Egg Rolls (and some other stuff)

Last week I got a bountiful basket and I was a bit disappointed. 2 HEADS OF CABBAGE! blech. Also some kale and cauliflower? All in one basket?
But I decided to make the best of it. I gave one head of cabbage away. With the kale I decided to make some kale chips. People rave about these online and declare their kids scarf them down. My kids wouldn't touch them. They smelled funny. I kind of liked them, but they are nothing to rave about and I ate as many as I could. The rest went bad.

 With the over ripe plums I got in my basket I made some plum syrup. It was delicious! Especially served over my whole wheat blueberry pancakes (I also got the blueberries in my basket)

But my favorite meal this week was egg rolls! Why have I never made these before? They were so easy and so good and now I have a bunch in my freezer for an easy meal.

Here's the recipe I used

1 lb sausage

1/2 head cabbage (chopped up)

2 large carrots, peeled then grated

1 small onion, chopped up small

1 package of egg rolls

Cook the sausage in a large pot on the stove, stirring to break up. Add the chopped cabbage, carrots, and onion. Keep stirring it and cook until the veggies are wilty.

Follow the directions on the back of the egg roll package, they say it a lot better. Just put a couple table spoon fulls of the cooked mixture into the egg roll and roll it up.

After putting mine on a cookie sheet I rubbed some olive oil on them and then baked them for about 12 min. They came out crispy and juicy and yummy! The only of my kids who enjoyed it though was the baby. She likes just about everything I make, sweet child!

Sweet Potatoes

If you remember, in my bountiful basket about 4 weeks ago I got a couple of gigantic sweet potatoes. Yes, almost 4 weeks ago. I finally used the last of them today. I tried sweet potato soup and it was a huge flop. I tried sweet potato fries, and that wasn't so good either.
Finally I scored with this sweet potato bread:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/11150-pecan-and-sweet-potato-bread
The kids gobbled it all up and really enjoyed it.
Today I made some sweet potato cookies and they turned out so interesting I had to share them. I got the recipe from here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Potato-Cookies-II/Detail.aspx
But I changed some things so I wanted to post what I did.

Sweet Potato Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 cup grated raw sweet potato

Cream the sugar, butter, and coconut oil. Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Then the dry ingredients. Bake at 350 for 9-10 min.

So basically I just substituted some oats for some flour, cinnamon instead of nutmeg, and lime instead of lemon. I also used part coconut oil for some of the butter. Other than that I stayed pretty true to the original recipe.

I asked my son how he liked them and he said, "Well, you know Mom, they're kind of yucky."

I however think they are pretty yummy. I think he is caught off guard by the lime flavor. Who would have ever thought to add lemon or lime zest to sweet potato cookies? I never would have thought it, but it makes a fascinating combination and makes them taste quite refreshing.
I would be interested to hear about it if anyone else tries these and likes them! I think cookies are a great way to get a vegetable serving in for the day ;)

How to Cut a Melon

Okay, y'all probably know this already, but this is what Susan, Jen's mother-in-law, taught me once, and it works with any melon I've ever tried.

First you cut a thin slice off each end of the melon. Then you cut the whole thing in half crosswise. Then scoop out the insides (of course, you don't have to do that if it's a watermelon). Then put one of the halves cut-side down on your cutting board, and use your knife to take a slice of the rind off from the top to the bottom. Work your way all around till the rind is removed from the entire half, then, without moving it from its upside down position, it's easy to simply cut it into eight sections. From there I put a bowl over the whole thing and, using the cutting board to keep it all together, turn the bowl right side up and remove the cutting board, and wa-la! the melon is in the bowl ready to serve.

This honeydew melon that we cut into today was oh-so-good. I have enjoyed it tremendously!

Roast Vegetables

Tonight Dad and I tried something for the first time: Rutabaga. I guess it's also called a yellow beet. Anyway, I remember last Fall when I was visiting Talena, we roasted some red beets that were wrapped in aluminum foil, then peeled and cut them up and put them in a green salad. I didn't expect to like them, but I did. In fact, they were really good. I've tried canned beets before, which I didn't like because they were pickled. I've tried boiled beets from the garden before, and they just tasted like dirt. But that roasted beet, now, it was good.

So here's how I did it tonight: I peeled the beet and cut it up, and I peeled the rutabaga and cut it up, and I peeled an onion and cut it up. Then I put them all in a plastic bag with a little olive oil and some salt and pepper and shook them around. Then I dumped them into a glass cooking pan and baked them in a hot oven for about an hour. I actually baked them at too hot of a temperature, and they got a little overdone. But they were still really good. Something about the little bit of oil at the hot temperature causes them to caramelize and turn sweet on the outside. The little bits of onion that stuck to the bottom of the pan were especially sweet and yummy.

Serve that with some baked salmon, a generous serving of dark salad greens, and a bite of dark chocolate for dessert. Mm-mm! I ate like a queen tonight!

Here's the recipe where I got the idea.

Sausage Lentil Kale Soup

This recipe appealed to me because of the "healthy" foods in it, i.e., the kale and the split peas, but also the appeal-to-Dad food in it, i.e., the Kielbasa Sausage. The original is found on Kitchen Parade, here. Make sure you read her tip for how to prepare the Kale, as the hardest thing about eating kale (I think) is the stringy texture. So anything you can do to remove the strings can only help. Of course, I adapted it to what I had on hand, which is lots of cannery-canned dry soup mix, and a package of frozen tomatoes that needed to be used. But I did buy the kale and the sausage especially for this recipe. So here's how I did it:

4 oz. Kielbasa sausage
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
1 quart tomatoes
1 quart water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 cup dry soup mix
1 bunch kale
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot over medium high heat while you prepare the sausage. Cut the sausage in quarters lengthwise, then slice into little bits. Add to the hot pot (it should sizzle) and stir around. Chop the onions and the garlic and add them as well, being careful that the sausage doesn't burn while you do. In other words, turn the heat down if you have to, and stir often. While the sausage and veggies simmer, blend the tomatoes up on high. Then add the blended tomatoes, the water, and the bouillon granules to the soup pot. Stir in the dry soup mix (or split green peas or lentils or whatever you're using). Prepare the kale by soaking it in a sinkfull of water for a couple of minutes then remove the stems and just keep the curly leaves. Chop the leaves finely then add them to the soup pot, along with the carrots. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 90 minutes or until the peas and lentils in the soup mix are cooked through. Stir in the vinegar and salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Garden Vegetable Soup

I'm putting this recipe on here so I have quick access to it. This version came from here. In fact, I think I'll add her blog and a few others to the sidebar of this blog.

WEIGHT WATCHERS ZERO POINTS GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1 1/4 hour
Makes 9 cups

6 cups broth 

Cooking spray
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 teaspoons garlic, minced 
1/2 cabbage, chopped 
1/2 pound frozen green beans
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large zucchini, diced

Bring the broth to a boil in the microwave. (This is a time-saving tip that can be skipped if there's no hurry.)

Spray a Dutch oven with cooking spray and heat on MEDIUM HIGH. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the zucchini and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to MEDIUM and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add the zucchini and cook until the zucchini are tender. Serve and enjoy!

ALANNA'S TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES 
 BROTH Canned broth or bouillon granules work fine but for more freshness, consider using Homemade Vegetable Bouillon or Light Vegetable Stock. 
 GARLIC Use garlic from a jar or substitute about four cloves minced garlic. 
 CABBAGE Fresh cabbage is best but you can use a bag of pre-cut slaw, just look for the biggest chunks you can find versus the fine angel-hair slaw. Don't skip the cabbage, somehow it makes the soup. 

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup: 61 Calories; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 13 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb10; 701 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Protein.  WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS WW Old Points .5 & WW PointsPlus 1

WHAT? HOW DOES A ZERO-POINT RECIPE HAVE POINTS? This soup is low-cal, low-carb, high-fiber and no-fat. But hmmm. What about the claim that it has no points in the Weight Watchers world? I suppose so, since all the ingredients are "free". But the way I calculate points, a calorie's a calorie and so I count every one of them whether from chocolate cake or fresh vegetables. In my book, Garden Vegetable Soup counts as 1 point but if you want to count it as Zero Points, go ahead. Either way, it's a winning recipe.

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Originally from Betty Crocker, then Mom, then Josie

Here's the recipe with my notes on how I make it healthier:

3/4 cup shortening (I don't use shortening, I do 1/4 cup butter and half a cup of applesauce)

1 cup sugar (I only use 1/2 cup)

1 egg beaten

1 1/2 cups flour (I use half wheat)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tsp salt

1tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 3/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup mashed ripe bananas or 1 cup well drained crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Bake 375 for 12 min.

The healthier version is still really tasty and the kids gobble them up!

Cheddar Leek Soup

In last weeks bountiful basket I got (among other things) a 5lb bag of petite golden potatoes, broccoli, and leeks. Now, I know what I can do with potatoes, and I know what to do with broccoli, but leeks? I actually had to ask someone what they were because I didn't recognize them. I mean I've heard of them, but never used them.
So what do you do with leeks? Make soup! I found this recipe on allrecipes (thanks Talena!) and actually I just glanced at the recipe and then did what I usually do to make soup, but it turned out delicious so I wanted to share.

Garlic Cheddar Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 leeks
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion (roughly)
butter
olive oil

Sautee those veggies in a large pot in the butter and oil until tender (about 5 min)

Add:

5 cups water
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
6-7 petite golden potatoes, cubed

Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Actually before the potatoes are quite done, add:

Broccoli, chopped (however much you want, I did one bunch)

Boil until the broccoli and potatoes are tender, meanwhile whisk:

1 cup milk and
1/3 cup (roughly) flour together

Add the milk mixture to the soup and stir until thickened then add about:

1-1/2 cups cheese

Stir until the cheese is melted. Add:

Salt and pepper to taste

And you have a delicious soup! Seriously, it tasted as good as some soups I've had at restaurants. I really liked it.

Chicken Nacho Soup

I came across this recipe from Valerie Phillips, editor of the Food section in the Ogden Standard Examiner newspaper, and before that for the Deseret News, for a Slow Cooker Nacho Chicken soup. I decided to make it for dinner last night, so here is how I did it. 

First of all, I mixed up my own taco seasoning mix from what I had in my cupboard based on this recipe from allrecipes.com. But since the original soup recipe called for TWO cans of chicken broth and TWO cans of chopped chili, in my mind I was doing TWO recipes of taco seasoning mix. Then I realized I should have only done one. Oh, and also since I didn't have chicken broth, then I just did water with chicken bouillon powder in it, so I added the bouillon into the taco seasoning mix. So, whether it's "right" or not (I'll let you know later), here's what I did for the taco seasoning mix:

1 tablespoon chili powder (I just did one tablespoon instead of doubling it so it wouldn't be so hot)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (again, I'm afraid of the heat!)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin (didn't double this one as ground cumin smells like stinky socks to me, so I have a hard time adding a lot of it, even though I always like the end product)

1 teaspoon black pepper (also didn't double this one, plus I left out the salt that the recipe calls for because I figure that between the bouillon and the canned goods that I'll be adding there will be plenty of sodium in this soup.)

I also noticed that in her recipe, the two cans of diced chili are 7 oz. each, but my cans of diced chili are 4 oz. each. I still only added two of them, again not wanting to make the soup too hot.

Another adaptation: I didn't start the chicken in my crock pot until 4 p.m., which means that I didn't do it in the crock pot, but instead cooked it in the broth and soup and seasonings in a pot on the stove so it would cook faster than it would have in the crock pot. But, you know, I bet two hours in a crock pot on the high setting would have been plenty of time to cook the chicken thoroughly.

Okay, the results are in. The soup was yummy! A little on the hot side, but that can be adjusted. As I went through the recipe, I realized that she has the ingredient of "2 cups crushed tortilla chips" listed twice. But in the directions, she talks about adding "the cheddar." So I think that one of those chips listings must really be for cheddar cheese. But it doesn't matter to me; I think it tasted fine without the cheese, and is likely better for me anyway. (In fact, I'm wondering if the cream of chicken soup is even necessary. Leaving it out would eliminate some fat.) Also, I'm glad I didn't add the salt to the taco seasoning mix that I put together, as the soup had plenty of flavor and was salty enough. Here's how I would do it next time:

Chicken Nacho Soup (Does it count as "Nacho" soup if there's no cheese?)
1 or 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
3 1/2 cups water
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fat free sour cream
a couple handfuls crushed tortilla chips

In a small bowl combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika, ground cumin, black pepper, and chicken bouillon powder.Put the water, soup, green chilies, combined seasonings, and chicken pieces in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours until chicken is done. Half an hour before serving, turn off the heat and remove chicken to a platter with a slotted spoon. Stir the beans, corn, cilantro, sour cream, and chips into the soup pot. Shred the chicken with a couple of forks, or chop it on a cutting board with a knife, and then return to soup pot. Stir all ingredients and serve.

Blitz!

Oops! Wrong blog!! Sorry!!!

Determined!

I am determined to use all the food from my basket this week, so that means trying some new things. It is actually getting me pretty excited about cooking again!  I was really excited about making Sunday dinner. Here's what we had:

Orange chicken served over mashed cauliflower, grilled asparagus with Parmesan cheese, green jello, and Rhodes rolls.
The orange chicken atop the cauliflower was surprisingly tasty. The rolls were to die for! The green jello was pretty good. The asparagus was a flop! I accidentally messed it up. I should have just stuck with what I usually do with asparagus (grill it in butter for about 3 min then add salt and pepper) but I wanted to experiment and I ruined it. Wayne still ate all his, but I ended up throwing half mine out because I couldn't gag it down, and that's saying something because usually I can eat anything.
My sister was the one who suggested that I mash the cauliflower like mashed potatoes. I could not get it to the consistency of mashed potatoes, it was more like, well, tiny broken up cauliflower, but it was fine, especially with all the butter and salt and pepper I added to it ;)

So tonight I need to finish the other half of the bunch of asparagus and then we'll have either a spaghetti squash or sweet potatoes. Any suggestions on how to cook those????

Bountiful Baskets

Today I ordered my first bountiful basket. I am really excited! It was $16.50 (including shipping and handling) plus a $3 fee for a first time buyer. I ordered on Monday and got my food today. Here is what I got:

2 spaghetti squash

2 (gigantic!) sweet potatoes (seriously, they are bigger than my kids head!)

1 head of cauliflower

1 bunch of asparagus

10 clementine oranges

1 bag apples

7 bananas

1 (10.5 oz) package of mini tomatoes

5 pears

1 (8oz) package of sugar snap peas

Do you think I got my moneys worth? I hope I did! I am excited to use it all. One kid opened the peas and ate half a package already and another kid gobbled down two oranges and an apple and declared the apples "better than the best apples that I've had!"

If you want to sign up for a bountiful basket too, you can go here: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

I am not even going to try to explain it, just check out the website.

Granola and Granola Bars

Melinda asked me to post the recipes I use for granola and granola bars. Actually yesterday I made granola for my first time ever. Why have I never made it before? Because in Idaho there was this fabulous most wonderful grocery store called Winco and they had this magnificent bulk section with tasty granola for a good enough price for me. It was easier to just buy it then to make it.
Well, yesterday Briella asked me why I never buy granola any more and I said it was because they don't have it here. She felt immense sympathy for the people of our new town who have never even heard of or experienced granola. We decided to make some. I found the easiest recipe I could find and gave it a shot. It turned out delicious, if only I hadn't burned it. Oh well, I still like it. Here is the recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/baked-honey-granola-176753

I'll re post it here with my changes

Granola

2 cups oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

about 1/3 cup sunflower seeds

(mix all those)

Microwave:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil

Mix the wet and dry stuff. Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for about 15-25 min, stirring once.

So the mistake I made was that I thought it would get crunchy while baking so every time I checked it and it still seemed moist I just kept baking it. It ended up getting slightly burnt. I guess when you take it out to cool it will finish hardening up for that crunchy taste? I don't know, like I said this is my first time making it. But I will use this recipe again because even burnt it was delicious. I ate it like a bowl of cereal for breakfast this morning with milk on top. Mmmmm!

Granola Bars

And for Granola bars I just use the recipe on the Heavenly Homemakers website found here: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/homemade-chewy-granola-bars-without-corn-syrup

We love these so much we don't buy the chewy sunbelt granola bars any more. For the 1 cup of "other stuff" I like to use rice crispies, crunched up pretzels, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips. 

Gourmet Pizzas

Remember how I said that my family would be happy if only I fed them pizza 4 days a week? Well, I don't mind pizza so much as long as it's not pepperoni. Actually my favorite pizza combo is pineapples and black beans or kidney beans. Mmmmmm!
But, if we are going to have pizza so often I am going to experiment with my options. I really like the Papa Murphey's chicken garlic alfredo pizza or whatever it's called. So this week I made an Alfredo pizza using my regular Alfredo sauce recipe and adding broccoli and chicken chunks. Here is the sauce recipe:

Alfredo Sauce

2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs flour
(melt the butter and wisk in the flour)
Slowly add:
1 cup water and 1 tsp bouillon (I really like the vegetable broth powder on the simple healthy tasty website)
1/2 cup milk
Keep stirring as it thickens
Add:
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (Use freshly shredded. DO NOT buy the already shredded stuff. Gross!)

So that's the basic recipe. You could also add mushrooms, pepper, parsley, garlic, whatever you want.

So I made that recipe and I added in some chopped steamed broccoli, chopped green onion and half a can of chicken chunks (If I had had some tomatoes I would have chopped those up and added them too). I spread it on my pizza crust and then sprinkled garlic salt and parsley over the top and baked it at 400 for about 12 min.

The consensus:  If I were to rate this recipe I would give it 2 out of 5 stars. It was ok. Wayne said it has potential. It was a bit too soupy for a pizza sauce, but we still ate and finished the pizza, so it was fine. HOWEVER! The Alfredo sauce recipe is 5 out of 5 stars on noodles, served with freshly made bread sticks. I'll just have to work on the gourmet pizza recipe.

Ranch Dressing Mix

Still Mom, another recipe from Gay. She got this one off of Pinterest, and then adapted it to her liking. For example, the Moo's Dry Milk at the end is what she added, probably just to make it richer.

Ingredients:
1/8 cup black pepper (use less if desired)
3/4 cup parsley flakes
1/2 cup salt
1/8 cup granulated garlic
1/3 cup granulated onion
1 tablespoon dill weed
1/2 cup Moo's Dry Milk (optional) (why based dry milk)

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients into a ziplock bag, close bag tight to mix. Store in an airtight container. (Quart/pint jars work great) Makes about 2 cups of dry mix. Store in dry place for up to 6 months.

To Make Dressing--
Whisk together:
1 tablespoon Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup each of Mayonnaise and Buttermilk
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
(1/4 cup Sour Cream can be added for thicker dressing or for Ranch Dip)

Pour into container. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Makes 1 Pint (2 cups).
Keep refrigerated--use prepared dressing within two weeks.

Brownies

This is Mom posting in Talena's name. I'm at Talena's house, and Gay just made brownies. Here is her recipe!!! She says she adapted this recipe from a brownie mix, when she needed to make more than the mix would make, so she could fill the bigger pan. These will make brownies for one of those big half-sheet size pans, you know, like you would make Texas Fudge Brownies in. Only these aren't Texas Fudge Brownies. So you start with the brownie mix and add to it. Here goes:

BROWNIES
1 Family-Size Betty Crocker Brownie Mix
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup oil

Place mix in large bowl add all of the other dry ingredients and stir with a wire whip to combine. Add eggs oil and water to dry mixture and stir still stiff batter is made. Spread into greased and floured 1/2 sheet baking pan. (12x18).
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

FROSTING
1/2 Cup of softened butter
1/2 Cup of shortening
4 Cups powdered sugar
6 T Cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbls. milk
Hershey chocolate syrup - add enough to make smooth spreadable consistency frosting.
Mix all ingredients together and spread on cooled brownies.

Week 2 Menu

Sorry I did not get this posted on Sunday. Maybe you can use it next week if you like it. This was my menu last week. Well, it is what I wrote out. We only used about half the meals on here. Last night my family informed me that if we could just have pizza about 4 days out of the week, they would all be satisfied (eye roll). Anyway, without further ado, here is my menu:

Mon: Orange Chicken and rice
Tuesday: Hamburger and bean enchilada's, canned corn
Wed: Alfredo pasta, broccoli and bread sticks
Thur: Baked potatoes and Ham
Fri: Pizza
Sat: Soup or leftovers
Sunday: Crepe's, frozen mixed veggies, strawberries, yogurt, sausage

My Orange Chicken recipe that I got out of a magazine:

1 Tbsp. plus 1/3 cup cornstarch, divided
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. cubes
3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh carrots
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion

Prepare rice. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1 Tbs. cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper; set aside.
Place remaining cornstarch in a large reasealable back and shake to coat. Cook in oil until juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet.
In the same skillet saute the carrots for 2 min. Add green pepper and onion; saute 2-3 min. longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through.
Serve with rice!

I've used this recipe before and it is really yummy.

For the enchilada's I just use the recipe Mom posted on this blog a long time ago (I love it) along with the recipe for whole wheat tortilla's that I posted on here a long time ago (love that too). Let me know if you are interested in my delicious Alfredo sauce recipe and I will post that too.

Sunday Beef

Menu: Roast Beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, salad, bread, apples


Savory Pot Roast
1 rolled boneless chuck roast (6 pounds)*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
2 bay leaves

GRAVY:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 to 5 drops hot pepper sauce

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown roast on all sides in oil.  Transfer to a large roasting pan; add onion, carrots and celery.  In a saucepan, bring water, broth and bay leaves to a boil.  Pour over roast and vegetables.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until meat is tender, turning once.  Remove roast to a serving platter and keep warm.

For gravy, strain pan juices, reserving 2 cups.  Discard vegetables and bay leaves.  In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in flour until smooth.  Gradually stir in pan juices; bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add lemon juice and hot pepper sauce; mix well.  Serve with the roast.

Yield: 14-16 servings.

Saturday Kid's Choice

Saturday Menu: Pizza, green salad, Just Salad

Pizza
Make pizza dough or bread dough and bake into a crust, usually about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Spread with half a can (14 oz.) Hunt’s spaghetti sauce, or try Josie's Fast and Easy Pizza Sauce

Add toppings of your choice, such as:
pepperoni
Canadian bacon
Pineapple
Green Peppers
Sliced Mushrooms
cooked sausage or hamburger
Chopped Onion
Grated Carrots
Pre-cooked carrots-broccoli-cauliflower

Sprinkle all with:
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 15 minutes.

Just Salad
1 carton cottage cheese
1 carton cool whip
1 can crushed pineapple

Mix well and add:

1 small pkg. Jello (any flavor).  Mix well.  Let set for 4 hours or over night.

Friday Fish

Friday Menu: Salmon, creamy potato casserole, green salad, broccoli, strawberries with biscuits & cream

Grilled Salmon
2 salmon fillets (about 1 pound each)
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup lemon juice
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place salmon in a shallow dish.  Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.  Set aside 1/4 cup for basting; pour the rest over the salmon.  Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Drain, discarding marinade.  Cover and grill salmon, skin side down, over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Brush with the basting sauce.  Continue grilling for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Baste occasionally with reserved marinade.  Yield: 4 servings.  Or bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Creamy Potato Casserole
1/3 cube butter
1 large chopped onion
2 pounds frozen diced potatoes, such as hash browns, thawed, or grated baked potatoes
2 cans low fat cream of mushroom soup
2 cups part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup low fat sour cream
½ teaspoon salt

In a large skillet saute 1 large, shopped onion in melted butter.  Stir in potatoes, cream of mushroom soup, grated cheese, sour cream and salt.  Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish.  Sprinkle crushed corn flakes over top of casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Thursday Leftovers or Soup

Menu: Hamburger Soup. Or, as an alternative, I recommend trying Josie's Chicken Noodle Soup.


Hamburger Soup
1 1/2 lb. hamburger
2 cups potatoes, cubed
3 medium carrots, diced
2 tbsp. parsley, minced
1 large bay leaf, crushed
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tbsp. sugar
2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 qt. water
2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup dry soup mix (from the dry-pack cannery)
pepper to taste
Brown hamburger. Mix all ingredients and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or simmer several hours in a crock pot. (Add 1 can cream of mushroom soup for a creamier texture.)

Wednesday: Pasta

Today's menu:
Spaghetti pie, green salad, squash, bananas & graham crackers

Spaghetti Pie

CRUST:

7 ounces uncooked spaghetti

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

FILLING:

1 cup (8 ounces) cottage cheese)

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (14 ½ ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon garlic salt

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.  Combine hot spaghetti, butter, Parmesan cheese and eggs in a large bowl.  Transfer to a greased 10-inch pie plate.  Form a crust.  Spoon cottage cheese evenly over crust; set aside.  In a skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, tomato past, sugar, oregano and garlic salt; heat through.  Pour over cottage cheese layer.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until set.  Yield: 6 servings.

Baked Winter Squash

Butternut, Spaghetti, Acorn, or Hubbard squash

Cut squash in half or quarters if large; place cut side down in a greased baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until tender.

Tuesday: Beans

Menu: Chili, cornbread, cottage cheese and peaches


Slow-Cooked Chili
2 pounds ground beef
2 16 oz. Cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 16 oz. Cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 16 oz. Cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 quart tomatoes, undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 onions, medium, chopped
1 green pepper, medium, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, brown beef; drain.  Transfer to a slow cooker.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours.  Garnish individual servings with cheese if desired.

Cornbread
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease a 9x9 pan.  In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In a small bowl combine milk, oil, and egg.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix till just combined.  Spread batter in pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.
For Muffins: Spoon batter into 10 to 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups filling 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Sweet Corn Muffins from Albers Cornmeal box (Makes 18 to 20 muffins)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup ALBERS Yellow Corn Meal

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or paper-line 18 to 20 muffin cups. 

Combine flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil and butter in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared muffin cups filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool slightly. Serve warm.

FOR CORN BREAD:

Pour batter into greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

HIGH ALTITUDE (3500 TO 6000 FEET):

Corn Muffins: bake for 20 to 24 minutes

Corn Bread: No change needed

Monday Chicken

Today's Menu: Cornflake Chicken, Twice-Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Layered Pudding Dessert (or strawberry banana jello)

Cornflake Chicken
½ cup flour
1 tbsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
4 cups cornflakes
1 fryer chicken, cut up and skinned, or about three pounds chicken pieces, skinned (boneless breast is good)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a shallow baking pan, such as a cookie sheet, with aluminum foil.  Combine flour and seasonings in small bowl.  Beat egg and milk together in another small bowl.  Dump cornflakes into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.  Dip chicken pieces first in the flour, then in the egg, then shake in the bag of cornflake crumbs.  Arrange on baking sheet.  Bake until done, about 45 min.



Twice-Baked Potatoes
6 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 to 1 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons crumbled cooked bacon
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon snipped chives
½ teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Paprika
Bake potatoes at 375 degrees for 1hour or until soft.  Allow to cool.  Cut a thin slice off the top of each potato.  Scoop out the pul and place in a bowl; add butter and mash the pulp.  Blend in milk, bacon, onion, chives, salt, pepper and 1 cup of cheese.  Spoon into potato shells.  Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.  Yield: 6 servings.


  Layered Pudding Dessert
1 cup vanilla wafer cookies, crushed and divided
1 3-oz. Package cook-and-stir vanilla pudding mix
2 ripe bananas, divided
1 3-oz. Package strawberry jello
1 cup whipped topping
Spread half of the crushed wafers in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square pan.  Prepare pudding mix according to package directions; spoon hot pudding over crumbs.  Slice one banana; place over pudding.  Top with remaining crumbs.  Chill for 1 hour.  Meanwhile, prepare gelatin according to package directions; chill for 30 minutes or until partially set.  Pour over crumbs.  Slice the remaining banana and place over gelatin.  Spread whipped topping over all.  Chill for 2 hours.

Menu Planning

It seems that planning menus is half the battle of food preparation. If you know what to eat, and have the ingredients to prepare it, then meal prep is a breeze. I invite each of us to take turns posting menus and shopping lists and recipes.

Here is a menu plan that I made up some time ago. I thought I'd share it here as an idea of what can be done. First I assigned a category to each day of the week. Then I filled in menu ideas for four weeks. I added the recipes, and from those I put together a simple shopping list. So, with no further ado, here is the first week of that menu plan. Okay, one more "ado:" I'm not claiming that this is the most "healthy" menu, but, hey, it's a start, right? Also, I will post the recipes this coming week on the days that I've listed that menu. (Except for the Sunday one, which is today. I'll post that one next Sunday.)


Sunday: Beef
Roast Beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, peas, salad, bread, apples

Monday: Chicken
Cornflake chicken, twice- baked potatoes, green beans, strawberry-banana jello

Tuesday: Beans
Chili and Cornbread, cottage cheese & peaches

Wednesday: Pasta
Spaghetti pie, green salad, squash, bananas & graham crackers

Thursday: Leftovers or Soup
Hamburger Soup

Friday: Fish
Salmon, creamy potato casserole, green salad, broccoli, strawberries with biscuits & cream

Saturday: Kid's Choice:
Pizza, green salad, Just Salad

Shopping List:
Meats
Boneless Chuck Roast (calls for 6 lb.)
Your favorite kind of chicken (breast or cut-up fryer)
Ground beef (chili and spaghetti pie, 1 or 2 pounds each)
Salmon
Pizza toppings meats such as sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon
bacon (for twice-baked potatoes)

Vegetables
potatoes (baked with salmon, mashed with pot roast)
lettuce (salads)
spinach (salads)
tomatoes (salads)
sweet peppers (salads, spaghetti pie, chili)
cucumbers (salads)
carrots (salads, pot roast)
celery (salads, pot roast)
parsley (hamburger soup, salmon (could used dried))
onions
garlic (chili, spaghetti pie)
broccoli (side dish)
chives (for twice-baked potatoes)
winter squash such as acorn, hubbard, butternut or spaghetti (spaghetti pie night)

Fruits for desserts and snacking
apples
strawberries
bananas (layered pudding dessert)
pears
oranges
grapes

Canned and packaged goods
beef broth (or bouillon)
Lawry's seasoning salt (or other seasoning for corn flake chicken)
corn flakes
2 more each canned pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans (for chili)
2 or more cans tomatoes, whole or crushed (for chili)
diced tomatoes (for spaghetti pie)
tomato sauce (for chili)
tomato paste (for spaghetti pie)
tomato juice (for hamburger soup; could use your choice of canned tomatoes)
cornmeal
flour
baking powder
salt
oil
spaghetti noodles
lemon juice
crushed pineapple (for Just Salad)
peaches or pears to go on cottage cheese (chili night)
Jello (for Just Salad)
cream of mushroom soup (For creamy potato casserole with the salmon)
spaghetti sauce for pizza
other pizza toppings such as mushrooms, olives
flour
sugar
salt
pepper
sugar
vanilla wafers (layered pudding dessert)
3-oz package cook and stir vanilla pudding mix (layered pudding dessert)
3-oz package strawberry jello (layered pudding dessert)

Spices and Condiments
dried oregano
garlic salt
bay leaf
garlic powder
Worcestershire sauce
rosemary (for salmon)
hot pepper sauce (for gravy)
parsley (salmon, hamburger soup (could use fresh))
Canadian Steak seasoning (this is what I use for the salmon in real life, rather than the parsley and rosemary that the recipe calls for. You could do whatever seasoning you like)

Dairy
cottage cheese (Just Salad, side dish with chili and cornbread, spaghetti pie)
mozzarella cheese (pizza)
parmesan cheese (spaghetti pie)
sour cream (potato casserole)
milk (cornbread)
eggs (cornbread, cornflake chicken)
cheddar cheese (twice-baked potatoes)
butter or margarine
cream to go on strawberries and jellos (or can get cool whip)

Frozen
peas
green beans
2 pounds frozen diced potatoes (potato casserole with salmon)
cool whip (Just Salad, strawberries, jellos)