Quick variation of "Lebanese rice" and chicken

1 packet Lipton (extra) noodle soup
1 packet mahatma saffron rice
2 c water
1 tbsp butter
Chicken breast, cubed
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Dried dill
Salt/pepper to taste

Bring 2c water to a boil, add butter, toss in saffron rice, mix, cover and reduce to simmer (about 20m) When there is approximately 9
Min remaining add soup packet. Stir to incorporate and re-cover.

Marinate cubed chicken in olive oil, lemon juice, and sprinkle with dull and salt and pepper. Cook a few minutes each side until juices run clear. Serve on top of rice, add a vegetable on the side, and enjoy:)

Balsamic chicken with artichoke basil pesto pasta and veggies

Another meal with similar ingredients to the last Non-allergenic meal I posted, but a different spin.

This time I made mini rotelle pasta, mixed it with an artichoke and basil pesto (no nuts) and tossed in some lightly sautéed zucchini, squash, halved grape tomatoes, green olives and topped it off with cubed balsamic chicken breast (marinated breasts in balsamic vinegar (about 1/4c, honey (about 3tbs), and olive oil (about 11/2tbs) and cooked stove top on the griddle.

Super easy, healthy, yummy and it went over well with the whole family.

Honey Dijon Chicken w/Israelli cous cous, sqaush and zucchini

My newborn has major food sensitivities and is exclusively nursed, which means I get to eat a special needs diet free of all dairy (including sheep and goat products), soy, and- at least for the moment-nuts (particularly peanuts).

Not fun. Or easy. And definitely requires thought, label reading, and planning out. I figured I'd document meals here to help others who may have need of a common allergen free meal option.

Tonight we had honey Dijion chicken breast served with isrealli pearl cous cous and sautéed zucchini and summer squash (with good extra virgin olive oil and a clove of garlic.)

It was good! And prep to plate 20 min or less.

I eyeballed about 3tbs of Dijion mustard, about 3tbs honey and two cap fulls cider vinegar and mixed together. Then I cut my chicken breasts into thin pieces for ease of cooking and covered them in my Dijion mix, sprayed my stove top griddle with a little cooking spray and cooked over medium heat about 4 min each side.

The cous cous I made according to instructions-11/4c water to 1c cous cous and a little salt, simmer 8min covered.

I sliced the squash and zucchini and threw them in my wok already heated with a healthy dose of evoo and 1clove minced garlic and sautéed them until the zucchini was a beautiful bright green-this makes them tender and juicy, but still firm.

I served the veggies over the cous cous and the chicken on the side and it was a hit with everyone, 2 year old especially!

Flash Freezing

I found this flash freezing tutorial on one of my favorite cooking blogs called "Yes, Divas Can Cook". At first I thought it may not be worth the hassle to flash freeze, but she sold me on it. Here's why:

1. It's healthier than frozen express meals you buy in the store. Less salt and preservatives.
2. It's cheaper to make your own. As she points out on her blog, one of those store bought express meals will feed 1-2 people, while making your own at home can feed 6-8 for half the price.
3. You can add your own ingredients. You're not limited to the what's available in the store. And with picky eaters, that's a plus. I can make a meal with veggies in one bag and omit them from the other.
4. I like the idea that I can make a few frozen meals while the kids are in school, then pull one out on days when I just don't feel like cooking. Heat for 10 minutes and serve.

I love that she takes these meals to her pregnant friends. What an awesome idea! :)

Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Peppercorn Sauce

My Dad recently gave me this recipe for pork tenderloin. I have yet to try it, but it sounds easy and delicious.

Pork tenderloin (up to 3 lbs)

Garlic powder

Dry Ranch dressing mix

2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup

1 teaspoon brown mustard

¼ cup (or ½ a stick) of butter

salt

pepper

How to cook tenderloin: Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dry Ranch dressing mix. Cover and marinate in refrigerator overnight.

Roast tenderloin at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes, depending on size. Internal temperature should be at least 160-165 degrees for doneness. Let meat rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Tenderloin should be a bit pink inside, otherwise the meat is overdone and can become dry.

For peppercorn sauce: Mix both cans of soup, brown mustard and 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Cut butter into small chunks and add to sauce, stirring constantly to incorporate.

Serve gravy over warm, sliced tenderloin.

Feb 10-17

Thursday-Oscar Meyer Angus dogs, to be exact. Chips and fruit.
Friday-Chicken tacos/fajitas with avocado
Saturday-Fettucine alfredo with asparagus
Sunday-Mediterranean chicken skewers with zucchini and saffron rice. For the chicken I'll just marinate it in lemon juice, olive oil and mediterranean spices. Then skewer them with sliced zucchini and broil.
Monday-out? I shouldn't have to cook on Valentine's Day, right? :0)
Tuesday-Homemade mac and cheese, broccoli and smoothies
Wednesday-Chow mein

Feb 1-6

Monday-chicken alfredo with cheesy garlic biscuits
Tuesday-meatloaf, mashed potatoes and salad
Wednesday-stir fry and rice
Thursday-sandwiches and smoothies
Friday-chicken fajitas. I recently discovered Gourmet Garden herbs and I love them. They make cooking so much easier.
Saturday-pizza or something out
Sunday-crockpot chili and cornbread

Back to It

Now that the holidays are officially over it's time to get back to meal planning. Yay. No better time to start than the middle of the week, right?

Wednesday: Sesame noodles with chicken and broccoli
Thursday: Raviolis and salad
Friday: Chop chop chow mein. This recipe has become a favorite.
Saturday: Pasta primavera and garlic bread
Sunday: Chicken tacos

Chop Chop Chicken Chow Mein

I'm always looking for recipes that are fast and easy. After spending time in Stockton over the Christmas break and gorging on delicious Asian food, I searched the internet and found this easy recipe for Chicken Chow Mein. I made it for lunch today and it was really good. It will definitely be one of my go to lunch/dinner meals. What's great about this recipe is that you can use any kind of meat you like. You can even make it vegetarian.

"Chop Chop Chicken Chow Mein"

Ingredients:

Chow Mein Noodles-You can use fresh or dry. I used dry because they were cheaper.
2 Tbs ginger, minced
2 Tbs garlic, minced
chicken breast or tenderloins, sliced
scallions, sliced
carrot, shredded
snap peas
shittake mushrooms
(Of course you can use any veggies you want, these are just what is used in this particular recipe. I omitted the mushrooms and added bean sprouts.)

For the sauce:

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs sesame oil
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs corn starch
1/4 water

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package. Drain and run under cold water. I also added a few drops of sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Set aside.

Add 2 Tbs oil into a hot pan. Cook ginger and garlic for a minute. Add chicken to brown. Add veggies. Stir fry for a minute or two. Mix together all 6 sauce ingredients. Add sauce to pan and stir to coat. Add noodles and toss. You're done!

Serves 4-6 people.

Already Thinking About Leftovers!

I know that Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet, but I'm already starting to think about the yummy ways we can eat our leftover turkey. I love the ideas on this website. Hopefully I'll be able to enjoy some of them!

Totally trying this

Spinoccoli Pizza, thanks to Annies eats. Yum!

Meals, Schmeals...

I'm so not into making a meal plan lately. I'm tired and there's just too much going on in life to care about cooking anymore. With picky eaters and a husband who rarely eats dinner at home, how could you blame me?

So here is my really lame and really late meal plan for the next few days. Thank goodness Thanksgiving is coming up. It means I don't have to worry about a meal plan for awhile!

Friday: Von's $5 meal- garlic herb shrimp with rice
Saturday: tortilla soup/chili with cornbread
Sunday: salmon cakes and rice pilaf
Monday: spaghetti and garlic bread
Tuesday: omelettes
Wednesday/Thursday/Friday:Thanksgiving fun!

Fun Shaped Eggs and '1 pot" Mess

Yasmeen has been a HUGE fan of a bacon and egg breakfast lately. I make the bacon on the griddle and wanted to make my egg on there too so I have a fast and easy clean up (mornings aren't my thing: the simpler the better!).

The following idea is likely not new news to any experienced mom, but it was a novel idea to me :) I decided to both spice up the interest of breakfast and save myself cleaning a cast iron by placing one of my handy dandy metal cookie cutters onto the griddle, breaking the egg first into a small container, and then pouring the egg into the cookie cutter mold. It works like a charm and makes some cute eggs! So far I've made a bunny (big hit) a chic (liked) and a butterfly (which would have been a big hit, but Yasmeen has been doing a lot of puzzles lately and the butterfly is on the insect board, which she has decided are "icky" so when I placed the egg butterfly on her plate this morning she said "no, bug!").

Anyway, thought I'd pass along the tip in case you haven't tried it. Tip: it does work best if you first make the bacon then turn down the heat on the griddle a little so a film doesn't develop on the exterior of the egg while it cooks.

California Eggs Florentine

Tonight we had Brinner-Eggs Florentine style. So good. So fast (literally, 20 min or under). So easy. And cheap--at least for us, as we seem to always have bacon, eggs, and English muffins on hand. In fact, we usually also have avocado and tomato around the house, so not too many ingredients need to be picked up at the store.

California Eggs Florentine

English Muffin (one per person)
Eggs (two per person)
Spinach-Fresh baby spinach best
Bacon (two slices per person)
Tomatoes (I used 1 small Roma per person)
Avocado (1 should be enough for 4 people)
1 clove garlic
1tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp vinegar
packet Hollindaise mix
1 c milk
1/4 c butter
salt/pepper to taste
Tabasco to taste


Step 1: In a large skillet fill 2/3 way with water. Bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp vinegar. reduce to a simmer. Crack eggs first into a small cup or container. Gently place in water. Cook about 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

Step 2: Place your bacon on a griddle and cook. (As many pieces as needed/desired per person. I use one slice per side of toast, split in half.)

Step 3: saute spinach with garlic and olive oil (you'll be able to do this while waiting for the egg water to boil)
Spinach-I used about 4 cups for two servings
1 clove, garlic
1 tbsp olive oil

Heat Olive oil in a small sauce pan. Add minced garlic and saute until the smells release then add in spinach. Saute until the color looks right for your preference. Set aside.

Step 4: While your spinach sautes and your bacon cooks start your Hollindaise sauce. I cheat and use a prepackaged mix. All it takes is 1 cup milk, the packet, and 1/4 cup butter. Whisk, bring to boil ,then simmer for one minute while it thickens. Make this last bc it is best fresh. (After you get this going it will probably be time to place your eggs in the water.)

Step 5: Slice tomatoes (I use Roma) and Avocado and toast the English muffins. As many as you need for the number of people you are serving. I used two slices of each per side of English muffin.

Step 6: Begin assembling the Eggs Florentine.Place English muffins on plates. Top each side with tomato, avocado, spinach, bacon, egg, and Hollindaise sauce.

I top it all off with a splash of Tabasco and a dash of salt and pepper.

And voila: pure yumminess that is sinfully good...even the baby ate one whole side!

Mexican Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
A few years ago I decided to give Mexican Tortilla Soup a try, but didn't find any recipes that fit the bill and tried my hand at my own invention...and it was YUMMY. Even better, it was CHEAP and EASY.I made a pot full, and soup doesn't exactly beg exactness, so here are the general measurements and ingredients:

3 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1 container freshly made salsa (I like spicy)
1/2 container green salsa (I use Herdez)
15 oz pinto beans
15 oz black beans
15oz White Beans
15 oz canned diced tomatoes with green chilies
2-3 cups frozen corn (I used half golden and half sweet)
1/3-1/2 large yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic (fresh is best)
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small avocados
handful of fresh cilantro, minced
dollop of sour cream (per serving)
handful of shredded cheese, preferably cheddar or jack-even better, a mix! (per serving)
Crispy tortilla strips (I used Wasabi Ranch flavored)

Directions:
Over medium heat, heat olive oil and place sliced onion and garlic until onion is soft ,season with salt and pepper to taste. Careful not to burn garlic. Add the chicken broth, bring to simmer. Add both salsas and bring to simmer again. Add in beans, canned tomato and corn, stirring occasionally, and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add sliced avocado and cilantro, cook additional 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Top with dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilantro sprigs and crispy tortilla strips and serve. For an extra treat, serve with freshly made corn bread to sop up the remaining broth. Yum!*Chicken chunks are optional for a non vegetarian version. Cook in advance and add in with beans.

Menu plan: Thurs-wed

I'm going to try to do my menus Thursday to Wednesday because new ads come out Wednesday and that way I can make the most of supermarket savings and freshness.

Thursday: Mongolian BBQ (treated the missionaries to dinner)

Friday: My awesome Lamb, Yam, Yummy salad trifecta

Saturday: It is wet and cold, so I'm stewing up some super duper easy Mexican tortilla soup (recipe to follow)

Sunday: Grilled Halibut fillets with this warm Brussels Sprout salad and rice

Monday: Hmmm, it's FHE, so something good. How about a family favorite? Brinner. And, to make it even more favored, we'll make that Eggs Benedict, thanks. I think I'll make mine with bacon and fresh tomato and avocado, but do the traditional for Jacob if he wants it. Served with Asparagus, of course.

I'm not entirely sure what I want to do yet for the remaining two days. Probably something with beef or pork, and maybe something Asian. Stay tuned.

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

O-M-GOOOOOODNESS

I'm nothing if not consistent: I didn't cook a lick all summer and into fall, but today is cold and windy with slight showers and I absolutely had the URGE to cook up a nice hearty feast, with a nod to the season of eating ahead. I even had the urge to cook meat-which I almost never do. (To date, that remains firmly planted in the hubby's territory.)

I made, if I do say so myself the most fantastic meal tonight (and I do...but the hubby confirmed it, and he wouldn't necessarily say he didn't like something, but he would eat only enough to be polite--and he cleaned his plate and asked for seconds).

Best part? It took 30 MIN (yes, that's right) from the start (as in washing veggies) to finish (as in my fork delved into this delish meal). And that included cleaning as I went for the most part.

I dived right into my latest Cooking Light magazine and made these Pork Chops (only I substituted cuts of small pork loin, cooked 4 min per side, quadrupled the portion of seasoning and oil rub per loin, adding a dash of red chili flakes into the mix and substituting a mix of dry Italian seasoning for fresh rosemary (bc I had it on hand)). I'm very pleased with myself because this was my first time EVER cooking lamb and it was PERFECT: soft-melt-in-your-mouth texture, juicy, not undercooked but no where near overdone, and super yummy flavor.

I also made the mashed "maple hazelnut sweet potatoes" featured in the magazine with the pork chops, only I used yams, slightly increased the amount of maple syrup, and added a quarter cup of shredded parma-reggiano, and eliminated the hazelnuts (opting to throw them in the salad instead)--SO creamy and delectable! Jacob, who claims not to like yams, practically licked the bowl clean after finishing his portion.

Maple Yams
Pierce 2 sweet potatoes with a fork, wrap with a wet paper towel and microwave until done. Let stand 5 minutes then peel skin, mash to desired consistency, add 1/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/4 cup shredded parma-reggiano, 1 teaspoon sea salt. Combine and serve.

Then I whisked together an adapted version of the salad dressing recommended in the magazine, but put my own salad mix together:

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette (so good, so easy, so cheap)
1 1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon cracked lack pepper
1/4 tablespoon salt
1 minced garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil (gradually whisked in)

Mixed Mediterranean Style Salad
I bought a tin of organic mixed baby greens and added 1/2 thinly sliced Fuji apple, 1/2 cup red Holiday grapes-halved , a little under 1/4 cup crushed whole dry roasted hazelnuts, 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese, and about 8 large spiced blood orange marinated green olives (available now at Whole Foods) and poured in the marinade into the salad before drenching with the salad dressing and mixing. Oh MY GOSH. SO. DANG. GOOD.

Try it. You'll be glad you did. It wasn't super cheap, but it wasn't super expensive. Admittedly I had the seasonings and grapes on hand, but the portion of food used for the meal was about $18 total. Though it cost more than that at the store for the lettuce and cheese particularly, I have enough of those left for at least 3 more salads.

Recommended preparation:
While the yams cook, prepare the seasoning and rub down the lamb, prepare the vinaigrette.

While the yams cool, cook the lamb, toss the salad, and finally, prepare the mashed the yams.

Finis!

Raise Healthy Eaters

I found this website today and thought it looked pretty interesting. It's by a mom who is also a registered dietitian. There are some great looking recipes as well as nutrition information.

Next Week's Meal Plan

I've been a total slacker with the meal planning the past few weeks. Of course everyone being sick didn't help. So here is my attempt at a plan for next week.

My goal this week is to eat more veggies. And to get Nathan and Christopher to at least try some!

Monday: Sandwiches. Tuna or veggie.
Tuesday: Homemade mac and cheese and broccoli
Wednesday: Chicken. Probably asian sesame with rice and veggies
Thursday: Brinner. Maybe I'll try the best waffles ever recipe!
Friday: $5 Vons meal
Saturday: Salmon burgers. Made from canned salmon, egg, minced onion and bread crumbs. It's pretty yummy and the kids will actually eat it.

A few recipes I can't wait to try!

These polenta cakes with greens

This Butternut Squash Lasagna

These Pumpkin Truffles

This Pappa al Pomodoro (you know I love me some Tuscan cuisine)


The weather here is in the 90s...consequently, I have halted all cooking activities :) I just can't quite get there when it feels hot and sticky. But man oh man, fall is on it's way and I'll be busting these babies out on the first sign of a rainy day!