one and I am so glad I did.  It was delicious!  The base is tomato juice, but the beef bouillon gives it a hint of a French onion-y flavor, along of course with all of the onions.  A touch of brown sugar adds the perfect sweetness, and the dash of red wine that I added brought a nice flavor.  Broiled with a piece of toasted French bread and some melted mozzarella and provolone, this was the perfect side dish for our grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/French-Onion-Tomato-Soup/Detail.aspx?prop31=1

Swiss Steak – or so it’s called July 3, 2009

This tasted nothing like Swiss Steak to me.  It was delicious – but not Swiss Steak.  But, that’s what they call it in the cookbook, so who am I to change it?  This recipe is from the cookbook Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Cookbook.  I don’t really get the title, because I like my mother’s slow cooker recipes, but this has good ones, too! 

The Dr. told me at my last appointment that I need to eat more red meat.  I don’t hate red meat, but I usually make mostly chicken, turkey and pork - and maybe only 1 red meat meal per week.  The past week or so I’ve been trying to eat a lot more.  I found this recipe, and it was also very convenient to have a slow cooker recipe.  Ross is putting new floors in the kitchen this weekend and that limits me to what I can get to.  Having this cook all day and not needing to be in his way in the evening worked out well!

Here’s the recipe.  The chili sauce is what intrigued me – it added a great flavor, with just a hint of sweetness.  We’ll definitely have this again!

Swiss Steak

One 3 pound top round steak, 1 inch thick, edges trimmed, cut into 4 to 5 inch pieces, and blotted dry (OK, that is too much work.  I just got a huge roast and cooked it that way – whole).

1 clove garlic, pressed

2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, to your taste

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2-4 tablespoons light olive oil

1 medium sized yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup chopped carrots (I just used about 3 large carrots, peeled them and cut them into chunks)

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (again, about 2 stalks just cut into some smaller chunks)

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 cup prepared chili sauce

1 cup vegetable broth ( I used chicken because that is what I had)

Rub each piece of meat with the garlic and Worcestershire.  In a zippered-top plastic bag or bowl, combine the flour, thyme, paprika, salt and black pepper.  Toss the meat in the mixture until evenly coated.  With a mallet, pound into both sides of the steak as much of the seasoned flour as the steak will hold (Since I used the whole roast, I coated it with the flour mixture and skipped this part).

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil until very hot.  Add half the meat and brown on all sides, 4-5 minutes (or just brown whole roast for a few minutes on each side).  Transfer to the slow cooker.  Repeat with the remaining meat, adding oil as needed.  Add the onion to the skillet and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Transfer to the cooker.  Toss the carrots adn celery together in a small bowl adn add them to the slow cooker along with the mushrooms, chili sauce, and broth, making sure the meat is nestled into the sauce mixture.  Cover and cook on low until the meat is tender enough to cut with a fork, 9-10 hours.

At the end of cooking, taste for salt and pepper.  Serve hot with the pan juices.

Feta Chicken July 2, 2009

This is really called Broiled Feta Chicken, but I didn’t broil it.  So… it’s just Feta Chicken now.

I pulled out a group made cookbook (some of the best cookbooks ever) from a camp that I used to volunteer at.  The camp is called Camp Good Days and Special Times and is truly one of the most special things I’ve been a part of.  It is a camp for children whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life challenges.  I volunteered there for a week two summers in a row, the first summer during a camp for children with cancer and the second summer during a camp for kids with HIV/AIDS.  It was amazing to me to see the courage that these children had, and so special to see them have a week where they were just like the other kids around them – many bald, sick, etc – but no different from their friends at camp.  I remember actually feeling so guilty that I was healthy.

So, as for the recipe, it was delicious.  Here goes:

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced (I used 2)

1 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 cup crumbled feta

Combine yogurt, garlic and rosemary in a shallow dish.  Add chicken, turning to coat.  Refrigerate at least 3 hours ( I poked holes in the chicken first with a fork and marinated it during the day while I was at work).  Let come to room temperature for no longer than 30 minutes.  Remove from marinade, reserving extra.  Preheat broiler.  Line pan with foil.  Arrange chicken, smooth side down, on foil.  Broil 4-7 minutes.  Turn, spooning reserved marinade over chicken.  Crumble feta on top.  Broil just until cooked through and lightly browned, 4-6 minutes.

Ok, so I didn’t broil it. Just didn’t want to do it that way.  So, I just left it in the 8×8 dish that I marinated it in and baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes, spooning marinade over every now and then.  It was so tasty, very flavorful and extremely tender.  I also want to try this on the grill!

Along with this we had some roasted broccoli and Cheesy Polenta.  It was sooooo good.  Only things I changed were to use skim milk instead of whole, to use chicken broth instead of water as some of the reviews suggested, and omit the butter (only because I was out, but it really didn’t need any). 

I’m excited for leftovers tomorrow!

Creamy Balsamic Chicken June 25, 2009

I had planned on making a different balsamic chicken meal tonight – one that called for sun dried tomatoes.  Well, the only ones in stock at the grocery store cost over $7 and I thought that was absurd.  I like them, but I don’t love them, and they are definitely not worth $7 to me.  So, I just figured I’d compromise when it came time to cook the meal.  When I got home and told Ross, he informed me that he doesn’t really like sun dried tomatoes anyway… news to me, but it worked out well!

So, tonight I had to come up with something for our chicken.  I kind of had the balsamic idea in my head, so I searched for some recipes.  I found one on all recipes.com that I modified a bit.  Here’s what I did:

I sprinkled the chicken breasts with salt pepper, and a tiny bit of garlic powder.  In about a tablespoon of olive oil, I sauteed a sliced onion until they were golden brown.  I placed the onion in an 8×8 baking dish and added a bit more olive oil to the skillet.  I browned the chicken on both sides (3-4 minutes on each side) and then put them on top of the onions.

Meanwhile, I made the sauce.  In a saucepan I melted 2 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I added 2 cloves of minced garlic and cooked for a few minutes until golden brown.  I added 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and cooked for another minute.  I then added 2 teaspoons of chicken boullion and about a tablespoon of flour and whisked it all together.  I slowly added about a cup of milk and cooked it until it was just at a simmer.  Once I removed it from the heat, I added somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 (maybe 1/3?) cup of parmesan cheese and whisked the sauce until the cheese was incorporated.  I poured this over the chicken and baked it for about 40 minutes at 350.

It turned out so good!  We had this over some whole wheat egg noodles.  I like most healthy things, but I do not like whole wheat pasta at all.  It has a gummy texture to me which just doesn’t seem right for pasta.  Ross loves it and buys it when he is in charge of shopping.  I decided to be nice and cooked the whole wheat egg noodles with the meal tonight, and with the creamy sauce over it, they weren’t all that bad.  I still prefer regular or spinach pasta, but I can handle the whole wheat now and then. 

We had some peas on the side, and for a girl whose food isn’t typically allowed to touch, they even tasted pretty good with some sauce touching them!