November ’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Granola with Yogurt

Morning Snack: Banana Bread with Mango Lassi

Lunch: Cold Peanut Noodles (made with last night’s leftover soba noodles.)

Afternoon Snack: Puppy Chow

Dinner: Shrimp Scampi

Dessert: Ice Cream with Fruit

Recipe of the Day

Cold Peanut Noodles

Sometimes the urge to eat curry flavors gets to me in the wee hours of the morning while I’m working on writing projects- especially if I’ve been writing about food! This trick, with a few quick ingredients I usually have around, will turn any leftover noodles, from spaghetti to soba, into a great Thai dish.

Ingredients:

1/4 C Peanut Butter
1/8 C Soy Sauce
Juice of 1 Lime
1 t, heaping, of Madras Curry Powder

Directions:

Microwave peanut butter in a medium sized bowl for 15-20 seconds or until melty- DO NOT BURN! Whisk in remaining ingredients and toss with leftover pasts. Stash in the fridge until ready to eat!

November ’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Fill Your Own Popovers

Morning Snack: Banana Bread and Mango Lassi

Lunch: Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Slaw

Afternoon Snack: Fresh Fruit with String Cheese

Dinner: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Dessert: Rice Pudding

Recipe of the Day:

Popovers

My mom used to make these all the time- she still knows the recipe by heart! They’re perfect with a dollop of butter and jam inside, sophisticated with a smear of Nutella, or satisfying with a poached egg! They really can be filled with just about everything, and their huge bubbles and nooks and pockets are an open invitation for yumminess. (*Orange text indicates easy steps that kids can do!)

Ingredients:

2 Eggs
1 C Flour
1 C Milk
1/2 t Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Grease and flour a muffin or popover tin.

In a medium bowl beat eggs lightly, then beat in flour, milk and salt until just smooth, being careful not to over-beat.

Fill cups halfway. Bake for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350° and bake for 20 minutes more. Serve immediately with different fillings- here’s some ideas:

Peanut butter and jelly.
Butter and cinnamon sugar.
Cream cheese and ham.
Poached eggs and hollandaise.
Nutella!

October’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Huevos Rancheros

Morning Snack: Fresh Fruit and String Cheese

Lunch: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo (made with last night’s leftovers.)

Afternoon Snack: Banana Bread and Mango Lassi

Dinner: Soba Noodle Bowls

Dessert: Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Recipe of the Day:

Soba Noodle Bowls

It never fails, whenever I’m at any kind of noodle or Asian fusion place, from The Pasta Factory to Pei Wei back in Arizona, I always order a soba noodle bowl. The sugary soy, green onions and lime combine to create this masterful sauce that I could eat forever. Cabbage, tofu and buckwheat soba noodles make this dish as healthy as it is tasty.

Ingredients:

1 Package Buckwheat Soba Noodles, (found in Asian supermarkets or the Ethnic aisle.)
1 Block Extra Firm Tofu
1 Wedge Bok Choy Cabbage, cut into shreds
3-4 Green Onions, whites and light greens sliced
1 qt Beef Stock
1 t Freshly Grated Ginger
1 Garlic Clove, crushed and minced
1/4 C Soy Sauce
2 T Sugar
Several Limes

Directions:

Set a pot of water to boil for the soba noodles and cook according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pat the brick of tofu dry. In a small skillet, sear the brick of tofu on all sides, adding just a touch of oil if necessary to prevent sticking.

Whisk together ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, and the juice of one lime. Once tofu is browned, add half of this mixture to the skillet and continue cooking until tofu darkens and takes on those flavors.

Once Soba has finished cooking, drain it of the water and add the beef stock and remaining soy sauce mixture back into the pot of noodles, heating until very hot. Remove tofu from skillet and slice into thin slices, toss with what’s left in the skillet to coat every piece with sauce.

Assemble bowls with a serving of noodles, covered over in broth. Add several tofu slices, cabbage and green onions on top. Serve with an extra wedge of lime.

October ’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Cereal with Fruit and Milk

Morning Snack: Puppy Chow

Lunch: Chicken Quesadillas

Afternoon Snack: Banana Bread and Mango Lassi

Dinner: Fettucine Alfredo with a Green Salad

Dessert: Ice Cream

Recipe of the Day:

Puppy Chow

I love this stuff, and so do kids! When I was little, I used to buy  baggies of it for a quarter at the bazaar at my grandmother’s church. It’s a truly addictive snack. This recipe is very simple and great fun for kids to help out with. Make up a huge batch of this for your next party or get-together, everyone loves it. (*Orange text indicates simple steps that kids can do!)

Ingredients:

9 C Chex Cereal
1 C Chocolate Chips
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Butter
1/4 t Vanilla
1 1/2 C Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions:

Prepare the cereal into a large bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Pour chocolate mixture over Chex cereal, then pour everything into a large plastic bag or plastic tub. Add powdered sugar and shake well to coat.

Spread mixture evenly on wax paper and let cool, then watch it disappear!

October ’10 – Week 3

Breakfast: Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

Morning Snack: Banana Bread and Mango Lassi

Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Afternoon Snack: Fresh Fruit and String Cheese

Dinner: Chicken Fajitas

Dessert: Ice Cream with Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

My late Mother in Law used to make these cookies for my husband when he was little, and they’re still his favorite. Every once in a while, late at night, when we’re craving something sweet, we’ll whip up a batch of these. We always add coconut to ours because we love it, but they do not traditionally contain that ingredient and it may be omitted. We also do ours with crunchy peanut butter for the texture. These are a favorite in the summer because they don’t use the oven!

Ingredients:

2 C Sugar
4 T Cocoa
1 Stick of Butter
1/2 C Milk
1 C Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut
1 T Vanilla Extract
3 C Quick-Cooking Oatmeal

Directions:

Bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the peanut butter, vanilla, coconut and oatmeal. Let boil for one minute. While still hot, drop tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet or tray covered in waxed paper. Place in fridge. Let cool completely before eating.

October ’10 – Week 2 – Friday Dinner/Entree

This recipe is my own, based off of a meal an old friend used to tell me about but never got around to cooking for me. My version is elegant, worthy of an anniversary dinner, and reminiscent of meals I ate during my summer in Germany. This meal is also very versatile. It could be rendered into a soup, the potatoes could be removed and mashed with the cream, butter and herbs in the pan, or it could be served exactly as it is, straight out of the oven.

Ingredients:

4 Salmon Fillets
1 lb Fingerling Potatoes
1 lb Asparagus Spears, trimmed
Fresh Dill
1 Pint Half & Half
1 Stick of Butter
Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

In the bottom of a baking dish, arrange the asparagus spears into a mat for the salmon to sit on. Arrange salmon on top, and potatoes off to either side. Pour half and half into the bottom of the dish, and cut the butter into bits and scatter them throughout. Roughly chop the dill and sprinkle it over the top, along with the lemon zest, salt and pepper.

Tent with foil and bake for 60 minutes, or until fish is tender and flaky and potatoes are cooked through.

October ’10 – Week 2 – Thursday Dinner/Entree

I discovered the secret to a killer cheesy shepherd’s pie, and the answer might surprise you. Save time and calories by using boxed potatoes au gratin instead of using a layer of mashed potatoes. The cheesy sauce cooks down into the meat and veggies, completely changing your perceptions of what a shepherd’s pie is supposed to be.

Ingredients:

1 Package Potatoes Au Gratin
Water
Milk
Olive Oil
1 lb Ground Beef
1 Onion, diced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
Frozen Vegetables of choice (I usually use peas.)
Worchestershire Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Add a touch of olive oil to a med-large skillet and heat to med-high. Cook onions and garlic until translucent and tender. Remove from pan and set aside.

Cook beef in the same skillet until browned WELL. Drain off any fat before reincorporating the onion mixture and adding your veggies, worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

Add contents of the skillet to a casserole dish. Prepare “sauce” for potatoes au gratin (cheese packet, water and milk,) omitting the butter component. Arrange potato slices across the top of the beef mixture in the casserole dish, then pour the cheese sauce overtop. Sauce will thicken and potatoes will cook as the casserole bakes.

Bake for 60 minutes, or until the top has browned and potatoes are cooked through.

October ’10 – Week 2 – Wednesday Dinner/Entree

My husband, perusing a crate of peppers, perfect for this recipe!

I love this time of year! Just as the summer farming season is winding down, farmer’s markets and roadside stands are burgeoning, overwhelmed by the bounty of the countryside. In my house, I’m obsessed with making the most of those gorgeous treasures while they last. This recipe is one of my own, and takes full advantage of the scope of every beautiful garden flavor before the cold weather grips the world.

What kid doesn’t love pizza? Want a sneaky way to get those veggies into them? (The answer is to cover them with cheese.) This recipe is easily adaptable to vegetarian families (the addition of meat is optional) and vegan ones (substitute soy cheeze for the dairy.) Your kids might turn their noses up at the lack of red sauce, but trust me, when they taste the subtle sweetness of the caramelized onions and reduced balsamic vinegar, they won’t miss a thing!

This recipe is also full of plenty of easy ‘steps’ your kids can help with. It’s so awesome to get kids helping in the kitchen, it gives them an excellent sense of nurturing and respect for where their food comes from. Plus, they’re more likely to open up when their hands are busy- use cooking together as a tool for communication and great conversation. It’s a beautiful way to form bonds that last a lifetime.

Another option for this recipe is to grill these pizzas instead of baking them. What a great way to get in another round of backyard grilling before it’s too late!

Ingredients:
Various garden vegetables, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (we love asparagus, red peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash.)
1 1/2 Cups balsamic vinegar
1 Cup chopped onion (I prefer Vidalia or any other sweet onion for this recipe.)
Prepared pizza dough (simple recipe at the bottom of this post!)
16oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
Shredded Parmesan cheese
4oz Proscuitto, pulled apart into shreds
Several cloves of fresh Garlic, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Toss your veggies and diced garlic with the olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and spread on a baking sheet. Place in oven and allow to roast until slightly browned at the edges and tender.
While veggies are roasting, add a small amount of oil to a saute pan and cook onions low and slow until caramelized. Once medium brown and translucent, add vinegar and reduce sauce until thickened and sweet.
Allow balsamic sauce to cool while rolling out dough into two 12″ rounds. Spread balsamic sauce evenly over both crusts.
Once veggies have finished roasting, remove from oven. Adjust oven temperature to 400° and allow to calibrate.
Strew veggies over crusts. Top with mozzarella, proscuitto, and some parmesan.
Put pizzas in oven and allow to bake until crust is risen and browned, and cheese is bubbling.
Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before attempting to slice.

Simple Pizza Dough

(Makes enough for two 12″ pizzas.)

Ingredients:
1T Active dry yeast
1 1/2 Cups warm water
3 1/2 Cups AP Flour
Pinch salt
1T Olive oil

Directions:
Combine yeast and warm water. Allow to sit until foamy. Add yeast mixture, oil and salt to flour. Knead until smooth, adding more water or flour as necessary. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Allow to rise for at least an hour or until doubled in size. Cut in half, knead and roll out into two 12″ pizza rounds.

October ’10 – Week 2 – Friday Dinner/Entree

This recipe is a take on a recipe from one of my awesome mom friends back in Arizona. She’s shy about most flavors in food, but Italian isn’t one of them. This is a quick slow cooker meal that cooks itself while you’re busy doing mom stuff. The result is tender chicken and rice in a flavorful sauce, and it uses some cheater ingredients, too. The less work you have to put in, the more time you have to spend with your kids.

Ingredients:

4-6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 C Brown Rice
2 Packets Italian Salad Dressing Mix
Frozen Veggies of Choice

Directions:

Put chicken, rice, dressing mix and 1 quart of water in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 6 hours. Add more water if needed. About 1 hour before serving, add a bag of frozen veggies- I usually use peas. Meal should be ready when rice is tender and chicken pulls apart easily.

October ’10 – Week 2 – Tuesday Dinner/Dessert, Wednesday Breakfast

Few things go together better than peaches and ginger. Bring them together in harmony with plums and cherries in this crisp of stone fruits. It’s perfect warm from the oven in the winter months, or eaten cold in the summer with a huge scoop of ice cream. (*Orange text highlights easy steps that kids can do.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C AP Flour
1 T Cornstarch
1 C Sugar & 1/4 C Sugar, kept separate
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 T Ground Ginger
1/4 t Salt & 1/4 t Salt, kept separate
2/3 C Butter, cut into pieces
3 Peaches
3 Plums
2 C Cherries
1 t Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Pit and slice the cherries, plums and peaches.

In a large bowl, combine the first measurements of flour, sugar, and salt, plus the brown sugar. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry mixture, until it forms crumbles the size of large peas.

In another bowl, combine fruits, ginger and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, combine the second measurements of sugar, salt, plus the cornstarch. Combine this with the fruit and toss.

Heap fruit mixture up high in a 9×13″ baking dish. Cover the fruit with the crumbly topping, being sure to fit it all around the top, and pinching with your fingers if necessary to seal in the edges.

Bake for an hour, or until fruit is tender, juices are bubbling, and the topping is golden brown. Tent with foil at any point through the baking process if you feel the topping is browning too darkly.