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!

Beefy Corn and Black Bean Chili w/ Cheesy Corn Bread

Both Cooking Light recpies; these come from their "5 ingredient, 15 minute cookbook"...love that magazine.

Beefy Corn and Black Bean Chili

1 lb ground beef
2 tsp salt-free chili powder blend
1 (14oz) package frozen seasoned corn and black beans (you can totally use canned varieties of both)
1 (14 oz) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1 (15oz) can seasoned tomato sauce for chili (such as Hunt's)
Sour cream (optional)
Green onions, sliced (optional)

Combine beef and chili powder in a largepan/dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until beef is browned, stirring to crumble (around 6 min). Drain well.

Stir in corn mixture, broth, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 min. Uncover and simmer 5, stirring occasionally.

Serve, garnish with sour cream and green onion.

Cheesy Cheddar Corn Bread
2 c self-rising cornmeal mix
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
butter or butter flavored cooking spray

Prehat oven to 425

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir just until dry ingredients moistened. Pour batter into an 8 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray or butter. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; coat top of corn bread with cooking spray or butter. Return to oven; bake an additional 3 min or unil a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and corn bread is golden. Serve!

Week #3 Small Mommy's Menu Plan

I'm pretty proud of myself. I actually stuck to my original menu for this week! That never happens.I usually end up going grocery shopping in the middle of the week for a meal I didn't plan.

I'll be honest though, the "make your own pizzas" night was rough. Turns out Joshua had a game rescheduled for Tuesday night and I had to make all of the pizzas myself while the boys sat at the table and asked me if they were ready every 5 minutes. The crust was good, but I don't think I'll be making my own for again for awhile. It was just too much work.

I really like the planned leftovers meal. The roast beef I made today will be easy to slice and use for french dip sandwiches tomorrow. But I think in the future I might try to do the planned leftovers meal on Sundays.

I've already decided on my meal plan for next week. I figure the sooner I do it the better.

Monday-fajitas. Beef with pepper trio (frozen), mushrooms and onions. Serve with sour cream and shredded jack cheese. And Spanish rice.

Tuesday-hamburgers with sweet potato fries. I love sweet potato fries, and sweet potatoes are cheap and store for a long time. I found a tasty looking recipe for them here:

http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/11/04/vote-then-eat-some-rosemary-garlic-sweet-potato-fries/

Wednesday-asian-style orange chicken with white rice. I'm going to try the recipe on this site:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Asian-Orange-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Thursday-broccoli and bowties. Here's a great recipe by Ina Garten:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/broccoli-and-bow-ties-recipe/index.html

I tried this recipe yesterday. I added toasted pine nuts and crumbled bacon. Because why not?

Friday-chili dogs and cole slaw (Joshua's choice). I'll make the chili from food storage beans.

The only things I'll have to go out and buy are hot dogs/buns and cole slaw. Everything else we already have.

I haven't figured out what to do for Saturday or Sunday yet.

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad w/Citrus Vinaigrette & Garlic Bread

Tuesday I used mainly ingredients already on hand and made this awesome meal for under $10.  This is one of my MOST. FAVORITE. SALADS. EVER.

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad w/Citrus Vinaigrette and Garlic Bread
All I had to buy was a loaf of french bread, 2 lbs of brussel sprouts (on sale, no less), and a small package of crumbled walnuts.

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad
However many brussel sprout heads you need to serve your family (I used about 2lbs for two adults, with left overs), washed, quartered and 'leaves' separated in bowl
3 slices bacon, crispy
1/4 cup crushed nut of choice (optional)
1/4 cup crumbled croutons (I like to use Caesar flavored)
1 cup cheese of choice (this time I used soft pepper goat cheese)
1 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
Citrus vinaigrette
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Place brussel sprouts in skillet with EVOO and cook until a bright green (I like to add just a touch of the bacon fat for flavor). While steaming the sprouts, place bacon on griddle until very crispy. When ready, crumble the bacon and combine with sprouts in serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese, crouton crumbs, diced apple, and nuts. Mix in dressing. Season if desired.

Citrus Vinaigrette
For a super fast, super simple dressing combine equal parts Newman's Own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger dressing with orange juice, or make your own with one part olive oil, one part cider vinegar, and one or two parts orange juice (depending how sweet you want it), 1 tbsp soy sauce, and salt/pepper to taste (add red pepper flakes for a little spice or a little sesame oil and seeds for an asian twist)

Garlic Bread
Cut the loaf in half lengthwise. Melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and crushed garlic to taste. Spread over tops of both sides. Sandwich bread together, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (this soaks the flavor deep into the bread). Right before serving unwrap the bread and broil on high for a few minutes, until edges are crispy and center is soft. Eat up! For a more sinful treat melt cheese on top during the broil time. Mmmmm....

Filet Mignon & Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Monday was our Family Favorite meal.  And it was super yummy-the baby loved the taters!

Filet Mignon & Loaded Mashed Potatoes w/Garden Salad

For the meat, I purchased relatively small filet mignon for two, seasoned it with ground black pepper and sea salt, and cooked it stove top with extra virgin olive oil and red wine to just under medium rare.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes
however many servings you need of Potato Spuds (or baked potatoes, but the boxed spuds save tons of time)
4 slices bacon, cooked crispy
2 stalks green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or your cheese of choice)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare potatoes according to package instructions. Stir together with the remaining ingredients until well blended and a creamy consistency is achieved. Serve.

It's just that easy.