Unleavened Bread

Seeing as it's Holy Week (and Maundy Thursday), I went searching for unleavened bread recipes. This one looked good.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil

1. Combine all ingredients. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick and place on greased cookie sheet.
2. Cut into 1 inch squares.
3. Bake at 400 degrees about 15 minutes. In the first minutes of baking, prick bubbles that may form.

Source: Here

Try #1 - April 28, 2011
Great!

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

3 heads broccoli (can use stalks as well), chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 lb chicken thighs, chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice (1 cup uncooked)

1. Place chopped broccoli and chicken broth in a pot. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until broccoli is crisp-tender. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, saute onions, celery, and garlic in butter, until onions and celery are soft. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. After chicken is cooked, add flour and salt and stir for about one minute. Add 1 cup milk and stir until thickened. Add mustard and 1 cup cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
3. Add cooked broccoli (with liquid) to skillet with the chicken. Stir to combine.
4. Spread cooked rice in bottom of 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over rice. Add broccoli/chicken mixture, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

Source: Me!

Brazilian Rice and Beans

2 cups dried pinto or kidney beans (or 6 cups cooked beans)
4 cups total of 2-4 of the following vegetables:
- potato
- chayote
- cabbage
- pumpkin
- okra
- carrot
1/2 lb ground meat (beef or pork)
1/4 lb smoked meat (bacon, sausage, etc.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp coriander
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak beans overnight. Cook in 6 cups water until tender, about 2 hours.
2. In saucepan, cook together about 4 cups of 2-4 of vegetables listed. Cook just until tender.
3. In a skillet, saute ground meat, smoked meat, garlic, onion, green pepper, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, coriander, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer 30 minutes.
4. Join beans, vegetables, and meat mixture and heat together 2 minutes. Serve with rice.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - April 10, 2011
I used potatoes and carrots for my veggies. I just used one pan - sauted the carrots and potatoes first, and then added the ingredients in step 3. I didn't let it simmer for 30 minutes, because there wasn't really any juices for it to simmer in, but I basically let it cook until the meat was cooked and the vegetables were tender. I used ground beef and chicken andouille sausage, which gave it a nice kick (but could be easily picked out of the kids' servings, since Abby especially has become more picky about spicy foods). This was good, and a nice twist on regular rice and beans - I'll make it again!

Try #2 - May 2011
I made it vegetarian this time, and it was great!

Beef, Vegetable, and Almond Stir-Fry

1/2 cup rice
3/4 pound flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 oz snow peas
3 Tbsp sliced almonds
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1. Cook rice per package directions.
2. Prepare steak while rice cooks. Toss steak with 2 tsp soy sauce. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add steak and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Return pan to heat, and add remaining 1 tsp oil, carrots, onion, and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in snow peas and almonds. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes.
4. Add reserved beef and juices, hoisin sauce, and remaining 1 tsp soy sauce. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir over rice.

Source: Prevention Magazine, February 2011

Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Apple Skillet

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 tsp olive oil
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cup brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1 medium sweet potato (8 oz), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/8 tsp salt

1. Season chicken lightly with salt. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large nonstick frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate.
2. Return pan to heat and add remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Stir in bacon and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts, sweet potato, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in apples, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon. Cook 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, bring to a boil, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add reserved chicken and remaining 1/2 cup broth. Season with the salt and black pepper as needed. Cook until hot, about 2 minutes.

Source: Prevention Magazine, February 2011

Try #1 - May 10, 2011
This was just ok. The flavors were kind of bland. I used asparagus instead of brussel sprouts (since brussel sprouts were $6.99/pound... seriously??), and granny smith instead of golden delicious. Actually, a sweeter apple may have helped the dish. I also omitted the bacon, which probably would have kicked the flavor up a notch. All in all, though, I wasn't super impressed.

Linguine with Walnut-Tomato Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 cloves garlic
6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
6 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz linguine

1. Chop basil, walnuts, and garlic and food processor. Add tomatoes, cheese, salt, and red pepper. Pulse to combine, scraping down sides. Drizzle in oil with machine running. Process to a coarse paste.
2. Cook pasta per package directions. Add 1 cup of cooking water to processor and pulse until smooth. Toss pesto with drained pasta in warm pot.

Source: Prevention Magazine, February 2011

Chicken with Walnuts and Spinach

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup walnut pieces, chopped
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup grated provolone
4 thin-sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Heat oven to 375. In frying pan, cook onion in oil over medium-low heat until softened, 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup walnuts and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium. Add spinach. Cook until wilted, 2 minutes.
2. Put mixture in bowl and stir in cheese. Divide among chicken slices and roll up to enclose. Brush or spray chicken with remaining oil and roll in remaining nuts. Bake on greased baking sheet 30 to 35 minutes.

Source: Prevention Magazine, February 2011

Six-Layer Dish

Layer in order given in a 2 qt. greased casserole, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper:

2 medium potatoes, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/3 cup uncooked rice
2 small onions, sliced
1 cup kidney beans, cooked and drained (optional)
1 pound ground beef (or browned pork sausage)
1 quart canned tomatoes

Sprinkle over:
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - April 12, 2011
The kids loved this! I think it was the brown-sugared tomatoes. :) Nathan was not such a fan, but it was such a big hit with the kids that I will make it again. Next time I would use smaller and/or sweet onions - mine were huge and they didn't quite sweeten up enough. I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef, which I think made the dish a little drier than if I had used beef. But overall, a good dish, easy to make with ingredients I normally have on hand.

Cottage Cheese Casserole

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp marjoram, crushed
4 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup tomato paste
4 cups elbow macaroni
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 cups cottage cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Saute butter, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic in a large skillet. Stir in marjoram, water, tomato paste, macaroni, salt, and sugar. Simmer until macaroni is tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Put half of the macaroni mixture in a greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Top with 1 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 of Parmesan cheese and parsley. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - April 2011
This was only eh. I didn't have any mushrooms, so those got omitted, and I used dried instead of fresh parsley. I also used vegetable broth instead of water. However, I'm not sure that using the "real" ingredients would have made this dish good enough for me to try it again. I think I'd rather take my cottage cheese elsewhere.

Sweet-Sour Lentils

1 cup lentils
2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
1/4 cup apple or pineapple juice (I used pineapple)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp cloves

1. Combine lentils, water, bouillon, bay leaf, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil in a separate pan.
3. When lentils are cooked, add juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, cloves, and sauteed onion. Heat to bubbly. Serve over rice.

Source: More-With-Less

Try #1 - April 5, 2011
So, honestly this smelled nasty while I was cooking it, but when all was said and done and I was actually eating it, it was a-ok. So if you're worried that you ruined a whole batch of lentils (and I doubled the recipe!), fear not - plow on through and wait until the finished product.
Update: After eating this for leftovers, I decided that I really don't like it very much... I probably won't make it again.

Apple-Walnut Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cups milk
2 eggs, well beaten
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup diced apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, eggs, and oil in a separate bowl. Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir until just mixed. Add apples and walnuts. Bake on moderately hot, lightly greased griddle.

Options:
- Use yogurt or juice in place of milk
- Substitute another whole grain flour or cornmeal for 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- Use other fruit, drained and chopped, in place of apples.

Try #1 - April 2, 2011
Yummy! Another pancake success!