Tag Archives: What’s for Supper

Sunny Day Meals

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As the temperatures rise, I find myself less and less inspired to cook.  I neglect the housework until the last possible moment and spend as much time outside as possible. The kids are at an age where I’m bargaining with them on a nightly basis and promising we will be outside as soon as possible the following morning, just to get them inside so I can wash their feet, faces and hands before bed!

With this in mind, I put together this list of my favorite beautiful day meals. Meals I serve because it’s too gorgeous to stay inside at the stove or it’s just too hot to even think about eating a full meal.

Summer Steak Salad: Nothing like a beautiful afternoon to make you want to fire up the grill!  This is our summer go-to date night meal.

Dippin’ Chicken Tacos: Quick and easy to eat in between water balloon fights or even poolside, this recipe is one of our family favorites.

Thai Chicken and Vegetables: I made this last night!  I recently discovered a wonderful rice pasta that cooks up in about 5 minutes and the kids just gobble down.  I love to eat this as left overs, cold, the next day too!

Cheddar-Stuffed Burgers: This is my husband’s pride and joy.  And it just takes burger night to a fun new level with the oozy cheese in every bite. :)

Sloppy Lentil Sandwiches: Sometimes, you need fast picnic-style food that isn’t for the carnivores. This is another one of my cold-leftovers-for-lunch favorites.

Creamy Quinoa and Vegetables: I fully intend to make a large batch of this on a weekly basis and bring it with us as pool-side lunches.

Peanut Butter Fondue: Another poolside option for me.  I like this dip as a meal or a quick snack, but either way it’s loaded with protein and good fats, so it’s practically guilt-free… right?

So there you have my summer’s worth of go-to meals. What are your favorites?  I’m going to be in need to poolside snacks in another month or so, what do you take with you for the kids to munch on during the lifeguard breaks?

Soup for my soul

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What is it about these rainy January days that serves to chill you right to the bone? My goodness, everything in my body feels like it’s frozen and it’s dreary out but I can’t drink any more coffee if I want to sleep sometime in the next decade, you know?

Thankfully, Sylvi has inherited my love of soup. Although, she may have been influenced by the alphabet soup in I Stink. Anyone on Facebook knows that my daughter is obsessed with the story… so much so that the entire family and most people who spend time in our presence has the entire thing memorized. This tiny little girl is completely enthralled by garbage trucks and it just makes me laugh.

Anyway, back to the soup. I love potato soup, but I will say that I feel like it’s a lot of work and then I have to stay in the kitchen while the potatoes cook and all the stirring… yeah. Anyway, this is a relatively quick prep meal and can cook slowly all day in a crock pot. The only part that needs to be cooked separately are the onions. If you don’t cook them before adding them to the potatoes, they really, REALLY taste like onions. Otherwise, this is low maintenance and your house will smell so comforting.

I like my soup to be thick enough that it doesn’t immediately drip off the spoon, so I put the least amount of broth in, but you could totally make it thinner. Also, you can adjust the seasonings, the type of broth, even substitute the dairy sour cream for a non-dairy one. This soup can be what you need it to be taste or nutritionally, but it will always be just a simple soup to warm you up on a cold, dreary, Winter’s day.

Crock-pot Potato Soup

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 quarts, chicken broth (plus an additional quart if you want a thinner soup)
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • garlic salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
Chop the onion and saute in a large pan with the butter. Cook the onions slowly so that they retain their inherent sweetness. While they are cooking, peel the potatoes and chop them roughly. Add the potatoes, the broth, the seasonings and the onions to the crock-pot and cook on low for 8 hours. When the potatoes are done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Add in the sour cream and any additional broth to make it the consistency you desire. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and fresh parsley on top.

Pantry Comfort

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One of my favorite comfort foods is Stroganoff. I don’t really care what’s in it, I’m here for the sauce. And the egg noodles. My grandmother makes it sirloin steak strips. My father made his with mushrooms while we were practicing vegetarians. Depending on who I plan to serve it to, I now use ground beef.

This is definitely a budget version of my grandmother’s recipe, but it doesn’t alter the flavor. It freezes very nicely and if you don’t like egg noodles, it’s wonderful over rice as well. By the time I make supper tonight, it’s supposed to be in the single digits, so I’m looking forward to this warm meal with a side of green beans. Yum!

Stroganoff

  • 1-2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
  • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (optional, I don’t like them so they aren’t ever in my home :) )
  • 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef/turkey, thinly sliced sirloin steak or Portobello mushrooms
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef (or vegetable if making the mushroom version of this recipe) broth
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried
  • 1 pound egg noodles, cooked
Melt the fat in a large saute pan, add in the onions and garlic and cook until tender and fragrant. Remove from the pan and brown the ground beef. When the beef is cooked, remove it as well, but reserve the drippings. Again, in the same saute pan, heat the drippings and stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, paprika and flour.  Whisk in the flour and sour cream until the sauce is thick and bubbly. Taste and season accordingly. Return the onions, garlic and beef to the pan and stir to combine thoroughly. Serve over egg noodles and top with parsley.
**Note: If you want to substitute in the mushrooms or steak, you’ll still need to cook them separately until cooked to your liking. The rest of the ingredients can remain the same, unless noted otherwise.

 

Crunch Munch… Lunch

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Confession: my weakness is the Taco Bell Crunchwrap. It started when I was pregnant with Liam and Mexican style food was the only thing I could sort of keep down. Ever since then, I think it would be fair to say I have a problem. As in, if the thought of a Crunchwrap passes through my head at 10am, I can’t get it out of my head until my belly has been filled with 500+ calories of sodium.

CRUNCH!!!!

For some reason, although I’ve been eating them for years, I was under the impression that there were refried beans in the Crunchwrap . And for this mistaken reason, I put off trying to make it in my own kitchen. It took me quite a while, but I did figure out a fantastic recipe for refried beans. I didn’t take a photo because, well, pureed beans aren’t… pretty.

Crockpot Refried Beans

  • 1 pound dry pinto beans
  • 9 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
Put the beans, broth, onion, garlic powder and salt in a crockpot.  Set the temperature on low and cook for 12 hours. Remove the onion from the pot and strain the beans, but SAVE the broth. I have always made my beans in the food processor, but this time I used my immersion blender… I’m a convert. Smooth and silky, they were the perfect texture! Add in the milk and as much broth as you need to make it smooth. The beans get firmer as they cool, so make the beans a little bit watery. Season to taste.
To assemble a Crunchwrap, all you need are large tortillas, small crunchy corn tortillas and whatever filling you desire. I made the refried beans, rice, taco meat, cheese sauce made with Monterrey Jack Cheese and 3 slices of white American I also had salsa, shredded cheese, lettuce and sour cream for the sides. Pile and layer your fillings before folding up the tortilla and then grill. We have a George Foreman grill; it’s pretty quick to set up and use. So yes, it’s still not a candidate for nutritious meal of the year, but man is it good. So, amazingly good. I am trying out freezing a wrap and some of the beans to see how well they hold up for advance pre. I am hopeful. :)
Sadly, my husband took the opportunity to use some of the dozens of stockpiled Taco Bell sauces to add an “authentic” flavor and according to him, the addition made it “perfect”. I made mine with just rice, beans and cheese and a full 2 hours later am still pleasantly sated. Obviously, by making this meal at home, I have control over all the ingredients AND I can make it whenever I’d like… errr… experiment with fillings.  Ahem.
And thus ends my tale of addiction to cheap fast food. Have you ever tried
a fast food remake of your own?

The reason I can’t stop checking the crock pot today…

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We are going to my in-law’s for Thanksgiving. I know there are going to be lots of amazing side dishes and a huge turkey, but I’m there for the pot roast. Unconventional, I know, but I am here to tell you that my mother-in-law’s pot roast is a revelation and I probably won’t eat a bite of turkey all day. I begged my mother-in-law for her recipe and it turns out that it just involves adding dry french onion soup to the roast.

You know how I am, I can’t just go buy a packet of onion soup, I have to make my own. I mix it up each time I make a roast, so I don’t keep it on hand since I only make one, maybe two roasts a month. My roast isn’t exactly like my mother-in-law’s, but it’s darn close. And the best roast I’ve made since I  learned how to cook meat. So it keeps me held over until I can back up to Amish country and avail myself on the comfort of roast beef and mashed potatoes.

Dry French Onion Soup Mix

Dry French Onion Soup Mix

  • 2 1/2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. dried onion powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. dried mustard
Mix all the ingredients together and pour over a 3-5 pound pot roast. Add 1 cup beef broth to the bottom of a crockpot and add the roast.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours. I mean it when I say low. Don’t rush this, the longer the roast cooks at a low temperature, the more tender it will be. All the better to spoon over a mound of glorious mashed potatoes, right?

 

Apple Cider for supper

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I love apple cider. I also really love what it does to a sauce… the longer it simmers, it becomes thick and bubbly and caramel-y. Once that sauce is poured over the meat with the onions and apples, it just oozes into every crevice of the meatballs. I served this with my Autumnal Orzo and the flavors were perfect together. If you’re looking for something different to serve this weekend while the weather is glum and blustery, this may be your answer!

Apple Horseradish Meatballs

  • 1 small apple (diced)… the firmer the apple, the better
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 1 1/2 pounds meatballs (turkey or beef)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 Tbsp. fresh horseradish
  • 1 cup fresh apple cider
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
Melt the butter in a saute pan and add the onions and apples. Saute until the onion is soft and then add the horseradish and soy sauce. Simmer for 1 minute… the soy sauce should  bubble energetically. Slowly whisk in the cider and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the sauce by half. Add in the meatballs and stir to coat them with the sauce. Serve with orzo.

October Freezer Cooking

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This past week was one that I was so grateful for a stocked freezer.  Supper prep for the most part involved walking into the kitchen and asking Liam what he wanted to eat. This past week, I needed the ease of a frozen meal, freshly washed lettuce for salads and fruit for the kids. I’m having to make some adjustments with Liam’s routine again and make sure he’s getting a quiet period during the day so he can rest. That boy… just like his mama. Too much busyness and he is a disaster. Thankfully, I’m learning through his needs that I can say “no” to people and activities if it’s just too much. A lesson I really, really needed!

Anyway.  I grocery shopped on Thursday of last week. It took hours because I did Sam’s Club, Kroger, Target, bulk food store, Wayne’s and our butcher shop. But again, I will only have to go to the grocery in the next month for fresh fruit and vegetables and milk. Totally worth it. I did a whole food menu for the month of suppers and made sure to account for leftovers to be eaten on the weekends and for lunches. I also calculated in for a few meals that will not be eaten at home due to birthdays, the tri and Boo at the Zoo. Friday morning, I got up with my list of meals and did the crock-pot prep meals. I started working at 930 and did not put the last dish in the dishwasher until about 830 that night. BUT, I took time out of working to play with the kids, assist in the potty, color, serve meals, read stories, change diapers, answer questions and hand out snacks. If I hadn’t done those things, I think I could have been done in about 5 hours.

  • Taco Soup (2 batches)
  • Tuscan Mac and Cheese (2 batches)
  • Meatloaf (2 batches, meatloaf made and shaped then frozen)
  • Greek Casserole (4 batches… this was a mistake, should have only been 2, but they are in the freezer for a quick meal when needed)
  • Pizza (2 batches of dough made and then frozen.)
  • Chicken Tikka (ingredients in a bag that will easily dump into the crockpot whenever I’m ready)
  • Chicken Parmesan Meatballs (not prepped and recipe to be shared… eventually)
  • Meatballs (2 batches, one for stroganoff and one for bbq meatballs with orzo)
  • Cheeseburger Mac (meat and seasonings cooked, and in a bag with the cheese and pasta… will take 10 minutes to finish)
  • Dippin Tacos
  • Sloppy Janes with ground turkey (not sure how great this will be… I was tired by the time I got to this recipe, so this could wind up being a pb&j sort of night.)
  • Pot Roast with mashed potatoes (Meat will go in the crockpot and the mashed potatoes are made and ready to bake.)
  • Spicy Apple Glazed meatballs (new recipe that I can’t wait to share!!)
  • Beef Pot Pie (this will be made with the leftover pot roast meat so it’s not even prepped)
  • Confetti Chicken Pasta (new recipe, not freezer friendly)
  • Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole (new recipe and I’m not certain how freezer friendly it will be… we’ll see)
  • Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup
  • Panini
  • Falafel (not prepped, but the garbanzos are cooked and waiting in the freezer)
  • Sloppy Lentils (also not prepped, but the lentils are cooked and in the freezer)
  • Bread (4 loaves made and 3 frozen)
To be entirely fair, the beans and lentils were already cooked and in the freezer (which is how I picked those meals) and I baked the bread Wednesday. I also decided to bake the meatballs instead of frying them and I may never go back.  I made 2 pounds of meatballs and then just baked an entire pan full while I continued to work. In the next few months, I won’t do as many freezer meals because of the holidays, but I do plan a turkey for next month and look forward to some fun casseroles or quesadillas with the leftovers!
So my freezer is stocked and I’m free to spend my afternoons playing in the still pleasant weather or baking. Although… now that I’m not training for something, I probably shouldn’t bake so much. I hopped on the WiiFit this morning and it yelled at me for snacking. I wonder who told that nosy thing?!

Visual appeal… for soup

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For some reason, when I first started cooking, I was just desprate to figure out a fantastic recipe for Chicken Tortilla soup. And then, I got scared, but I only sort of like Chicken Noodle soup so I quit trying for a while. I’m going to be honest here and tell you that while I was looking for a reliable recipe, I was also looking for a result that looked appealing. I’ve seen a lot of tortilla soups in my search and not one of them, no matter how yummy it sounded, it didn’t look good to me.

As the weather here chills, I find myself wanting to spend my afternoons curled up with the kids, instead of in the kitchen cooking. This recipe is something quick and easy and makes your home smell comforting. I will warn you though, my kids don’t eat soup (I suspect the texture wierds them out a bit in addition to the fact that it takes an awful lot of coordination to get a spoon of liquid from a bowl to your mouth…). Therefore, this is more of a date night or dinner guests sort of meal for us. I made my own tortilla chips from whole wheat tortillas, but they did not keep well at all. Oh well, at least we tried!

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

  • 3 large chicken breasts
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 large green pepper, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
  • 1 quart tomato puree
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 Tbsp. cumin
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups black beans (optional)
  • 1 cup corn (optional)
Put all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and set it on low for 4-6 hours.  When the chicken is tender, remove it from the pot and shred.  Set it aside. Remove the bay leaf.  I did not add the black beans and corn, so at this point, I used my immersion blender to carefully puree the onions and peppers into the brother. (You could still do this step if you waited until the very end to add the black beans and corn if you like as well.) Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to mix it through.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.
*Note: This soup is good for up to 1 week in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.  If you choose to freeze the soup, leave adaquate headspace or it will expand and blow the top off your container. It’s messy.

Fall and a simple side dish

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With the arrival of Fall, I find myself craving foods with deep color.  It’s as though the trees I can see changing subtly tell me that I need carrots and cranberries and spinach. I experimented with a few options for side dishes and while I like all my recipes, this one is by far my favorite.

You can change up the veggies according to your taste. The first time I made this dish, I used carrots, apples, onions and spinach. Since then, I’ve added in a parsnip as well. It amazes me how when you take the time to cook root vegetables slowly in butter and allow them to caramelize, they are so sweet and tender. Once the vegetables are cooked, the addition of red wine vinegar and soy sauce just finishes the amazing flavors and makes it so you can’t stop refilling your plate.

Autumnal Orzo

  • 1 cup dry orzo pasta
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cups vegetables, diced (carrots, parsnips, apples, spinach, kale, squash; any combo that you like!)
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
  • cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
Boil a stockpot of water and add the dry pasta. Cook for about 7 minutes and taste for doneness.  Drain the pasta and set aside.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions and veggies. When they start to get tender, add the garlic,black pepper, dry mustard and paprika. Stir to toss and then lower the burner temperature to low and let the pan contents caramelize.
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and stir to combine.  Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce and stir again.  Serve as a side or cold the next morning as breakfast… if there’s any left, of course!

 

Tuscan Mac and Cheese

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Mmmm… now that Fall is coming, I am ready!  I have new recipes, I have enthusiasm, I have sweaters! I also have two small children who will eat anything with pasta and cheese, so I’m really glad to be able to add this recipe to our regular rotation on the family menu.  It’s a quick dish that is done in roughly half an hour and can be served with a large tossed salad.

Tuscan Mac and Cheese

  • 1 1/2 c. orzo
  • 8 oz. shredded Provolone cheese
  • 2 c. 2% milk
  • 2 Tbsp. +1 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 1 4 oz. can sliced olives
  • 1 c. roasted red peppers, diced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 c. frozen peas
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
Cook the orzo according to package instructions and drain.  Toss through with 1 Tbsp butter and set aside.
In a large saute pan, heat about 1 Tbsp. olive oil and add the onions to saute until tender. Dice the roasted red peppers and along with the olives, garlic and peas add to the pan.  Stir in the orzo.
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, melt the 2 Tbsp. butter until crackling.  Whisk in the flour. Stream in the milk and add the cheese, continuing to whisk during the additions so that the sauce does not become lumpy. Then, pour the sauce over the orzo mix in the skillet and stir well.
Place the skillet in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and browned. Serve hot with feta cheese crumbled over the top.