Curried Potatoes

From Vegetarian Times, June 2008

1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, diced (3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (1 cup)
2 Tbsp Madras curry powder
1 15-oz can black beans
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
Salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until onions are soft and translucent. Stir in potatoes, carrots, and curry powder, and cook 4 minutes.
2. Add beans and their liquid, tomatoes, broth, jalapeno chiles, vinegar, and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until potatoes are flaky and carrots are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

My note: Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Try #1 - March 18, 2010
I followed this recipe very loosely, based on what I had...

1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion
1/2 green pepper
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
2 Russet potatoes, unpeeled
2 carrots
1 1/2 Tbsp red curry powder
1 15-oz can black beans
1 15-oz garbanzo beans
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
1 jalapeno chile
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup water
Salt

Served over brown rice with plain yogurt.

Note: At first I thought this dish was rather bland - spicy, but not much flavor. But then I took a little break from dinner to feed William, and when I came back about 20 minutes later for another helping, I found I liked it much better. Plus, I think the sauce had thickened a bit. So, next time I would let the dish stand for 10 minutes or so before serving.

"Half-Wheat" Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1 Tbsp white granulated sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (1 1/2 cup regular milk + 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, stir and let stand for 5 minutes)
3 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)

1. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl (or Pyrex glass measuring cup), use fork to combine egg, buttermilk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy). Fold in blueberries.
2. Make pancakes!!!

These pancakes were hearty but fluffy. We mixed white and whole wheat flour because 1) we had an abundance of white flour, and 2) the last time we did strictly whole wheat pancakes they were not very fluffy and a little mealy. The mix of flours was perfect!

(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook)

Veggie Burger with Avocado and Pineapple

I randomly put these things together and it made for a surprisingly delicious lunch!

Veggie burger
Whole wheat toast
Ketchup
Avocado
Crushed pineapple

Moroccan-Style Pork Shoulder Roast

From allrecipes.com

4 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder roast
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
8 ounces assorted baby sweet peppers OR coarsely chopped and seeded sweet peppers
1/2 cup dried fruit mix, with apricots, plums and raisins
1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooked couscous (optional)

1. Trim visible fat from roast. Drizzle roast with soy sauce and rub all sides with curry. Brown roast in hot olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients around the roast, cover with lid and place in a 350 degree F oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until roast and potatoes are tender.
2. Transfer roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Return pan with sauce to stove top and bring to a boil, cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened slightly. Coarsely shred meat and serve with sweet potatoes and peppers and sauce. Serve over cooked couscous, if desired.

Try #1 - For small group, Feb. 24
I drizzled the roast with soy sauce and rubbed it with curry, then placed it in the crockpot on top of the vegetables (I used 5 smallish sweet potatoes and two red peppers). I put the dried fruit in (minus plums), then poured the coconut milk and orange juice (I used 3/4 cup) around the meat. Set for low heat (8 hrs).

After 5 hours, I added two russet potatoes, a green pepper, and a can of garbanzo beans, because I was afraid it wasn't going to make enough... hopefully the potatoes will cook in time. Update: potatoes cooked no problem!

Final results:
Delicious, but would do a few things differently next time.
#1 The pork was REALLY fatty (and I didn't trim the visible fat beforehand). We ended up having to skim off half a can of fat. Next time I would use a less fatty meat, or cook the meat beforehand (chicken, beef, or lamb would work well) and put it in with the vegetables. (You can see the gross fat pre-skimming... I'll post a better picture the next time we make it!)


#2 The raisins, apricots, and almost all the sweet potatoes pretty much disinegrated into the sauce. It made the sauce delicious and thicker, so maybe that's ok - but it was a little mushy. The russet potatoes stayed together. Maybe next time I would put half of the sweet potatoes in a little later so some of them retain their shape. I didn't mind the dried fruit disinegrating, because I don't really like the texture of them when they're puffed up with liquid (as they were halfway through cooking).
#3 I might try it in our kazan next time, because I think the slow cooking is what made things disinegrate.
#4 The garbanzo beans, potatoes, and green pepper were all excellent additions! You could also add carrots and onions. This could be a vegetarian meal if you doubled or tripled the amount of beans. Click here for my vegetarian version.
#5 Great over couscous! Bread also soaked up the extra juice nicely.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This is another recipe that my mom loves to serve to guests. One of my favorites!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup milk
2 eggs
1 ½ to 2 pounds ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 cup chili sauce
¾ cup grape jelly
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard (or use regular mustard)
5 hot dogs, cut into one inch pieces
Rice

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine bread crumbs, milk, eggs, ground beef, and onion.
2. Form into meatballs and place in skillet. Brown sides of meatballs (don’t need to cook all the way through). Drain fat and set aside.
3. In separate pan, mix chili sauce, grape jelly, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Heat over medium heat until combined.
4. Pour sauce over meatballs in skillet. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add hot dogs for the last 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Pasta with Asparagus, Basil, and Balsamic Glaze

I asked for this recipe after eating it at Heidi’s house. It is really yummy and “restaurant quality,” in my opinion… it takes a little bit of time, but not too difficult to make. Definitely worth it!

1 Tbsp plus ½ tsp salt
1 pound penne or bowtie pasta
¾ cup balsamic vinegar
5 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, bottom 1 inch trimmed and discarded, spears halved lengthwise if larger
than ½ inch in diameter and cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium-large red onion, halved and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 1 ½ cups)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 cup shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese
Cooked salmon or shrimp (optional)

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in stockpot. Add 1 Tbsp salt and pasta, stir and cook until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
2. Just before putting pasta in boiling water bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium and simmer slowly until syrupy and reduced to ¼ cup, 15 to 20 minutes. (This is the hardest part – you definitely have to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too thick!)
3. While pasta is cooking and balsamic is reducing, heat 2 Tbsp oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until beginning to smoke. Add asparagus, onion, black pepper, pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir to combine; cook without stirring, until asparagus begins to brown, about 1 minute, then stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 4 minutes longer. Add asparagus mixture, basil, lemon juice, ½ cup Romano or Parmesan, and remaining 3 Tbsp oil to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine. Add cooked salmon or shrimp if desired. Serve immediately, drizzling 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze over individual servings. Top with remaining cheese.

Try #? - May 2011
We've made this a few times before, but not in a while... this time we did it vegetarian. So delicious. This is one of our favorite meals!

North Star Salad

This was one of the salads I made for Abby’s dedication picnic. Thanks, Leslie, for the recipe! The ingredient list is a bit daunting, but the results are delicious! A very colorful and pretty salad, too.

INGREDIENTS
Salad:
1 1b orzo pasta
1 bunch clean spinach, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, minced
3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup pistachios, chopped
Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
3 teaspoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Mix dressing ingredients in large bowl. Cook the orzo, drain, but DO NOT rinse. Toss the orzo with the dressing while the orzo is still warm. Cool. Toss in salad ingredients. Serves 6.

Italian Couscous

A MOPS mom (thanks, Angela!) brought this for me after William was born, and it was delicious! It’s super easy to make for your family or for a new mom.

INGREDIENTS
1 box couscous, prepared as directed (Parmesan works well, or original cooked in chicken broth)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ -1 cup onion, sliced thin quartered
1-2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped or shredded
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes, Italian style (or add Italian seasonings yourself)
10 ounces fresh spinach
Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare couscous as directed on box, set aside.
2. Heat tomatoes on stove, set aside.
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté garlic and onion for a few minutes. Add chicken. After a few more minutes, add spinach with 2-3 Tbsp of water. Cook, stirring, until spinach is lightly wilted – only a few minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Layer in a round or square baking dish: couscous, sprinkle layer of Parmesan cheese, then tomatoes, chicken and spinach mixture. Top with Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Homemade Pesto

This is quick, easy, and can be frozen.
Toss with pasta, chicken or fish, and some veggies for a delicious meal!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups firmly-packed fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts

DIRECTIONS
Combine and blend all ingredients in a blender on medium speed about 3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides, until smooth. May be used immediately or frozen. Makes about 1 1/3 cups pesto.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

From Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
1/3 cup pesto
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
5 eggs
1 cup chunky spaghetti sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375. Spray round quiche dish, 9 x 1/2 inches, with nonstick cooking spray (a round cake pan will work as well).
2. Mix 1 ½ cups of the cheese, the whipping cream, pesto, spinach, and eggs until well blended. Pour into quiche dish.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 2 or 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, heat spaghetti sauce in small saucepan until hot; keep warm. To serve, cut into wedges. Serve with spaghetti sauce. Serves 6.

Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry

This came out of some cooking magazine, and it’s one of Nathan’s favorites.
We usually add carrots and peas as well, and serve it over rice to make it last longer.

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, ½ inch chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs chicken, quartered
1 ¼ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 inch cubes)
4 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 cup water
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp mango chutney, finely chopped (optional)
Rice (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350. In large, nonstick Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes.
2. Add chicken, sweet potatoes, curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander, and stir to coat. Stir in 1 cup water, tomatoes, coconut milk, and chutney. Bring to a boil.
3. Cover, transfer to oven and bake 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with rice (optional).

*If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can do steps 1 and 2 in a large saucepan and then transfer to a casserole dish for step 3.

Note:
This is a family favorite. I've made it many times, and usually just cook it all in the skillet to save time and dishes. If I do it this way, I cook the chicken at the beginning with the onions and garlic. I also often add carrots, green peppers, potatoes, peas, and chickpeas.

British Sticky Chicken

6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
2 cups tomatoes (cherry are best, but any kind, including canned, will work)
1 pound of potatoes
6 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Bunch of fresh oregano leaves
Salt and pepper

1. Cook potatoes (we usually just do it in the microwave).
2. Brown chicken (do not need to cook all the way through) in 2 Tbsp olive oil.
3. Place potatoes and chicken into a baking dish, one layer thick (don’t pile it up). Add tomatoes (squish into available space). Mix 4 Tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano in a bowl.  Drizzle over mixture in pan, mix to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bake in 400 oven for 40 minutes.

Source: adapted from this Jamie Oliver recipe

Beef Stroganoff

This is a very quick meal. We like to serve it over egg noodles, but any pasta, or rice, would work too.

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, diced (optional)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (or basic white sauce)
1 to 1½ cups of milk, plain yogurt, or sour cream
1 small can of mushrooms
Egg noodles

1. Brown meat with onions and green pepper, drain fat.
2. Add cream of mushroom soup or basic white sauce, milk/yogurt/sour cream, and mushrooms. Stir over medium heat until combined and hot.
3. Serve over egg noodles.

Baked Ziti

A good substitute for lasagna – a little less work, but similar results!

INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Oregano and basil to taste
1 jar pasta sauce
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp parsley
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 pound rigatoni pasta (or ziti, if you can find it!)
Fresh baby spinach (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Brown meat in skillet with onions and garlic. Season with oregano and basil. Drain fat. Add pasta sauce, simmer.
2. Cook pasta (preferably while you are cooking the meat).
3. Add meat sauce to pasta, stir to combine.
4. In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano and basil, and spinach if desired.
5. In a rectangular baking dish, spread 1/3 of the pasta/meat mixture on the bottom. Spread half of ricotta cheese mixture over top. Sprinkle ½ cup mozzarella on top. Layer another 1/3 of pasta/meat mixture on top, spread remaining ricotta cheese mixture and another ½ cup mozzarella. Add remaining pasta/meat mixture, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and crispy.

Apricot Chicken

A quick and easy dish, great for guests! Recipe from my mom.

INGREDIENTS
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10-12 oz. jar of apricot preserves
8 oz. Creamy Russian or Catalina dressing
1 package of dried onion soup

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine apricot preserves, dressing, and dried onion soup in a medium saucepan and simmer.
2. Arrange chicken in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover with foil.
3. Bake at 325 for one hour, or 300 for two hours. Serve with rice. Serves 6.

Note: For a faster baking time, cut chicken breasts into smaller strips.

Split Pea Soup

1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Olive oil
2 cups split peas (1 bag)
7 cups water*
1 tsp thyme (I've also used rosemary instead)
2 bay leaves
Ham, diced and cooked (optional)

1. Saute onions and carrots in olive oil.
2. Add water, split peas, celery, thyme, bay leaves, and ham. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until peas are soft.
3. Serve with French bread and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Can also be cooked in the crockpot.

*Can also use ham stock - simmer ham bone in 7 cups of water.

Try #?? - March 27, 2011
I've made this soup tons of times, but this time I used chicken broth instead of water and cooked it in the crock pot for 4 hours on high. I liked it better this time than our previous times, so I may stick with those changes!

Pesto Pasta with Sweet Ricotta

Adapted from Rachael Ray's Magazine

Penne pasta
Pesto (I used Trader Joe's)
Fresh Spinach
Walnuts
Chicken (optional)
Ricotta cheese
Honey
Black pepper

1. Toast the walnuts in a skillet.
2. Blend pesto, fresh spinach, and walnuts in a blender. Add some olive oil if necessary.
3. Toss blended pesto with cooked pasta and chicken.
4. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of ricotta cheese with 1 Tbsp. honey. Season with black pepper.
5. Serve pasta with dollops of ricotta cheese mixture.

Notes: The pasta itself was a little bland (I think I diluted the pesto by adding the spinach), but the sweet ricotta made up for it.

Original recipe: www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/Whole-Wheat-Penne-with-Pesto-and-Ricotta

Try #2 - July 3, 2010 - Omit walnuts and chicken
1. Toss pesto with cooked pasta. Add spinach and olive oil if necessary.
2. In a small bowl, mix 1 cup ricotta with 1 Tbsp honey. Season with black pepper.
3. Serve pasta with dollops of ricotta cheese mixture.

Valentine's Day!!!

Breakfast:
Pink heart pancakes
Strawberries



Lunch:
Red applesauce


Dinner:
Spaghetti and Meatballs
(Used 20 minute meatloaf recipe to bake the meatballs - they were perfect!)

Baird Pasta

1 pound pasta
6 oz Mediterranean feta cheese (Trader Joe's)
1 can cannelini (white) beans
1 can garbanzo beans
Several glugs of olive oil
A little bit of lemon juice
Fresh spinach, chopped

Cook pasta, mix in other ingredients. A very fast but flavorful meal!

Try #2 - March 29, 2010
We had this tonight with a green salad and balsamic vinegarette dressing. The next time I think I'll try mixing the dressing in with the pasta!

Abby's Birthday Cake

Except for the "ABBY" and the "2", Abby decorated this cake all by herself!!! Happy birthday, Abby!

Quinoa

We didn't have any leftovers in the fridge, so I cooked this up quickly for lunch. Abby loved the "cous cous."

- Quinoa made with chicken broth instead of water - yummy and healthy!
- Peas
- Ham (from freezer)

Spicy Chicken Soup

From Whitney's blog

"This is a like a chicken taco soup. Great with crushed tortillas and cheese! Good taste and easy to make. Based off of the recipe Catherine's Spicy Chicken Soup on allrecipes.com." ~Whitney

4 cups water
2 chicken breasts halved
1 tsp pepper
2 tbls chicken broth powder or chicken seasoning
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbls chili powder
1/4 cup onion
1 cup salsa
2 cups diced tomato
1 can tomato soup
1 can chili
2 cups corn

Heat for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Try #1 - March 3, 2010
I didn't have all the ingredients, so I had to modify - I only had one chicken breast, no onion powder, no salsa. I used a 28 ounce can of tomatoes to make up for the lack of salsa, and added a green pepper and a can of kidney beans. This was easy to throw into the crockpot, but a bit too sweet for my taste (I think it was the tomato soup - next time I would omit it). I also didn't have any salsa - maybe that would have cut the sweetness a bit.

Note: Putting the whole raw chicken breast in the crockpot and cutting it later made for very tender chicken!

Lentil Stew

From allrecipes.com

7 medium potatoes, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Polish sausage, sliced
1 (16 ounce) package lentils
salt and pepper to taste

1.Place the potatoes, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and sausage in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 15 minutes.
2.Stir lentils into the pot. Add more water if necessary to just cover all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.

Try #1 (Feb. 9, 2010)
I only had 1/2 pound of lentils, so I used 4 potatoes, a 14 oz can of diced tomoates, and 3/5 pound of Italian sausage. Also added 4 carrots.

Notes:
Very lentil-tasting... next time I would try the Polish kielbasa instead of the Italian sausage. Also, I let it cook for almost 2 hours - it definitely took more than 20 minutes to get the lentils soft.

Blueberry Topping

From allrecipes.com

2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup water
3/4 tsp grated lemon peel
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

1. Place blueberries in large stockpot and crush with potato masher. Add water and lemon peel; simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Strain fruit through cheese cloth, metal strainer or food mill to remove pulp and seeds; reserve juice.
2. In a large saucepan, mix sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until temperature reaches 260 degrees F. Add blueberry juice and boil for 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Let cool and freeze or can as desired.

Try #1 (Feb. 6, 2010):
Used frozen blueberries
No grated lemon peel
Did not strain fruit (there was no pulp/seeds)
Don't know what temperature water was at when I added the blueberry juice

Notes: A little too sweet... might cut the sugar a bit next time. Also, very runny - I added a dash of corn starch but probably not enough.

Delicious on french toast, oatmeal, and yogurt!

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