Tag Archives: What’s for Supper

Summer Fondue Night

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Confession: this heat turns me into a whimpering baby.  I don’t want to eat, I don’t want to move, I don’t even want to think.  Today, the heat index was 103, which I realize is no where near as bad as it is where my college roomies live in Oklahoma and Arizona, but for this Ohio girl who loves her snow, I felt like I was suffocating.  We came home from a birthday party and I realized that I needed to feed the kids and nearly broke down in tears.  I made an off-handed comment about just wanting cheese and crackers for supper to Matt and he asked why we couldn’t do that.  Lightbulb!

Veggies, cheese, meat and dip platter

We eat a lot of fruit in the summer.  Tonight, the four of us put away a quart of strawberries, several cups of watermelon, bananas and cucumbers (which I do realize are not a fruit, but at 96% water, they made the dinner plates for a reason.).  I wanted some protein so I sliced up some local cheese and pepperoni to eat with a quick dip for the cucumbers.  And graham crackers.  We eat a LOT of graham crackers in this house.  Everyone gobbled their meals down and I had some leftovers to keep for snacking.  Yay!

Peanut Butter Fondue, fruit and crackers

Peanut butter fondue

  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 8 ounces Greek yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. strawberry jam
Whisk together until smooth and fully incorporated.  Serve as a dip with various fruits, crackers or even carrots.

A twist on a favorite standby

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I love Pinterest.  For me, it’s the best way to get out of a meal rut.  I just like seeing all those photos of people’s creativity.  And then, I try to figure out how to make it work for me!  Pinterest inspired this recipe, of course, but you know… I changed the original… a LOT.

This recipe, I will be completely honest, is not a favorite of my children, but Matt and I love it. This is our new date night meal.  Yep.  We’re parent of two children under 3, meatballs and pineapple = dinner and a movie.  Personally, I am totally ok with it.

This meal is a perfect freezer meal.  I double bag the sauce to protect against leaks, and then bag the veggies and meatballs.  Finally, I typically add in a bag of rice, just so it’s all ready to go.  Freezer to table, this meal takes only as long as it takes to cook your rice!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups chopped peppers and onions
  • 1 1/2 c. chicken broth
  • 1/4 c. cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 4 tsp. soy sauce
  • 6 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • 1 cup brown rice
Using the ground beef, egg, whole wheat flour and seasonings, make meatballs.  Fry them in a saute pan until they are browned.  Drain them on a paper towel. (Cool them if you are planning to freeze, before you put them in a Ziploc bag.)  Cook the rice.  Saute the onions and peppers for 5 minutes.  Then, mix together all the sauce ingredients (chicken broth through sesame oil) and pour into the pan with the peppers.  Cook until the sauce is thick.  Add the meatballs and thoroughly coat with the sauce.  Serve the meatballs and sauce over the cooked rice.

May freezer cooking extravaganza

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Perhaps “extravaganza” is a touch overstating things.  I really enjoyed all the freezer cooking I did last year, but hadn’t restarted once Spring hit and my weekends were just too full to set aside time to do more than a few meals.  I don’t know about the weather where you are, but here it is glorious.  Glorious enough that since the backyard is now safely fenced in, the kids and dogs and I can run wild all afternoon and not once do I worry about anyone getting hit by a car!  However, far too many nights we have been outside playing with nary a thought to supper until Matt pulls in the drive and we are all too hungry to wait for me to cook and off to Burger King we go.  *hanging head in shame*  No more.  I knew my grandmother was going to be in town this week, so I asked if she’d come over and help out; chopping veggies, browning meat, doing dishes.  Turns out, having the extra body in the house made my cooking experience a breeze.  We finally collapsed on Monday afternoon with a freezer full of food and only a little bit to do the next day.

Beef meals:

http://onceamonthmom.com/italian-flank-steak-pinwheels/ (not frozen… Mother’s day meal that I will make again and again… this is the recipe I used for inspiration)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/cube_steak_milanese.html (not prepped at all, it’s a very quick meal though)
Chicken:
http://www.slenderkitchen.com/slow-cooker-thai-peanut-chicken/ (meal over the weekend, ingredients from this shopping trip… tasty, but not Earth shattering)
http://www.thyhandhathprovided.com/2009/07/bang-bang-chicken.html (not prepared, all ingredients together in a bag for when I am ready to make, though)
http://www.sweetpeasandpumpkins.com/2009/02/next-to-boiling-water-this-could-be.html  (this is how I cook the whole chicken for the pizza and tikka masala)
Pork:
Ground pork and sweet potato tacos from Clean Eating
Vegetarian:

Meals for the next 2 weeks in the upstairs freezer. The rest are stored in my deep freeze.

This month’s cooking will last until the middle of June.  I have planned for 2 out-to-suppers and a few vegetarian meals that will have to be made the nights they are planned for.  This I suppose is important to note: I ONLY cook for suppers.  I know a lot of the monthly planners calculate in for breakfast, lunch and supper, but I don’t.  Reason being that it’s just me and the kids most days.  I plan lunches on the weekends, but they are typically very simple since we are either playing or traveling.  I made a few breakfast casseroles a week or so ago and froze individual pieces so for breakfast here we’ll do that or cereal or muffins and yogurt.  I usually do french toast or  pancakes on the weekend.  Lunches here are typically whatever Liam is wiling to eat that day, eggs, mac and cheese, leftovers… pretty much whatever appeals to us.

This shopping trip cost me $221.57.  This is all the meat, staples, frozen veggies, dairy products and fruit.  I did pantry/freezer dive right before with the goal of using as much of those items as I could.  I will have to go back to the store in between and buy fruit, salad greens, milk, eggs and cheese, but those trips aren’t too bad.  Once I get my garden going, I will only have to go for the dairy products since I am still not allowed to have a cow or chicken.  I’m hoping to keep the food budget under $350 for this time.  All the meat is from MaryAnne’s (local, grass fed, etc.) except for the chicken which I got at Kroger’s ON SALE.  I do ask Matt to drive out to Planktown for the eggs every other week since the holy grail of eggs is only $1.89 and 15 minutes from his office and they are almost 4 dollars here in town.

I’m thrilled with how this went and fully plan to continue this throughout the summer.  I will soon be canning the garden’s bounty (if I ever get the plants in the ground…) and will be extra grateful for meals all ready prepared!

**In case you are interested, here’s the timeline for Mondays’ cooking:

630: up and taking care of house/kids/self for day…
830: Slow cooker Asian Pork meals prepped and packed into ziploc bags, instructions for cooking taped to the outside of the bags.  Whole organic chicken (Krogers!) in the crockpot for 5 hours on high.
845: Bang bang chicken ingredients organized and frozen.  Recipes printed.  Action plan written out.  Drama with children.  3 trips to potty. 2 Diapers changed.  Laundry in wash.
1000: Grandma arrives.  I’m browning the ground beef for The spicy beef lettuce wraps.
1030: Beef for wraps cooling, I make the meatball mixture and hand it to Grandma to make… 6 dozen meats from 4 pounds of ground beef.  I freeze the other 2 pounds of unused meat for later.  I make the filling for the eggrolls and set aside to cool.
1130: Lunch for Sylvi.  Bag and label the spicy beef wraps filling.  Sylvi for nap.  Grandma still rolling meatballs.
1200: Lunch for Grandma, me and Liam.  I hang laundry.
100:  Grandma begins cooking meatballs.  I prep for the pork and sweet potato tacos.  Veggie mix made for Sweet and Sour Meatballs.  Sweet and sour sauce made.  I make all the egg rolls.
230: Egg rolls in the oven.  I made beef taco mix.  Pack the meatballs with veggies, label and freeze.  Pork taco mix cooked, cooled and frozen.
315: Egg rolls cooling.  Sylvi up from nap.  Snacks made.  Grandma shreds up the chicken.  We decide we are done for the day and go outside.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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Just for fun, this recipe takes a basic meal and spices it up just a bit for Cinco de Mayo!   I tried cooking it in my crock pot for the first time yesterday and it was a revelation of ease.  Apparently I am the last home cook on the planet to discover cooking meatloaf in a crockpot. :-P  Because of the salsa, the meat loaf stayed moist even after cooking all afternoon.  I served it with peas and chipotle sweet potato fries.  A simple, run-of-the-mill supper was made just a little bit more exciting just by changing the flavor palate!

Fiesta Meatloaf

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese (optional)
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • 1 tsp. chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp. dried cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Mix together the spices and the bread crumbs thoroughly.  Beat the egg with the salsa and add the ground beef.  Sprinkle the bread crumb mix over the meat and blend well.  Form into a loaf and place in a casserole dish.  (I do not grease my baking pan as I find that the runoff from the cooking meatloaf coats the pan well enough that additional fats are not needed.)  Bake at 375 for 1 hour 15 minutes – 1 and a half hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150-160 degrees.
*Note: To cook this in a crock pot, follow the instructions as above, place in the crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Sloppy

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Recently, I started to crave the dishes my parents made as I grew up.  The more I think about it, the main ingredient in most of those dishes is lentils.   So down the road I headed to our new bulk foods store and bought a pound.  I have been doing so reading up on how to cook lentils and other legumes and it would seem that not everyone feels you need to soak them overnight before cooking them, but I like coming in the kitchen in the morning for my coffee and seeing the bowl of soaking lentils on my stovetop.  Now, all I need are those pans with the wonky handles I hated scrubbing cooked rice off of and I’d be 15 again.  This recipe is an adaptation of my dad’s sloppy joe sauce, but it still tastes like home.
With this meal, I also celebrated the end of the processed ketchup in our home.  I had bought two HUGE bottles for making sloppy joes for Liam’s birthday party last summer.  I gave away one, but have been slowly chipping away at the other bottle.  Really, for as much I’ve been wanting to get rid of the processed things in our home, I hate to waste.  And even though the only time we use that ketchup is when we have cookouts, I just couldn’t waste it.  I may have danced a little on the way to the recycling bin. 
As far as the family reviews on this meal, Matt ate it without complaint and said that he didn’t notice a difference in taste, but the texture got his attention.  He also said he didn’t want to take it for lunch at work.  No one in his office is vegetarian.  I get it.  Liam spit his out and declared it “yucky”.  He’s 2, I ignored him.  Sylvia didn’t get anything but a bit of the bun and the roasted sweet potatoes.  Currently, she’s my best eater in the house.  I loved it and I will be making it again to freeze for my own lunches.
Sloppy Lentils

  • 1 c. lentils, soaked over night and cooked until tender
  • 1 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 green pepper, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 c. ketchup
  • 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. Apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar

Heat the oil in a saute pan and add the onions, peppers and garlic.  Stir in the lentils and mix thoroughly.  Then, add in all the ingredients for the sauce and bring to a boil.  Then, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.   Serve on buns.  Makes 8 sandwiches.

My favorite

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I’m glad I got back into making my own yogurt again.  Now, I have a fresh quart of plain yogurt whenever I need it to do neat things like marinate chicken.  For months, I’ve had to make a note and a specific trip to the store if I wanted to make a lot of the dishes I’m dying to try.  Sunday afternoon, while the Pear butter was simmering, I grabbed some chicken out of the fridge and coated it in a thick bath of yogurt and spices, fully intending to grill it up for supper.  But then, we got company and company that doesn’t like Indian food.  Well, company that hasn’t ever had Indian food and I’d love to challenge their opinion of it.  I let it marinate overnight and we had this on Monday night and my goodness, I didn’t make enough of this to share.  As it was, I wept a tiny tear when I gave up the leftovers so Matt could take them to work this morning. 
Chicken Tikka Masala one of my absolute favorite Indian dishes.  I always order it when we go to an Indian restaurant and whenever I see the sauce jarred in the grocery, I buy it to try.  I haven’t had any since about a week before I had Sylvia so I was just dying to savor every bite.  And this dish did not disappoint.  Creamy and with just a hint of spice this is a dish that even the 7 month old licked her fingers over.

Chicken Tikka Masala
  • 1 c. yogurt
  • 1 c. fresh cilantro or coriander
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic
  • 3 Tbsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb. chicken
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, minced  (this makes a fairly mild sauce, feel free to add more if you desire)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 8 oz. pureed tomatoes
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Naan
 Mix the yogurt, cilantro, ginger, garlic, garam masala, and red pepper flakes.  Cover the chicken in the marinade.  Allow to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably over night. 
In a large saute pan, melt some ghee and saute the onion, garlic and jalapeno until tender.  Sprinkle the cumin, paprika and salt.  Saute until fragrant.  Pour in the tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the milk and cook over low until the sauce thickens.  In the meantime, grill the chicken until cooked through.  Cut the chicken up into small pieces and add to the sauce.  Serve over brown or basmati rice and with warm naan.  

** For the Cheflets:  Liam ate this just fine, but I’ll admit he was more interested in the naan.  I gave Sylvia the rice with a small amount of sauce on it.  She got the flavor, but none of the zing.**

Summer Steak Salad

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I struggle every summer.  On one hand, I really enjoy the sun and fresh fruit and the outdoor fun we get to have and on the other, I can’t stand the heat.  Last week, we had a few cooler days, so I did as much meal prep as I could and in process, found myself reminiscing about my childhood summers.  I can remember sitting in the kitchen while my mother, putting plates of spaghetti in front of us, announced that it was the last warm meal we’d eat until Fall.  During the summers growing up, we ate meals that were cold or required very little cooking until the weather settled down and we wouldn’t sweat through supper.  I find myself digging deep into my memories every summer trying to come up with meals that my mother served us.  
I’m certain my mother would have never fed us this meal, though.  We were vegetarians, so steak wasn’t in the meal rotation, but I’m thinking that this salad is going to be a regular on our menu.  It takes a whole pint of hot pepper jelly to do justice to the marinade, so I’m already making big plans for my canning list to include lots of the jelly.  The cut of meat is one that when I asked out butcher what he would use, he picked out for me.  I marinaded it in the jelly for 24 hours before grilling and the result is amazing.  The meat is tender and sweet from the peppers and smoky from the grill.  We grill a large steak on the weekend and then keep the leftovers for a quick salad during the week.  This recipe is basically a formula that you can add to as you see fit… I’m working on a salad dressing recipe that I think will be perfect for a hearty salad like this, but so far it’s only been an idea.
Summer Steak Salad
  • 2lbs London Broil
  • 1 pint hot pepper jelly
  • 1/2 cup cheese, crumbled or cubed
  • 2 heads Romaine lettuce, washed and shredded
  • 1 cup vegetables
  • croutons
  • Salad dressing

Marinate the meat in the jelly for  8 – 24 hours in the refrigerator.  Grill until the doneness you desire is achieved.  Arrange on the shredded lettuce and add the cheese (I used Feta), vegetables (I used cucumbers), croutons and Dressing (I used Italian).  This recipe feeds 6-8 people or can be made into additional meals for the week as long as you keep the ingredients separate during storage. 

Butter!!!!!

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My uncle bought me a cookbook for Christmas a few years ago entitled Fat. Right on the cover it proclaimed itself as “an appreciation of a misunderstood ingredient, with recipes”.I couldn’t have asked for more. The book is broken up into 4 parts: butter, pork fat, poultry fat and lamb/beef fats. There are a number of recipes that I am anxious to try, especially since I rarely find anything that calls for the fat to stay in the recipe. 

Photo Credit: AGlugofOil.com

For this meal, I chose from the chapter on butter. I took some liberties with the actual cooking process since I was hungry and wanted to eat sooner. The book’s version takes a smidge longer and is slightly more authentic to the traditional dish. Either way, this delightful dish is simple and accessible for any weeknight meal. This recipe calls for both ghee and butter, so we get to really experience the full range of flavors. Matt isn’t a fan of the smell of ghee  when it is heated, but I love it. One whiff and I am standing in the streets of Calcutta again. 

Murgh Makhani (butter chicken)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- 1/4 cup peeled and coarsely chopped ginger
- 8 cardamom pods
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 tsp. toasted cumin seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 green chiles
- 1 dried red chile
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 lb of chicken pieces
- salt
- 2-3 Tbsp. Ghee
- 14 oz. canned tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, diced
- 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsley
- 1 lime

Place the first 10 ingredients in a food processor and whirl until a smooth, soupy sauce. Heat the ghee in a skillet and brown each of the pieces of chicken. (Add more ghee if necessary.) When the chicken is sufficiently browned, remove it from the pan and salt. Pour the chili sauce into the skillet and heat to a quick bubble. Stir in the tomatoes and paste. Add in the cream a little bit at a time, stirring to incorporate. Put the chicken in a casserole dish and dot the tops with butter. Pour the sauce over the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for half an hour. Serve over rice or orzo and squeeze some lime juice over each plate. Finally, sprinkle the chopped herbs and enjoy!

Dippin’

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Whenever I’ve mentioned that Liam is turning into a rather picky eater, people always suggest that I give him things to dip.  As in, dip things into ketchup or ranch or honey mustard.  Well, he isn’t a big fan of the ranch dressing, save the occasional finger painting, he won’t even try mustard and as far as ketchup goes… he won’t eat anything that has been in contact with it.  Not kidding.  I can’t say I’m all that heart broken over this, but it does rule out any of the “tricks” that are always suggested for getting kids to eat. 
I made this dish with the intent to use it as a dip for Matt and I and then to offer Liam the chips as a side so he could eat it with a spoon.  He was content to eat like this for a while until he noticed I wasn’t using a spoon, but a chip to feed myself.  He asked for a “tate” and was hooked.  Not only was he devouring this meal, I diced the chicken so finely he didn’t even notice it was there (we’re currently on a strike against any meat that isn’t ground beef) and he was so proud of his new skill that he kept showing Daddy how he could take a bite with a chip.  This recipe just found it’s way onto my standby list for menus.  Finally.  Something other than meatloaf for supper.
Dippin’ Chicken Tacos

  • 1 recipe Mexican Rice
  • 1 pint salsa
  • 1/2 half an onion, diced
  • 1 cup shredded chicken (I had cooked my chicken in the crockpot, shredded it and then diced it to be close in size to the rice.)
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup vegetable puree (I used squash in mine)
Saute the onion until tender and then add in the chicken to heat through.  Mix the puree and the sour cream together and pour into the pan, reducing the heat if necessary to keep from bubbling.  Add the salsa and the rice and stir until combined.  Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8 baking dish and top with the shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, depending on how dark you like your cheese to be.  Serve as a dip with small tortilla chips.

The Helpful Hamburger

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Did you grow up eating Hamburger Helper?  Or Tuna Helper?  Or anything along those lines?  I hadn’t had anything like that until I went to college and while I thought it was a nifty concept, I couldn’t ever get that odd chemically altered taste out of my mouth.  I’ve tried the “natural” versions of these meal helpers and had much the same opinion.  So really, I don’t do meals like this… until one day I was online and noticed that one of the moms had posted that she had found the solution to this problem on another blog.  I was anxious to try the variations out since a meal that cooks as quickly as this one could be beneficial post baby, right?  I’ve tried a few of the recipes and my husband, who grew up eating the “real” Hamburger Helper said that the flavors were spot on.  In light of that, this woman really spent some time working on the measurements and recipes and I’m impressed.  In fact, I liked the concept so much, that when I went to the butcher to stock up on meats and things a few weeks ago, I had them package up 1lb portions of ground beef so that I could make freezer bags that included the meat, pasta, cheese and spice mixes.  Everything is together and supper is so fast!
In addition to being able to use all my own spices, real cheese and good pasta, I have been adding shredded vegetables into the meat as it cooks.  Just like with my taco recipe, I’ve added carrots on a regular basis.  This weekend, after a long day working outside, my aunt stopped over right at supper time, so I asked her stay.  I made the meal when she wasn’t inside with me, so she had no idea what was going into the pan.  I added a heaping cup of shredded carrots and about a cup of shredded zucchini and didn’t say a word to anyone at the table.  Not only were plates cleared, every one had seconds.  So while I totally neglected to take a photo of any of the times I’ve made this meal, I’ve learned that I can add in even more good stuff and walk away feeling like I really did a good job with supper.  (Note: if you are going to add in the vegetables, you’ll need to add an additional 1/2 cup of water to the recipe to keep the consistency right.)

For the original recipe, head on over to Chickens in the Road and check it out!  Have fun making this recipe (and all the variations!) for the die-hard processed food lovers in your family and watching their faces light up when they realize that fast doesn’t have to have a bunch of unpronounceable ingredients in the recipe.