Cooking With Tracy

Meal Plan Sunday

2010-03-28T19:08:00.001-07:00

Monday: Enchilada Casserole (from the freezer) - will post the recipe later
Tuesday: Hoppin' John (from the freezer)
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs (from the freezer...are you seeing a pattern here?)
Friday: Chicken and Wild Rice Bake (from this blog...http://www.goodcheapeats.com/2010/02/chicken-and-wild-rice-bake.html) - I'm trying this one out for the first time. I actually will just be using brown rice. Running low on household/grocery cash this month (diapers are expensive...will he ever be potty trained?!) and wild rice is expensive so I pitched it. If I like it, I will add the recipe and make this in the future as a freezer recipe.
Saturday: Hmm...not sure yet. May be a date night at the new Zona Rosa movie theatre, for which I've scored not 2, but 4 free tickets to use in the next couple months.
Sunday: Easter - not sure what's happening yet!

Speaking of the freezer, once we eat this stuff, the only remaining cooked meal will be some chili. I haven't decided if I'll just try to make a few things here and there or if I'll just take a day off and cook my butt off.

Beef and Broccoli

2010-03-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman's website, which is fabulous and always filled with beautiful photography. We (I) tried it last night and thought it was easy and fabulous. Ben was too impatient and ate PB&J. Alex had stopped home on his way from work and ate Minsky's. (Uh, I like Minsky's...) I go to all this trouble of creating a plan and this is what happens?! Ah well, we have leftovers.

Jaden’s Chinese Beef Broccoli (from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook)

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

1 lb (500 g) top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
1 1/2 lbs (750 g) broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

BEEF MARINADE1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

STIR-FRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

1 In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let mari- nate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2 In a small bowl, mix together the ingre- dients for the Stir-fry Sauce.

3 In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

4 Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high-heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

5 Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

Meal Plan Sunday

2010-02-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the plan for this week:

Sunday: Ham and cheese quiche (make an extra one for the freezer)
Monday: Lasagna (from freezer)
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Beef Burgandy with egg noodles (from freezer)
Thursday: Leftovers or grilled sandwiches
Friday: Baked Mahi Mahi with rice and veggies
Saturday: Girls' dinner (the second time we've rescheduled!!) - boys fend for themselves
Sunday: Some kind of slow cooker meal - haven't decided yet - having a play date at 3 PM!

On the hunt for healthy muffins!

2010-02-21T08:06:00.001-08:00

I've been on the hunt for a relatively healthy muffin I could make to have on hand in the freezer. I wanted something easy Ben could eat for breakfast or a snack. I had all the ingredients for this Whole Wheat Banana muffin (http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/2009/03/22/virtuous-whole-grain-banana-muffins/) and decided to whip some up this morning. They are smelling delicious in the oven right now. If we like them, I'll post the recipe. I did omit the raisins because even though Ben loves raisins, he seems to have an aversion to them in stuff. He's a purist, I guess. :)

Meal Plan Saturday

2010-02-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

Sunday: Roast, potatoes, veggies, German chocolate cake
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday: Soup (from freezer) and grilled sandwiches
Thursday: Fish sticks, tater tots, veggies
Friday: Beef Burgandy (from freezer) with egg noodles, veggies
Saturday: Boys fend for selves (Girls’ dinner - had to reschedule!)
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner (pancakes, eggs, bacon)

Meal Plan Monday!

2010-02-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've been slacking from my food blog. I was playing around with another website to use as a recipe database. I'm thinking I will stick with my blog instead. Me? Stick with something? Yes, it's novel, but I think I just might. :)

Meal plan for this week:

Monday: Zarda ribs (on sale at HyVee yesterday for $10!), baked potatoes, green beans (yum dinner)
Tuesday: Red Beans (from freezer) and Rice, fruit
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Mahi mahi, rice, veggies
Friday: Boys fend for themselves while I enjoy delicioso Mexican food and margaritas at La Fonda El Taquito with the girls!
Saturday: Date night (Ben is staying with Nana and Opa...the planning is up to Alex this month...we may end up at Old Country Buffet...I'm scared!)
Sunday: Roast, potatoes, veggies, German chocolate heart-shaped cake for Valentine's Day with my boys. :)

On a related note, I have been doing great slashing our grocery bill lately! Matching coupons with sales is basically an addictive game for me now. I traveled every aisle in HyVee the other day with my coupon organizer trolling for deals. I look a little nuts, but I don't really care. I snagged some fabulous deals including the ribs ($10...normally 15), a healthy pasta (.84 with coupon/sale), apples (.77/lb), cake mix and frosting (2.68), pork shoulder (5.58 with sale/coupon), and the best one of all...16 Dannon yogurts for .09 each with coupon/sale (1.44 total!). I bought quite a bit of stuff for $57. My budget is $75 weekly for all groceries.

Meal Plan Monday Plus Freezer Cooking

2010-01-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

It's a holiday for Alex and I and we are in the middle of a giant closet reorganization project. We're going to take Ben to school soon where he will have more fun than here at home in piles of junk! Alex is going to plug away. I'm going to do a weights class at the gym and then I'm heading back to do some freezer cooking. Here's the plan for today:

Beef Burgandy (I'll post the recipe later) (divided into 2)
Lasagne (divided into 3)
Meatballs (divided into 3)
Chicken fajita meat in marinade

It's not much, but it will fortify our freezer. The plan is to avoid the grocery store next week, if possible to save some dough.

Now for our meal plan:

Monday: Hot Wing Soup
Tuesday: Chicken Masala
Wednesday: Baked Ziti
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Chili or soup from the freezer (boys are on their own again...it's my monthly girls' dinner...we're going to the Melting Pot's happy hour!)
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, bacon, fruit)
Sunday: Roasted chicken with garlic, mashed potatoes, veggies

Baked Ziti with Sausage

2010-01-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Baked Ziti with Sausage from Allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 large yellow onion, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce,
divided
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese
blend
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.
4. Stir together the ricotta, egg, onion, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the drained pasta, the drained sausage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 jar of the spaghetti sauce; mix well.
5. In the prepared baking dish, cover the bottom with 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture, 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Then layer the remaining 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Meal Plan Saturday

2010-01-09T09:33:00.001-08:00

Here's the plan for next week!

Monday: Chicken Masala (I have yet to try this one, but I'm sure I'll love it...it's my favorite Indian dish!)

Tuesday: Baked Ziti with Sausage (thaw from freezer)

Wednesday: Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup (an old favorite...so easy, I can't believe I had to look it up)

Thursday: Mahi Mahi (broiled with some simple seasoning and lemon juice) and wild rice

Friday: Leftovers or chicken nuggets (Mommy has a happy hour so boys are on their own!)

Saturday: Beef Hot Pot (This is a new one...hope it's good!)

Sunday: Buffalo Wing Soup (This is another new one from Make It Fast, Cook It Slow...Alex is asking for real buffalo wings instead and I've denied him. Wha ha ha ha ha!!! It's good to be queen. :)

Beef Hot Pot

2010-01-09T09:22:00.000-08:00

Beef and Bok Choy Hot Pot from Cooking Light

You'll need a fork and a spoon to enjoy this meal. You can use most any greens in place of the bok choy, including spinach or Napa cabbage.

2 1/4 cups water

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound beef stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 1/4 cups chopped green onions

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 cups thinly sliced bok choy

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrot

2 cups hot cooked wide rice noodles or fettuccine

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add beef, browning on all sides. Add broth mixture, green onions, garlic, and ginger; bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until beef is tender. Stir in bok choy and carrot, and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Serve beef mixture over noodles.

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-01-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

Combine 2 can undrained diced tomatoes and 3 cups chicken broth. Boil, add 1 1/2 lb diced, cooked chicken (seasoned with 2 tsp. chili powder). Reduce heat, cook 7 minutes.

Add in prepared Mahatma brand red beans and rice; heat through. Spoon into bowls and top with tortilla strips and cheese.

*We used to make this a lot. It's so simple and tasty. You can also saute up some veggies, like onion and peppers, to add to it.

Chicken Masala

2010-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

From Make It Fast, Cook it Slow

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup diced onion

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Directions:

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Put the chicken and onion in the stoneware. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes with the garlic and all the spices, reserving 1/2 tsp of garam masala for use later. Pour the tomato mixture over the top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks, and stir in yogurt. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp garam masala, or more to taste. Add salt to taste. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice!

Buffalo Wing Soup

2010-01-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

From http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/:

--2 cups cooked and cubed chicken

--1/2 yellow onion, chopped

--3 stalks celery, chopped

--1/4 cup unsalted butter

--1/4 cup flour (I used rice flour)

--2 cups fat free milk (no higher content than 2%, or it will curdle)

--3/4 cup chicken broth

--4 oz Velveeta

--1/2 cup hot wing sauce

--1/2 tsp celery salt

--1/2 tsp garlic salt

The Directions.

A 4 to 6 quart crockpot will work well for this soup.Make a roux with the flour and butter. I usually use the stove top, but tried the microwave yesterday---it worked great. In a bowl, melt the butter on high for 45 seconds, then whisk in the flour. Set aside.Chop up the onion and celery, and dump it into your crockpot. Add the cooked and cubed chicken. Pour in the chicken broth and milk. Add Velveeta. Add the salt (note: this is saltier than I am used to. If you are on a lower sodium diet, omit the salt all together. The cheese and the broth are pretty salty on their own. You can always season to taste after cooking.)Stir in the flour and butter mixture. Add hot sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The soup is done when the celery and onion reach desired tenderness and the flavors have melded.

Roasted Chicken, baby!

2010-01-04T18:14:00.000-08:00

I finally made that chicken I've had on my menu plan for weeks...a day late. It wasn't totally thawed yesterday and we had leftover lasagna from Alex's mom to eat up yesterday and today so I made it tonight after Ben went to bed. It looks fabulous. The skin got nice and golden brown and it set the smoke detector off. Ben stayed asleep, but Lola freaked and is still sitting under the desk. Silly dog.

Cookbook Review

2010-01-03T19:38:00.000-08:00

I've been a follower of the Crockpot 365 blog for a while. This is a lady who used a crockpot every day for the entire year in 2008. Yeah, it's nuts and nerdy...and fabulous! I haven't had the chance to try a lot of her recipes yet, but I have perused them and some of them look tasty. She just came out with a cookbook and I picked it up at the library the other day. This might be one I need to buy. There are so many good recipes in there and let's face it, if you use your slow cooker for 365 days in a row, you might pick up a little something about its proper use. If I try any of them and like them, I'll be sure to post on here.

Black-eyed Pea Update

2010-01-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

So the Hoppin' John recipe I posted earlier in the week is simmering on the stove. I thought I'd provide an update about how it's turned out even though we haven't eaten it yet. We've had spoonfulls though and it's yummy. I did add some mustard greens and I'm about to cool it down and put it in the fridge for tonight. Hopefully it brings up prosperity and good luck this year!

Barbeque Beef Brisket

2010-01-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
Makes 6 to 8 servings
For the marinade:
1 10 oz. bottle soy sauce
1 10 1/2 ounce can beef consomme
3 Tb lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
3 lb beef brisket
1 Tb paprika
For the sauce:
1 cup ketchup
4 Tb brown sugar
4 Tb Worchestershire sauce
4 Tb apple cider vinegar

For the marinade: In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, consomme, lemon juice and garlic salt. Place the beef in a large plastic bag, add the marinade and seal. Marinate in the fridge overnight or at least 10 hours.

Remove the meat from the bag and discard marinade. Place the meat in a large piece of aluminum foil and sprinkle paprika (I like smoked paprika from Penzey's) over the meat. Completely wrap the meat in foil. Place it in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for 4 hours. Refrigerate meat to cool completely, at least 5 hours or overnight. (This sounded crazy to me, but it's important.)

For the sauce, combine ketchup, brown sugar, Worchestershire sauce and vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. (Or use a jarred sauce...)

Remove cooled brisket from refrigerator. Remove aluminum foil, slice brisket and place meat in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour sauce over meat, cover with foil, and heat at 300 degrees for 45 minutes.

*I got this recipe from the paper. The clipping has been on my refrigerator for a couple years now. It turned out really well both times we made it. I actually cooked the brisket in our toaster/convection oven and I think I will do that again. It's kind of a 2-day process, but it's so worth it in the end.

Meal Plan Monday (er...Friday) and a New Year's Resolution

2010-01-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a little early this week. I need to make a menu and plan for next week. Alex and I are sitting down and coming up with a budget in a few hours. One of the things we're planning on doing is coming up with a set amount for food/diapers/household stuff and using cash only for it. Yes, we're Dave Ramsey-ing ourselves for the new year and it's a good thing. It's too easy to use the credit card and not realize how much you're spending. Cash forces you to think about what you need and how much you're spending. It will be especially tough this month since it's a long one, although I did go to Costco the other day and stocked up on diapers, meat, fish, toilet paper, etc...! The other thing I'm doing is getting back on the couponing track. I have a lot of coupons to cut and throw out. I was getting in a good habit of matching coupons with sales and stocking up (we haven't bought peanut butter or Cheerios in a long time), but I fell off the wagon. It's time to get back on.

Monday: Broiled steak (from the freezer), baked potatoes, veggies
Tuesday: Baked Mahi Mahi, rice, veggies
Wednesday: Chimichangas (from the freezer), refried beans
Thursday: Leftovers or soup
Friday: Chicken stir-fry, brown rice (put the brisket in the fridge to marinate overnight)
Saturday: Omelettes (cook the brisket and put in the fridge overnight)
Sunday: Barbeque beef brisket, mashed potatoes, veggies

Dreaming of vegetables...

2009-12-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

So while it's snowing and snowing outside (seriously, do I live in Boston or something?!), Alex and are poring through the Burpee catalog and planning our summer garden. Did you know they have a tomato called the Salsa tomato that is IDEAL for, you guessed it, salsa?! We learned a lot with our first garden last summer.

We have a better idea of what we want to plant (tomatoes and lots of them, corn, peas, beans, onions, burpless cucumbers, cilantro, peppers, strawberries, raspberries...) and what we don't want to plant (pumpkins, gourds, sunflowers, swiss chard).

We want to plant a bigger variety of stuff and maximize our space.

We want to start composting and Alex is going to build us one. Yay!

We want to make a rain barrel too and decorate it with fun, bright paint (that was my idea).

We want to make sure we stay on top of weeds this year. They really got the best of us last year, but the crazy thing is that we still had a lot of produce!

We don't want to waste any food. When the tomato plants kept giving and giving to us generously last year, we got lazy and a lot of tomatoes fell to the ground and rotted. Shame on us. This year, I will use or give away every last tomato. Guess I'm going to make a lot of salsa and pasta sauce and bruschetta. Sounds good to me.

Hoppin' John

2009-12-30T12:27:00.000-08:00

Hoppin' John

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 10 servings

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large ham hock
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 quart chicken stock
Bay leaf
1 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
Salt, black pepper, and cayenne
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
3 cups steamed white rice

Directions
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add the ham hock and sear on all sides for 4 minutes. Add the onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic, cook for 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the peas are creamy and tender, stir occasionally. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock. Adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onions. Serve over rice.

*I usually make some kind of black eyed peas for New Year's day. Usually in a soup with ham. This year, I thought I'd go all Southern and make the classic Hoppin' John. I actually had to ask the butcher for ham hocks. Weird. But he was a nice butcher and he knew exactly why I wanted them...for good luck, of course. I'll let ya'all know how this dish turns out. I think I may add some kale or collard greens to it. That means another trip back to the store. Here's hoping for a prosperous New Year! :) Oh and here's what Wikipedia says about Hoppin' John's origin:

Hoppin' John is the Southern United States' version of the rice and beans dish traditional throughout the Caribbean. It consists of black-eyed peas (or field peas) and rice, with chopped onion and sliced bacon, seasoned with a bit of salt.[1] Some people substitute ham hock or fatback for the conventional bacon; a few use green peppers or vinegar and spices. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere.
Throughout the coastal South, eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a prosperous year filled with luck,[2].[3] The peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls.[4] Collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, chard, kale etc. along with this dish are supposed to also add to the wealth since they are the color of money. [5] On the day after New Year's Day, leftover "Hoppin' John" is called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality, bringing a hope for a even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.

Meal Plan Monday!

2009-12-28T07:26:00.001-08:00

Well, it's back to work, back to reality! It was nice while it lasted. :) Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: Leftovers from Christmas dinner (shrimp, ham, corn casserole, apple pie)
Tuesday: Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, tater tots, veggies
Wednesday: Spaghetti and meatballs, veggies
Thursday (New Year's Eve): Still working on this one...if Alex is home, we may have a special appetizer dinner/movie night after Ben goes to bed. Will post what we had later if we like it!
Friday (New Year's Day): Hoppin' John for good luck! Will post the recipe later...
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Roasted chicken (5 weeks and running and we still haven't made this!!)

Apple Pie

2009-12-27T10:05:00.000-08:00

Crunch Top Apple Pie

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 55 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Dough and Filling:

Dough for a double crust 9-inch pie (see recipe at the bottom for Paula's perfect pie crust)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt
3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped cooking apples
1 (16-ounce) jar applesauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, chopped into small pieces
Crunch Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Dash salt
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of dough. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples, applesauce, and lemon juice. Spoon apple mixture into pie pan and dot with butter. Cut remaining crust into strips; arrange in a lattice design over top of pie. For crunch topping, combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over top of crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for about 45 minutes, or until crust and topping are golden brown.

Paula's Perfect Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Level: Easy

Serves: 2 (9-inch) pie crusts

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold
12 tablespoons butter, cold and cubed
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.
When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Divide the dough in half and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll each disk out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make a 9-inch pie.

*I made this pie today for my family's Christmas dinner. We have yet to eat it, but it smelled divine. Unfortunately, Ben and I had to leave for church before it was done and I had to leave it all to Alex. When Alex discovered it wasn't browning very much, he decided to turn the broiler on. This is my first pie (unless you count jello pie with cookie crust), but I'm pretty sure it's not a good idea to broil it! He only burnt small parts that he tried to scrape off before I got home. Ah well. What are you gonna do? The guy has only gotten like 8 hours of sleep the last several days.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-12-20T20:19:00.000-08:00

I'm home with the munchkin all week! I did a lot of cleaning today so we'd have plenty of time for fun and cooking. Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: Leftover chili and cornbread (slight alteration to last week's plan since I didn't think to thaw the chicken in time)
Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner (Fiber One pancakes, bacon, eggs, fruit)
Wednesday: Grilled sandwiches and/or soup
Thursday: Christmas eve dinner at Alex's parents' house
Friday: Brunch pizza for breakfast (a new Christmas family tradition, perhaps?); Christmas lunch at my mom's - bring apple pie for dessert (my first time making a crust all by myself...think I may have a back-up store crust just in case!)
Saturday: Some kind of ham/bean soup
Sunday: Roasted garlic chicken, mashed potatoes (Yes, I've had this on the list for like 3 weeks...maybe this Sunday I'll actually do it!)

The mother-load

2009-12-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

The mother-load of all non-cook freezer cooking recipes. I don't have time to explore right now because I'm "working", but will check them out this weekend! I feel giddy.

Meal Plan Monday!

2009-12-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

You'll see lots of repeaters from previous weeks because we either had too many leftovers from earlier days, I was too exhausted to cook, or we got take-out...by the way, I am in love with KFC's grilled chicken. It's fantastic!

Monday: Lemon Olive Chicken, rice, veggies
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Mexican Casserole, fruit
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Turkey burgers, tater tots
Saturday: Boys fend for themselves since I have a tea party with my neice, sister, and Mom followed by my Posse's Christmas dinner.
Sunday: Roasted Chicken (I'm using the crispy garlic recipe I posted on here earlier), mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies (maybe squash?)

Espresso Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

2009-12-12T06:19:00.000-08:00

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread CookiesAdapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Makes 32 cookies

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon boiling water

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (plain, or a toffee variety), finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips (used Hershey's milk chocolate with toffee and almonds)

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

7. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

*I made these for the first time this morning for my 2nd annual cookie exchange party (at 4 PM today!). I don't know how you could do this without the bag/refrigerate technique. It made it so much easier to deal with the sticky dough. They turned out delicious! I love how the espresso and the chocolate toffe bits give them a little bit of texture. The 2 sticks of butter make them absolutely decadent!

Roasted Chicken with Garlic, Garlic, and MORE Garlic

2009-12-09T06:43:00.000-08:00

Yet another recipe I want to try with one of the two chickens currently in our big freezer. I'm interested in getting a nice cripsy skin on my next roasted chicken. Hopefully this recipe will get me there!

Crispy Roasted Garlic Chicken Recipe
(Original recipe, with method adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

Ingredients:

•1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken (giblets removed and discarded, if included)
•10 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
•2 Tbsp. butter, melted
•salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:

Thoroughly rinse the outside and inside of the chicken. Gently pat try with paper towels.

Using your fingers, carefully lift up the skin on top of the chicken (near the neck) and pull up gently. With your other hand, gently separate the skin from the breast and thigh meat. Then take half of the garlic and stuff it in between the skin and meat, so that it is fairly evenly spread out. Take the remainder of the garlic and spread it all over the cavity inside the chicken.

Then take the butter and baste the entire outside of the chicken. Sprinkle generously with freshly ground pepper and salt.

(Optional: Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.)

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat to 450 degrees. Place foil loosely in large roasting pan. Flip chicken so breast side faces down, tucking the wings under, and set V-rack in roasting pan on top of foil. Roast chicken 25 minutes.

Remove roasting pan from oven. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, rotate chicken breast-side up. Baste briefly with pan juices or additional melted butter. Return to oven and continue to roast until instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 135 degrees, 15 to 25 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Continue to roast until skin is golden brown, crisp, and instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees and 175 degrees in thickest part of thigh, 10 to 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Carve and serve immediately.

Possible Lunch Recipe

2009-12-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this recipe so that I'll remember to try it later! I think it would make a nice lunch dish with some chicken.

Sesame Noodles Recipe(Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:
1 lb. (16 oz.) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to instructions
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile sauce or hot chili oil
1/2 cup green onions, sliced thin
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Method:
To make dressing, combine soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, hot chili sauce and canola oil in a small bowl until combined.

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and toss with the dressing. Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Ali’s Tip:
I opted to make these without peanut butter or peanuts this time around. But if you’d like to turn these into “peanut-sesame noodles”, just add 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter into the dressing. And then if you’d like, add in some extra peanuts with the green onions at the end.

Pumpkin Bread

2009-12-05T15:57:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin

2/3 cup water

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin. Add dry ingredients alternately with water. Add to greased and floured 8 or 9 inch pans. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*This is Mom's recipe (not sure what the source is) for pumpkin bread...we had lots of this growing up. I don't think Ben has ever had pumpkin bread. He's in for a treat tonight!

Meal Plan Monday (er...Saturday)

2009-12-05T12:44:00.000-08:00

So I was making my meal plan this afternoon and thought, hey, Ben's quiety eating some Cheez-its. Why not post it now?

Monday: Chimichangas, beans

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, veggies

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Lemon Olive Chicken and rice

Friday: Leftovers or turkey burgers and veggies

Saturday: Cookies, snacks, and some kind of Christmas cocktail because it's Cookie Party 2009! (Ben will be at Nana and Opa's...Alex will be anywhere but here)

Sunday: Breakfast for dinner

French Onion Beef Soup

2009-12-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

This is a slightly altered version from Robin Miller's Quick Fix Meals.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil with a pat of butter

1 cup sliced yellow onion

1 cup sliced red onion

2 leeks (white part only) rinsed well (also soak in cold water to get the grime off) and chopped

1 lb beef (can use steak or stew meat)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Baguette sliced in 1-inch slices

1 cup shredded swiss or mozzarella (or a combo of both)

Heat the oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, heat some oil in another pan and cook lightly seasoned (salt/pepper) beef until just browned. Add the broth, beef, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium, partially cover the pan, and simmer for 30 minutes (or more if you have time). Remove the bay leaves and add any additional salt/pepper you'd like.

When soup is almost done, take baguette pieces and top with cheese. Put under the broiler to melt. Top each bowl of soup with baguettes and enjoy!

*We love this one. I could so do without the meat, but Alex is insistent! It does make it more of a full meal.

Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas

2009-12-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Gold Medal Sizzling Fajitas
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

8 servings

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Dash hot sauce
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds meat (boneless, skinless chicken breast, skirt steak or peeled and deveined shrimp)
1 medium onion, halved and sliced lengthwise
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 lime, juiced, for topping
Sour cream, for topping
Salsa, for topping
Guacamole, for topping
Cheddar cheese, shredded, for topping

Directions
In a heavy duty resealable plastic bag, combine 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, hot sauce, salt, pepper and your choice of meat. Seal and toss the bag around to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator. *Cook's Note: 15 minutes for shrimp, 20 minutes for chicken and 1 hour for skirt steak.

Heat the outside grill or a large indoor grill pan to medium-high heat. Remove the meat from the marinade and place it on the hot grill, discard the marinade. Cook chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side, skirt steak about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare and about 2 minutes for shrimp. Slice the chicken and steak into strips if you are using.

In a large skillet heat up the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and fry the onions and bell peppers until crisp-tender with some salt and pepper.

Wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in the oven with the servers for 15 minutes.
Serve sizzling immediately with the warm tortillas and other accompaniments.

*I have another similar Alton Brown recipe for fajitas that we've also used, but just with steak. I'll post it in the future. Both recipes are delicious!

Meal Plan Monday!

2009-11-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

So here's the plan for this week!

Monday: Chicken Fajitas
Tuesday: Tuna Noodle Casserole (freezer)
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday: Beef Barley Soup (special request from the hubs) followed by the Old Town Lenexa Lighting and a visit with Santa Claus...Alex can't wait!
Saturday: Leftover soup and baked potatoes
Sunday: Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes, some kind of veggie (this was on the plan for yesterday, but we didn't need to make it due to leftovers!)

I'll post recipes for the Fajitas and the soup later this week. The casserole is OK, but I don't plan on making it again. If anyone has a great tuna noodle casserole, email me! I'm on the hunt!

Happy cooking!

Mexican Casserole

2009-11-24T13:20:00.001-08:00

From Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1-2 green peppers, chopped

16 oz. can kidney beans, drained (you can add at least one more can of beans...I added 1/2 a can of black beans above.)

14 1/2 oz. can of diced tomatoes

8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 Tbsp (or less if you like it less spicy) chili powder

1 1/3 cups instant brown rice

1 cup shredded cheddar

1. Brown ground beef and onion.

2. Combine all ingredients in a 4 or 5 quart slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours.

3. Stir in rice and cheese and cook until tender. (about 10 minutes)

4. Top with more cheese, if you please.

*I like this one because it reminds me of stuffed green peppers. You could also put the mixture into tortillas and eat like a burrito. Yum.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

2009-11-23T18:14:00.001-08:00

1 lb ground beef
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen corn (optional - I leave it out b/c Alex hates it)
10 oz. can Rotel with diced chilis
salt and pepper
Cumin, taco seasoning, or any other kind you like, to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinse
10 tortillas
Shredded cheese

Brown ground beef with green pepper, onion and corn. Drain. Stir in Rotel, seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook 5 minutes. Load up the tortillas with the meat mixture and cheese. Roll up and place seam side down (I divide 5 into two 8 x 8 pans) and freeze.

Thaw and brush tortillas with melted butter (or nothing works too, which is what we normally do). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes in 375 degree oven until tortillas are nice and crispy. Add more cheese, sour cream and lettuce if you wish.

Meal Plan Monday

2009-11-23T10:35:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the many mommy blogs I read, I am going to post my weekly meal plans on Mondays. Doesn't that chick with her meal plan look JUST LIKE ME? This is most definitely just a plan and often we only consume about half the meals because of leftovers, etc...Making a plan works for me though. I think about it for 15 minutes over the weekend, make a plan, and then make a grocery list. Many, if not most of my meals come from my freezer.

Monday: Lasagna (or anya as Ben refers to it), cheesy veggies, and salad

Tuesday: Turkey burgers, salad, and veggies

Wednesday: Pot Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, bread

Thursday: Thanksgiving at Alex's grandma's

Friday: Leftovers or eggs/bacon

Saturday: Grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, squash

Sunday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies

Freezer cooking update

2009-11-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

So it's 9:45 on Monday morning and I've already thrown the Mexican Casserole in the slow cooker, finished up the chimichangas, and the Lemon Olive Chicken is cooking on the stove right now. Oh and last night before dinner, I made the meatballs. It has gone so well! Ben is coloring a turkey and watching Sesame Street right now. After the chicken is done, we're heading to the park. It's supposed to be 60 today! I think I'll do the fajitas (they are marinating right now) when Ben takes a nap and I'll do some chicken breasts tomorrow.

Pictures to come!

Freezer cooking, Tracy-style

2009-11-22T13:38:00.000-08:00

It's time for another round of freezer cooking. I'm off this week so I plan to do a little bit here and there. Here's the ultimate list:

Beef Chimichangas
Mama's Meatballs (already posted on here)
Mexican Casserole (slow cooker)
Lemon Olive Chicken (already posted on here)
Grilled Chicken Breasts (with a few different seasonings)
Chicken Fajitas (Paula Dean recipe)

I learned a few things with my last freezer cooking day.

It's worth it for me. Yes, it's exhausting, but in the end, we have multiple homemade meals that save us time during our busy weeknights. Since Alex gets home before me, he can heat everything up and prepare side dishes very easily.
Stick with recipes that you know and love. I experimented with some freezer cooking recipes that did not turn out so well. I will do a better job of testing them out in the future.
Although I'm not doing any this time, the slow cooker bag idea is fantastic. There's no cooking involved. Just dump all the ingredients for a slow cooker recipe into a freezer bag and thaw when you're ready to cook it.
It's super easy to do all that cooking without a toddler underfoot...we'll see how this week goes with Ben home with me! :)

Tater Tot Casserole (or Mama has a work trip and the boys must eat)

2009-11-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Tater Tot Casserole
2 lbs. Hamburger
1 Envelope dry onion soup mix
2 lbs. tator tots
2 cans mushroom soup
1 Pint sour cream
Shredded cheddar

Brown hamburger and place in a 10" x 14" baking dish. Sprinkle soup mix over meat, then place one layer of tater tots on top of that. Mix soup and sour cream together, pour over tater tots. Top with shredded cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, stirring after 30 minutes. Serves 6 - 8 people.

Mama's Meatballs

2009-11-20T20:42:00.000-08:00

MEATBALLS:
1 lb. Ground beef
½ lb. Italian sausage
2 eggs
½ cup bread crumbs
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 clove garlic
½ cup grated Romano cheese (2 oz. Package)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ground beef, sausage and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add eggs and mix well. In another bowl, blend remaining ingredients and add a little at a time to meat mixture. Blend well, and form into meatballs. Lay all of the formed meatballs on cookie sheets and bake them at 350 degrees until done.

To freeze: Divide meatballs and sauce into two 1 gallon Ziploc freezer bags. Lay flat to freeze.

Lemon and Olive Chicken

2009-11-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

Lemon-and-Olive Chicken
From Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Prep: 15 minutes Total: 40 minutes

It takes just a few minutes more to make a big batch of this Mediterranean-style chicken than it does to prepare a small one. Eat half now; freeze the rest. You can store this chicken frozen for up to six weeks. When you're ready to serve it, thaw, then put in a pan with water to coat the bottom; cover, and simmer until hot.

Ingredients
Serves 8.

8 bone-in chicken breast halves (or boneless, skinless breasts)
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons (thickly sliced, seeds removed)
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup green olives, pitted and halved
2 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions
Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. In two batches, sear the chicken, skin side first, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Cut the lemons in half lengthwise and then into thin slices crosswise. If the skillet is dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onions and garlic, and cook over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in lemon slices, olives, stock, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Put the chicken on top of the vegetables, pour in any accumulated juices from the plate, and sprinkle with thyme and crushed red pepper. Cover, and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 15 minutes.