Slow Cooker Resolution # 37

Why hello there, neglected blog friends!  Thanks for checking back despite the infrequency of my entries as of late.  Speaking of neglected, I pulled this guy out of the cabinet after way too long, and I just loooved the result tonight.



It's ridiculous to turn down help when I could seriously use an extra hand or four to get things done. It seems that I'm making repeated resolutions to employ the slow cooker more, since it could free up precious moments to accomplish the almost stupid volume of tasks requiring attention each evening.  But the truth is, I'm not super jazzed by a lot of slow cooker recipes I see.  They can often seem, well, boring...and I also know that I miss the scrumptious flavor imparted by the searing/grilling/browning process left out of this cooking technique.  What I DO love about using the slow cooker is being welcomed by savory aromas when I open my door, as well as the brilliant fact that dinner is ready to go!

When I recently happened upon a slow cooker version of beef stroganoff by my girl Marth, it sparked a desire to give this contraption another whirl.  I get a hankering for beef stroganoff about once a year, and the thought has been nestled in the back of my brain since the onset of the fall.  If you're, too, a fan of this dish, this slow cooker version does not disappoint!  The beef is tender, the onions are scrumptiously caramelized, and the mushrooms add earthy flavor and textural interest.  The  combination of these ingredients unified with this rich and creamy sauce over a bed of toothy egg noodles is satisfying and warms your belly the whole way through. 

I probably should have taken more care to photograph the final product. But the messy rustic approach is kind of part of this food experience.  Oh, and I was also dying to dig in!  

Beef Stroganoff (click here for recipe)



One note on the recipe: it instructs to thicken the cooking liquid at the end. I was left with very little cooking liquid to speak of, so I just used a cup of chicken stock instead.  It worked like a charm!

My faith in this kitchen gadget just might be restored.  I hereby pronounce (yet another) resolution to be more intentional about incorporating it into my weekly menu planning.  If anyone has any great recipes to share, please do!

Let's Party

Friends, this is it: the last hurrah of "oh just one more lap around" the hors d'oeuvres table, nibbling one or two (ahem, six) Christmas cookies for breakfast, all-day grazing from the cheese platter, and 4 pm extra meals holiday happy hours before DUM DUM DUM - January 1st drops the gavel to put all resolutions in session.  Time for the gym to get crowded again and Lean Cuisines to go flying off the shelves like hotcakes. Wait, I'm pretty sure we can't eat hotcakes after the New Year.

Wow, that sounds bleak.  Good news: we're not there yet!  We've still got 10 glorious days of guilt free indulgence remaining.  So let's live it up, shall we?  Here are some holiday apps to help get the party started.

This is my version of (yet another) Pinterest idea to simply fancy up the presentation a little!  I've already gabbed about how I love me a big, fat antipasto platter and have no shame in calling it dinner. Here's an old picture:



Now here's the fancied up version.  It's pretty much the same stuff, but way cuter, huh?



Up next is something I've seen all over blogland and the Food Network Magazine:  Toasted Ravioli!
  

Courtesy of landolakes.com






















This actually is not that bad for you!  Though nearly every recipe I found renders "toasted" synonymous with "fried in oil", I knew there had to be a version that didn't require the splattering and calories of a quarter cup of oil.  After some digging, I found this baked recipe in a totally random place:  Landolakes.com.  Whowouldathunkit.  Here is the recipe, and I made Barefoot Contessa's easy marinara sauce on the side for dipping.  We actually prepared a whole wheat version of these as a main course instead of an app one night, and they were seriously awesome.  They were tasty, satisfying, and pleasantly crunchy (without frying!).   Sorry, by the way, that the above is not my photo.  In the midst of our evening chaos, they were on plates and then in our bellies before the thought crossed my mind to pick up the camera. 

Butternut Squash, Sage and Ricotta Crostini (Click here for recipe)



I saved the best for last.  Okay, so I know in my last breath I was all anti-fried food and health conscious.  Can you ignore that I said that for a sec?  Fried sage is my new best friend, and I don't regret it in the slightest.  Its savory freshness is just perfect against the sweet caramelized butternut squash, creamy ricotta and fresh lemon.  And a crunchy toasted baguette offers a divine backdrop to all this goodness.  Sold.

Merry Christmas all, and of course, happy feasting!

Convenience Food

You know those days when you wake up, make coffee, and then in what seems like 6 minutes, it's somehow time for baths/books/beds already?  Sunday was one of those days.  With the hope of starting this nutso week of evening Vacation Bible School on top of our normal to and fro schedule feeling organized and prepared, the latter 50% of the weekend vanished in a blink.  Though feeling somewhat frantic under my time constraint*, I enjoyed the cook-for-the-week rally.

*while Dad and son played miniature golf and visited a park and I prayed that daughter enjoyed a nap free of heaving....sorry for such a reference on this, a food blog; it was just my reality.

With happy music and apron on, I embarked on two dishes, both to strategically yield leftovers, that could be entirely prepared in advance.  This would ensure that the 17ish minutes I had to get food in my child between his afternoon swim lesson and VBS check-in would require only the effort of a 50 second microwave stint.  I hoped he'd have time to at least begin digestion.  My choices - bolognese and cheddar broccoli quiche - were somewhat odd given the season.  But they both sounded tasty and kid friendly.  Besides, I've been dying to try Anne Burrell's bolognese for months. 

Pasta Bolognese (Click here for Recipe)



Let's start with that one.  It is unlike any bolognese I've had before, and that is probably because the preparation is unlike any I've done before.  She starts with pureeing and browning (yes, browning) carrots, celery, onions and garlic in olive oil.  The kids had no idea these veggies were hiding in that thick, rich sauce!



Next came the browning of the beef and tomato paste (yes, browning again...her recipe thoroughly and passionately explains this), adding/reducing red wine, and then adding/reducing water.  I wondered at the time if this was an exercise in futility.  Add water and then reduce it away?  But I had to try it to ascertain for myself if this truly is "where the flavors really develop".  Friends, it is!  As far as I'm concerned, this is my new bolognese recipe.  The aroma from this simmering sauce was out of control.  More importantly, the flavor was downright incredible.



Despite his sweet effort to shield it, I could see the disappointment in Ryan's eyes when I pulled out the whole wheat pasta instead of classic white spaghetti.  I try to make this substitution when I can, but it's taken a bit of convincing for the other family members.  Thanks to Ms. Burrell's divine recipe, nothing was lost here.  Phew!  An added bonus: this dish tastes even better the second day.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche (Click here for Recipe)

So some might question whether quiche is dinner worthy.  Well I'm all about it.  It's easy, fast, substantial, and tasty.  Sold!



Kudos to the recipe's instruction to saute the broccoli as opposed to the classic steaming preparation.  Browning (have I mentioned that yet in this post?) imparts a far better flavor in my book.  I admittedly used just a wee bit more butter than the prescribed amount and also added some olive oil after the broccoli seemed to drink up the moisture before they were properly cooked.  The decision to use a larger quantity of broccoli than suggested negated the guilt...at least in my brain.



The cooked broccoli goes into the (store bought given aforementioned time constraint) crust first.  Next goes a - fat, if you're me- layer of shredded cheese.  As opposed to the often bland shredded mozzarella suggested in the recipe, I opted to get a good block of sharp cheddar and shred it myself.  The last layer is the egg mixture.  Multiple recipe reviews - which I always nerdily peruse - noted that the milk/egg mixture quantity might be a tad excessive.  So instead I used 3 eggs plus an egg white whisked with just a couple glugs of milk (probably 3/4 cup) and seasoned it generously with salt and pepper before pouring the mixture into the crust.

  

To quote Andrew, "I just love this delicious pie."  Good thing, since it was on the menu not once, but twice!

So far so good with our crazy week, and my little energizer bunny is loving every second of VBS.  I'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to a long holiday weekend respite though.  Now, what to make?


Simple Stuff

I love how simple things are often the best.  Here are two easy, week-night-able, kid-friendly dinners.  Added benefits that bring me immense joy are that they both 1) require minimal clean-up, and 2) happen to contain my beloved friend bacon. 

Have I mentioned my relationship with thick cut Black Forest bacon?  Of course I have.  Yes, it's odd that someone, particularly a female and former vegetarian - would goob so much over this ingredient.  Go to Whole Foods, buy it, take it home, and cook it; I'd be shocked if you didn't feel the same way.  End rant.

Loaded Baked Potatoes 



These were a really fun departure from the typical piles-on-a-plate dinner format and required refreshingly little time and effort.  I cooked the bacon in advance so that the week night prep would simply entail fork-piercing four russet potatoes and throwing them in a 400 degree toaster oven for an hour while my kids took turns playing "super man" on my raised feet.  I threw frozen broccoli florets in the microwave at the last minute.  Then a handful of shredded cheddar, dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh chopped chives completed the (Wendy's-style!) feast.

Spaghetti Carbonara



This dish holds a special place in my heart, as I grew up eating this comforting meal around our ceremonious week night table.  In fact, this photo was snapped sitting at that very table (though placed in a different house) next to the very same parents, who are now incredible grandparents too.  I was craving it recently and had to finally get a lesson from my dad on how to create this deliciousness on my own. 

Disclaimer: this is not on the healthy list.  Just serve it with a salad or something. 

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta

4ish slices of bacon, chopped

4 eggs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/3ish cup heavy cream or half and half

Saute chopped bacon until crisp.  Meanwhile, cook pasta according to instructions on the package and drain.  Add the pasta to the saute pan.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs together with the grated parmesan, and pour the mixture on top of the pasta. Toss the pasta and allow the egg mixture to cook for a minute or so. Add a quick glug of half and half or heavy cream and toss to incorporate. Season to taste.

We all - kids included - devoured this dish!  It is salty and delicious and warms your belly the whole way through!

Three cheers to simple fare around a family table.

Backlog - Savory

Despite somewhat frequent ramblings, I have accumulated a bit of a backlog of food photos not babbled over in this forum.  I'll take an opportunity to walk through them with an attempt to keep the discussion part short and sweet.... well, make that short and savory.  I'll follow up with some sweet on the next post!

Artichoke Ravioli with Tomatoes

Friends, I seriously cheated here.  In lieu of homemade pasta, I used wonton wrappers from the produce section. 

Aside:  Though not attempted, homemade pasta is an aspiration of mine.  I've actually been on the verge of purchasing a pasta maker/machine on several occasions.  I hereby commit to tackling this project in 2011.  Ooh, I'm already excited.  End aside.



Rather than layering and baking this dish (week night!), I threw the ingredients listed in the "assembly" section of the recipe into a pan and made a quick sauce on the stove.  Voila!  This was a bright and tangy supper that my crazy babies actually ate (despite my considerable nerves).  You gotta like artichokes for this, because their flavor sings in this dish.

Patty Melt with Balsamic Onions and Swiss Cheese

Sorry for no recipe clickage, but aside from being delicious, this is super easy and weeknight safe.  Saute sliced onions over medium heat for 20ish minutes along with some salt, pepper and a dash of sugar.  Add a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end and toss.  Top a (seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked!) burger with the onions and a few slices of Swiss cheese. Nestle this yummy pile between two slices of toasted rye bread that have been just lightly spread with whole grain (or deli or Dijon or whatever) mustard, and press in a panini maker.  The crunchy bread offers the perfect package for the juicy goodness inside.  Though unexciting, I'll mention that the side dish is just simplicious sweet potato fries from the frozen section.



Garlic and Herb Roasted Tomatoes

I'm always on the hunt for quick-prep veggies, and these tomatoes are both fab and fast!  The marrying of garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs over heat yields a surprisingly delicious and sweet result that's ready in under 10 minutes.  That sounded like a commercial.  Sorry 'bout that.

Andrew recently asked, "why do you take pictures of food all the time, Mommy?"  I told him that food makes me happy, and I like to share that with my friends.  Hope you enjoy!   

Time Out!

Not the kid in the corner time-out, the mama is haggard and must take a breather time-out.  A simmering pot of goodness on the stove forces me to stop for a sec...really just because I have no choice when the most important ingredient to its success is patience.  The actual ingredients are mildly important too, but you know what I mean.   

Spaghetti with meatballs is a dish that warms you the whole way through, which is kind of convenient when it's 18 degrees outside.  After testing about a dozen variations of this combo over the years, I am pleased to report that I've found the keeper.  The meatballs have a wonderful texture and a delicious (and somehow subtle without being boring...does that make sense?) flavor.  I don't even recall from where I clipped the meatball recipe, and I've changed it a bit in my trials.  It's beautifully accompanied by Barefoot Contessa's sauce, which is rich and complex without being heavy. I am salivating as I type.  Here's the scoop:

Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1 1/4 lbs ground turkey (85/15 is totally what you need here)

1/3 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 extra large egg

16 saltine crackers, finely crushed

Shape the mixture into about 15 meatballs (1 1/2 inches or so each).  Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, and cook the meatballs until browned on all sides. 

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add 1 cup of chopped vidalia onions, and cook until translucent, 8ish minutes.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, and cook for one minute more.  Add 1/2 cup red wine, and turn the heat to high.  Stir and cook until the liquid is almost entirely evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Stir in one 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes in puree, 1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Add the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.  Serve with the al dente pasta of your choice, and don't hate on the Parm topping.

Not pictured but certainly not lacking (sorry for the double negative, Mom):  glorious garlic bread made by 1) slicing a ciabatta loaf lengthwise in half, 2) slathering it with butter, 3) adding a few dashes of garlic powder, a good dusting of an Italian dried herb blend, salt and pepper, and 4) toasting it until golden brown and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  I'll pretend this doesn't negate the health points I earned for using turkey in the meatballs.

Hodgepodge

I don't have a theme to offer today, so here goes on a random assortment of yummy meals.

Roasted Vegetable Wraps with Sesame Sauce and Salad with Restaurant Ginger Dressing

You know the ginger dressing you get on a crispy iceberg pile right between the miso soup and sushi entree?  Well I love that stuff, and I've been curious to give it a go at home.  When a lovely friend passed on a tasty recipe for a sesame sauce (discussed below), I thought this was a fab opportunity to try it as an accompaniment.  I just Googled "Japanese Restaurant Ginger Dressing", and clicked around until I found one from a reputable source that was well tested with high marks.  I, too, give this a thumbs up and am psyched to have found the formula for that restaurant goodness at home.  By the way, it doesn't get much easier than zapping all the ingredients (including an unexpected one: ketchup!) in a blender!    http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/famous-japanese-restaurant-style-salad-dressing/Detail.aspx.   

The sesame sauce recipe suggests it to be served over or alongside roasted vegetables.  I used that strategy but opted to do so in a wrap in order to give it a shot in a starring role.  For the veggies, I thinly sliced zucchini and eggplant lengthwise and lined them up on a cookie sheet with sliced red onion.  I brushed them generously with olive oil, then sprinkled them with kosher salt and pepper on their way to a 400 degree oven.  They roasted for about 25 minutes total, with a flip halfway through.  I stacked the veggies on a burrito sized flour tortilla, and then topped them with the following sauce. This recipe makes a boatload, so you might want to cut it in half.

Sesame Sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped ginger

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 1/2 cups mayo (recipe calls for 2 cups, but I thought that was a bit much)

Put first 5 ingredients in small saucepan and boil until reduced by half.  Remove from heat.  Whisk together last 3 ingredients until smooth and light brown.  Then pour saucepan mixture in and whisk until combined.  

Ravioli with Caramelized Fennel

My obsession with all things caramelized continues.  I found a(nother!) clip in Real Simple with 10 ideas for cheese ravioli, and this one spoke to me.  I fell in love with fennel on a trip to Italy when our friends Amy and Roberto served it raw as a palate cleanser.  Well it gets even better when it's cooked.  I've carried on about this before, but I'll take another opportunity to praise the magic that happens in 30 minutes as a standard onion - and fennel bulb in this case - transform into a gorgeously sweet, complex jam.  You should so try this. 

In a large skillet, cook 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1 sliced onion in butter over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until golden, 25-30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, prep the ravioli...which is almost too easy to call it prep.  Just drop store-bought fresh cheese ravioli into boiling salted water for 10ish minutes.  When it's done, toss it into the saute pan with the onions and fennel, along with 1/4 cup (or a little less) reserved pasta water, and 1 Tbsp butter.  Sprinkle with chopped fennel fronds (the green part) and freshly grated Parmesan. 

Vegetable Chowder

I am always on the hunt for make-ahead, kid-friendly meals.  In addition to these traits, this dish is HEALTHY and freezes well!   It becomes beautifully thickened by pureeing a third of the mixture (in a blender or even better, with an immersion blender in the pot itself).  I love this soup, but I do think more seasoning improves it.  In addition to what's suggested by the recipe, I season with salt and pepper in step 1.  I also substitute the salt with garlic salt in step 4.  PS - I use frozen cut green beans as a time-saver.    http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/vegetable-chowder

Pumpkin Lasagna

It doesn't get much more Fall-ish than pumpkin lasagna!  It's a warm, snuggly dish that over the years has become a must on my cooking to-do list when the leaves start to change.  The preparation is very easy and requires minimal cooking.  I happen to be a user of no-boil lasagna noodles.  Though they lack the toothier texture offered by the ruffles of the traditional variety, I think they're just fine.  The fact that their use eliminates the requirement to wash a (big) pot makes it well worth it in my opinion.  

This started as a low fat, low salt recipe.  Unfortunately, as such, it seriously lacked flavor.  So I've made some changes over time and will provide the recipe as I prepare it.  I've never tried it with the dried sage the recipe calls for.  Fresh is so much better that I just don't keep the dried stuff around.  Thyme, dried or fresh, is another great alternative. 

Pumpkin Lasagna

1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided

2 Tbsp olive oil

16-oz can pureed pumpkin

1/2 cup half-and-half

Herbs (Options: 2 tsp chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp dried thyme or 2 tsp fresh thyme)

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

9 no-cook lasagna noodles

1 1/2 cups reduced fat ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, saute mushrooms, onions and 1/4 tsp salt in oil until tender; set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, herbs, pepper and remaining salt.  Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11x7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Top with three noodles.  Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to the edge of the noodles.  Top with half of mushroom mixture, 3/4 cup ricotta, 1 cup mozz, and 1/4 cup Parm.  Repeat layers.  Top with remaining noodles and sauce.  Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Parm, and bake for 10 minutes longer.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

  

I also wanted to share the apple pie result from Fall Marathon.  I've tried a number of pastry recipes, and I've found Barefoot Contessa's to be the most delicious, as well as the most fool proof!  She uses a food processor, which makes it easy and fast.  I know pastry can be stressful. The best bits of advice I can give are to use super cold ingredients, don't dawdle (so those ingredients stay cold), and keep the pastry moving while you're rolling it out.  Give it a quarter turn with every roll; this gives you a nice circular result and also ensures that you'll be able to pick it up at the end!  This is kind of a weird thing to say, but I swear dough seems to sense nerves...kind of like a horse.  It never fully cooperated with me until I stopped being scared of it and took the position of authority.  Back to the recipe - I actually don't make the innards of her Barefoot's pie, since I think her quantity of citrus is a bit overpowering.  So I combine the techniques of my two fave gals and use Barefoot's crust and Marth's filling. 

Perfect Pie Crust:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough in half. Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board. Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust.

I use this recipe as a guideline for the filling.  http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/classic-apple-pie 

The BEST part: 
kids in bed....warm slice of pie....mound of vanilla ice cream....husband....pj's.....couch....
funny tv show.

Comfortable

There's such a refreshingly relaxed vibe with old friends.  I was so happy to have two girls in town this weekend that I've known since the awkward days of 6th grade.  The visit was defined by lots of giggles, absolutely no schedule and an overdose of non-fussy food.  I made chocolate cheesecake in preparation for their arrival.  Lacking a springform pan, I made Marth's original recipe in a 9-inch Pyrex pie dish and was sort of surprised that the result was fine.  I mean, it looked like a cheesecake, just not as it's typically presented.  Though we didn't dive in for our full serving until we met the welcomed company of expandable pants, the couch, and a completely girly movie later that night, I'll tell you that that we added an impromptu slathering garnish of whipped cream, which I threw together with leftover heavy cream (courtesy of last weekend's key lime pie), sugar and a bit of vanilla extract.  I can't locate the cheesecake recipe online right now, and honestly, I think it's a sign.  Though it was decadently rich, I actually hoped for something more complex (or sweeter?  something? If it was entirely amazing on its own, why would feel compelled to add a mound dollop of whipped cream?).  I think this is what I'll try next time:  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Deep-Dark-Chocolate-Cheesecake-236209

I love a nice bowl of something warm, especially as fall approaches (let's pretend it wasn't 95 degrees in Richmond that day).  For lunch, I made Japanese Chicken Scallion Rice Bowls.  These are super fast, delicately sweet, and satisfying enough to fill you up.  But get this- they are also LIGHT.  I highly recommend these, especially for a lady's lunch or an easy week night meal.  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/japanese_chicken_scallion_rice_bowl.html

We dined out for dinner, literally following our noses to the location amidst a stroll down Cary Street.  Seriously, we were headed some place else but stopped when something smelled delicious at Thai Ginger. Crazy me - I actually asked a person sitting on the terrace what he was eating.  I could tell my girlfriends were slightly mortified, but I'm not regretful since it ensured we'd properly order the amazingly aromatic yellow curry!  It was spicy... the good kind of spice that hits you at the end after the other flavors - first sweet, then savory - have made their journey through the senses.  We took my favorite approach in sharing this dish, along with Thai cashew chicken, spicy basil beef, and fried tofu with peanut dipping sauce.  I expected a creamy peanut sauce as the accompaniment and was pleasantly surprised by a pool of dark broth with chopped peanuts swimming through it.  Sorry I didn't catch a picture of this.  I think we had sufficiently devoured it before the other stuff arrived.  

Despite forgetting to pick up ricotta at the store, I still stuck with my breakfast plan of a potato basil frittata to fill the girls' bellies before their drive home.  This is a fairly common go-to morning dish for me, because it's (most importantly) yummy, but also bakes in the oven to avoid any last minute running around.  By the way, while Gruyere cheese is totally the best, you can make this with whatever cheese you want.  That particular morning, I mixed sharp white cheddar with Swiss and added far more than the recipe suggested in an attempt to make up for the lack of uniquely textured ricotta with boldly flavored, cheesy gooeyness.  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/potato-basil-frittata-recipe/index.html

Though unrelated to the weekend, I'll share one more comfortable dish before I sign off.  It's another simple weeknight meal that the kids will eat.  The reduced beef broth adds nice dimension to what might otherwise be a relatively boring dish.  My honest opinion is that it is pleasantly satisfying as spelled out in the recipe....but it's darn tasty with a generous heap of freshly grated Parm (gotta be the good stuff) on top and a snuggly glass of red wine. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bow-tie-pasta-with-sausage-and-sweet-peppers/Detail.aspx

Make-Ahead

 This post is dedicated to make-ahead meal ideas!  Incidentally, the bulk of the recipes I'm providing here can be frozen, which makes them wonderfully versatile.  You can have on hand for later in the week...or better yet, double the batch and keep the extra one in the freezer for a brainless option down the road. 

As an (inappropriately long) aside, there are a number of other strategies in the mode of convenience that don't necessarily mean making an entire dish in advance.  They simply require planning.  A friend informed me that Rachael Ray is starting a new show about this concept.  While I generally don't really feel her vibe, I'm certain she'll put me to shame in her execution.  I'll still offer my ameateur tips, sans production company:

• Prep ingredients ahead to make your life easier (and your kitchen less messy!) when it's cooking time. Some examples would be pre-roasting chicken breasts for quesadillas or pre-chopping your veggies so you can just open up a baggy instead of pulling out a cutting board and knife when it's time to saute chopped onions. 
• Plan your menus to accommodate the same ingredients.  Though it can require some creativity to make each dish feel unique, this strategy supports the efforts of convenience, frugality, and minimizing shopping chaos.  Several forms of this:
•  Reinvent something you've already prepared.  Example: use leftover pulled pork from the weekend, and turn it into pulled pork soft tacos.  The flavor profile is vastly different with the addition of some traditional, fresh Mexican toppings.  While this is a main dish example, I do this more often with less significant components. For instance, if we're having rice over the weekend, I'll make a cup more to save that step for stuffed peppers. (I'll get to that recipe!)
• Buy one ingredient for multiple dishes. Example: big bag of baby spinach.  Saute half of it with garlic to make a quick (like 3 minutes), light side dish, and use the leftovers in an easy stromboli.  Tangent within a tangent (like Inception, huh?): I can't resist providing the instructions for this, because it's awesome, kid-friendly, and fast.  Roll out store-bought pizza dough and pile it with salami, a generous heap of whatever cheese you like and, and about 10 shakes of italian seasoning.  Close it up, bake it seam-side down on an oiled sheet pan for 20ish minutes at 375, and serve with marinara for dipping. 
• Use the slow cooker!  Taking just 10 minutes in the morning to throw everything in can mean zero work at dinnertime; the beckoning aroma in the house is just a delightfully free benefit.  I must admit that I don't take advantage of this handy tool as often as I could.  Perhaps we can all become inspired together.   That's another post.

The point of this (already endless) note is to provide a sampling of make/freeze ahead meals, and here they are! 

• Steak fajitas - http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/steak-fajitas-10000001736759/index.html  - comment: SO flavorful and easy...a nice change from Casserole Land.
• Chili - I'm sure you have your favorite recipe for this, but here's an easy one just in case:  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/easy-chili-i/Detail.aspx
• Vegetable Chowder - http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/vegetable-chowder  comment: This is delicious and ACTUALLY LOW FAT.  I recommend serving it with a crusty baguette.
• The standard Italian dishes...I'm sure you already have recipes for these as well.  I'll paste in some easy go-to's.
• Lasagna - http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/italian-sausage-lasagna/2601a67c-438d-407a-b163-2f57ede06cb9 comment:  I usually make this with ground beef instead, and I always add more seasonings.
• Stuffed Shells - Guess what?  I use the recipe on the side of the pasta box.
• Baked Ziti - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/baked-ziti-recipe/index.html
• Stuffed peppers - Cut off the tops of the bell peppers (any color! I've been doing red lately!), and trim the bottoms if necessary to make sure they don't topple over.  Drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, and roast for about 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  While they're cooking, saute a chopped onion in olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft.  Stir in a clove or two of chopped garlic.  Add a pound of ground turkey or beef, about a teaspoon of salt and a few cracks of pepper.  Cook until browned. Add a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, about 10 chopped fresh basil leaves (or a handful of fresh parsley), and a cup-ish of cooked brown or white rice, and stir until heated through.  Season to taste.  Fill your peppers, top with a blanket of fresh grated Parm, and bake for another 20-30 minutes.  If you want to freeze this, just assemble the peppers, cool them, wrap properly and freeze.  Thaw a day before you want to eat them.  They'll need to bake for about 30-40 minutes since they're chilled.  This is great toddler food, by the way! 
• Turkey Meatloaf - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/turkey-meatloaf-recipe/index.html  comment: this will feed a small army.  I make the whole recipe though, and then just cut into manageable pieces and freeze.
• Chicken Enchiladas - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/chicken-enchiladas-recipe/index.html
• Chicken Tetrazzini - see the last post, as well as a fun note in the comments section!

Before I conclude, I must seize an anecdotal opportunity, because it totally makes me smile.  It's not about prepping in advance, but about using unexpected leftovers after the fact.  My dad is the king of this.  It is simply not in his DNA to throw away even a scrap of food.  I'll never forget the night - I was a teenager, I think - when he took the remaining bits of everything we had for dinner that week, threw it on top of some lettuce along with the last crumbs from a Dorito bag and called it "Fiesta Salad".  Dad, please know I am not judging here; you have really inspired me to reduce waste (and thus, cost) in my life.   In fact, Ryan frequently catches me employing a similar practice.  If When he teases me, I affectionately remind him that the Fiesta Salad probably helped fund my college education.

Dinner Date

After our funfilled weekend, Ryan and I decided to have a dinner date.  A dinner date doesn't necessarily have to be a night out.  To us, it just means being able to eat slowly enough to taste our food and maybe even conversate a bit.  Those with children realize that this can be a rarity during their waking hours.  As such, we opted to feed them bbq leftovers from the day before and cook our feast after they were resting peacefully upstairs.  As a rule, this is not my favorite thing to do, despite how much I do love to taste my food and appreciate the ability to finish a sentence.  I personally strive for us to eat as a family which, to me, means the same food at the same time.  I grew up that way, and it left me with cozy, happy mealtime memories.  I realize that can be a considerable challenge, especially for families with homework, sports practice, and other obligations with which to contend.  Often the fastest thing can be the old reliable chicken fingers and mac & cheese, and I promise we've gone there many a night.  But I'd like to encourage you to break out of that mold with relatively minimal stress by doing some prep and planning in advance.  I'll get to that in a bit.... 

But first, our quiet dinner:  Grilled mahi-mahi with Thai coconut sauce and brown basmati rice.  You may be thinking that though prepared differently, a second dose of coconut and rice in about a week is a bit much.  I think I agree, and sorry about that.  But I craved fish that night, and this recipe caught my eye.  Anyway, while I anticipated some sweetness after studying the recipe, the result was actually spicy and had a smoky quality as well.  To clarify, this was a pleasant surprise, not a disappointment!  The spice can certainly be managed by the amount of serrano chile you add.  I was pretty generous in this case, as it was just my mood at the time.  Ryan grilled the fish over charcoal at a perfect temperature (hot!) to give it gorgeous color on the outside while keeping it tender and flaky on the inside. The coconut sauce served to "baste" the fish as well as dress the plate.  The recipe instructs some of the chopped scallions to go into the reduced sauce and some to be scattered on top.  I enjoyed the contrast of the mellow, wilted version and the sharpness of the fresh garnish.   http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2010/07/grilled_mahi_mahi_with_thai_coconut_sauce

Back to my family dinner thing.  The dish I made earlier in the day was pretty much a 180 from the mahi-mahi, and lives in my database of easy, prep-in-advance, weeknight fare.  This is a completely non-gourmet and pretty down-home kind of dish.  I mean, it's from Betty Crocker, after all.  One of its perks is being kid-friendly.  It's tough even for a kid to be totally offended by creamy pasta and chicken baked into a gooey casserole topped with parm.  I doubled (well, quadrupled...see below) the recipe that night and brought a dish to our friends who just had a baby.  The beauty is that it can be thrown in the freezer as easily as put in the oven.  In the interest of full disclosure: friends, this is by no means low-fat.  Please forgive.

My notes on the recipe:  1)  I don't think it makes enough, so I double it.  By doing this, you can assure leftovers for further weeknight convenience!  2)  I roast chicken breasts myself because it's more economical for bulk quantities and my kids are more likely to eat the white meat.  But rotisserie chicken works great.  3)  I've used both water and sherry, and either is fine.  However, sherry is classic in casseroles and gives it that familiar flavor you (may?) remember as a youngster.  4)  I don't care for canned mushrooms, so I omit them.  5)  It's helpful to pre-measure your flour and seasonings.  This way you're prepared with the ingredients when it's time to add them, and you can continue whisking without interruption.  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/chicken-tetrazzini/18a65d11-31f2-4656-ae95-1379551c8823

Mania - August 22, 2010

If you saw me in the kitchen today, you might think I'm a little manic. Well, if you know me, you understand that that description isn't that farfetched. (I like to refer to it as "efficiency" instead.) In 5 hours this afternoon, I cooked five dishes plus made two batches of buttercream frosting to practice piping the image for my almost 4-year old's birthday cake. I clearly don't do this every day; I tend toward cooking frenzies on Sundays to get a head start on the week. This minimizes week night dinner chaos and allows more fun time to build forts and do puzzles in the play room with my little pumpkins (Andrew, the almost 4-yr old, and his sweet little 16-month old sister Molly) after school.

Let's get to the food though. I'm so happy to share the recipes I use. But as a disclaimer, I must say that when it comes to cooking recipes - as opposed to baking recipes - I typically don't follow them too closely. I rarely measure, often substitute, and always adjust. And yes, I usually add some sort of vinegar. Hobbies should have some creative freedom, and I'm psyched that I've found it here.

The first dish was a cold broccoli and whole grain pasta salad as a light lunch after church. With crunchy raw veggies, fresh herbs (not dried as the recipe suggests), toothy whole wheat penne and a creamy dressing accented with a bit of tangy rice wine vinegar (of course), it was actually quite satisfying...and also made fab leftovers. http://mobile.eatingwell.com/recipes/broccoli_ham_pasta_salad.html

Next was carrot salad to accompany smoked baby back ribs that came courtesy of my husband, the grill master. [Aside: He's not going to want me to carry on about his skills with his "family" of grilling equipment....a 6-burner gas monster, a charcoal kettle, and the smoker that ate Manhattan. Let's just leave it that I'm hoping he doesn't leave me to join the barbecue circuit.] Back to the salad...for this dish, I trusted my second inspiration and the person who I like to imagine is my best friend: Ina Garten, a.k.a. Barefoot Contessa. I have cooked countless dishes of hers and adore the fact that while they are perfectly delicious, they are also quite simple! I don't make a lot of modifications to her recipes. Though I'll insert that I think she can be a bit heavy handed with onions and mayonnaise! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/barefoot-carrot-salad-recipe/index.html

I made a blueberry tart for dessert. I don't often use puff pastry, and given how simple it is to work with (coupled with the fact that it's store bought...hello), I have no idea why. It is beautiful and produces such a gourmet looking result. The tart was topped first with a lemon zest speckled cream cheese mixture, then plump fresh blueberries, and finally a dusting of confectioner sugar. It rocked - that's it. http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/blueberry-tart-00000000017216/index.html

To prep for the week, I made turkey meatballs with marinara sauce. Since it was a new recipe that I haven't tasted, I'll refrain from chatting about it for now. I also made Oreo truffles that I'll bring to celebrate my boss's birthday at work. Those are simply a pack Oreos zapped in a food processor with 8 oz. of cream cheese and dipped in chocolate. The process is insanely easy for how scrumptious they are.  My sister-in-law gave me the scoop on how to make these little nuggets years ago, and lately it seems like they're popping up all over the place!  The secret must be out.
Food filled days are the greatest.