Every Monday I'm going to post our family's menu for the current week. It's simply to spark some ideas. If you'd like to see a recipe for something I've mentioned, please leave a comment and I'll post it as soon as I can.
Monday
Pasta with ham and broccoli in a butternut squash Alfredo sauce
Tuesday (Happy New Year!)
Collard greens
Pinto Beans
Corn bread
Sausage patties
Wednesday
Taco chili (meatless)
Thursday
Whole wheat gnocchi in a butternut squash cheddar sauce with sausage balls
Roasted cabbage
Friday
Kale and Edamame Bistro salad
December 31, 2012
December 27, 2012
S.P.A.C.L.E. Soup
We got this soup recipe from allrecipes.com, but we have altered it a little. Originally, Sean named it "spackle" soup:
Sweet Potato, Apple, Carrot, LEntil
but I don't know that we've ever used the lentils. The first time I made it, I didn't know what lentils looked like, and I grabbed our barley by mistake. It tasted great.
(the original name of the soup is Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup...so despite our nickname, it really is a delicious fall/winter soup)
1/2 stick of butter
4 cups vegetable broth
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup lentils, barley or cooked white beans
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Place chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, spices and lentils/barley/beans. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes (until vegetables are soft).
Puree with a hand blender.*
Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, yogurt, croutons, crackers
* if you don't have a hand blender, use a regular blender which will have to be done in batches, or something else that can puree.
Sweet Potato, Apple, Carrot, LEntil
but I don't know that we've ever used the lentils. The first time I made it, I didn't know what lentils looked like, and I grabbed our barley by mistake. It tasted great.
(the original name of the soup is Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup...so despite our nickname, it really is a delicious fall/winter soup)
S.P.A.C.L.E. Soup
1/2 stick of butter
4 cups vegetable broth
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup lentils, barley or cooked white beans
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Place chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook for 10 minutes.
Add vegetable broth, spices and lentils/barley/beans. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes (until vegetables are soft).
Puree with a hand blender.*
Optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, yogurt, croutons, crackers
* if you don't have a hand blender, use a regular blender which will have to be done in batches, or something else that can puree.
December 20, 2012
Hot Cholcolate
This morning, Erin, Noah and I were the only ones at the park in this 50 degree weather (it wasn't that bad with heavy coats on). Oh, and don't worry, Sean was home with the sleeping little one.
When I noticed that their fingers were turning pink, I decided to lure them home with the promise of hot chocolate.
Once home, I looked in the pantry for my very old box of Swiss Miss. As they were downing the chocolatey goodness, I took a look at the ingredient list:
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Whey, Cocoa (processed with Alkali), Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Carbonate, Less than 2% of: Salt, Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Artificial Flavor, Carrageenan.
Not good. Not good at all.
(I looked up Carrageenan. It's a thickening agent obtained from seaweed. Large amounts of it have harmed the colons of animals, according to foodfacts.com)
So from now on, I'll be making my own.
for one serving:
1 cup milk (skim, 2% or whole)
1 tbsp baking cocoa
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
(maybe try adding cinnamon or nutmeg)
Heat milk in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat. Stir often to not scorch. When hot (but not boiling), dissolve cocoa and sugar. Mix in vanilla.
to make it extra creamy, add a splash of half and half.
When I noticed that their fingers were turning pink, I decided to lure them home with the promise of hot chocolate.
Once home, I looked in the pantry for my very old box of Swiss Miss. As they were downing the chocolatey goodness, I took a look at the ingredient list:
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Modified Whey, Cocoa (processed with Alkali), Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Nonfat Milk, Calcium Carbonate, Less than 2% of: Salt, Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Artificial Flavor, Carrageenan.
Not good. Not good at all.
(I looked up Carrageenan. It's a thickening agent obtained from seaweed. Large amounts of it have harmed the colons of animals, according to foodfacts.com)
So from now on, I'll be making my own.
Hot Chocolate
for one serving:
1 cup milk (skim, 2% or whole)
1 tbsp baking cocoa
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
(maybe try adding cinnamon or nutmeg)
Heat milk in a saucepan on the stove on medium heat. Stir often to not scorch. When hot (but not boiling), dissolve cocoa and sugar. Mix in vanilla.
to make it extra creamy, add a splash of half and half.
Make your own Pizza Crust
We've done our own homemade pizza for a long time now, but only recently started making our own crust. Sean found a recipe that truly is fast and easy. No kneading, no waiting.
The original recipe comes from allrecipes.com, but I'll repost it here in my own words.
1 (.25oz) package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup hot water (110 degrees)
2 1/2 cups bread flour*
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
optional spices: garlic, basil, onion powder
* we use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 450.
In a medium bowl, combine yeast, sugar and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Add flour, salt, olive oil and spices. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Ball up the dough and put it on a lightly floured surface to roll it out. Transfer to a greased baking sheet (if using a pizza stone, spread out some cornmeal and roll out dough directly on stone).
Add your sauce, toppings and cheese, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
The original recipe comes from allrecipes.com, but I'll repost it here in my own words.
 |
| Kale, white beans and caramelized onions |
Quick and Easy Pizza Crust
1 (.25oz) package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 cup hot water (110 degrees)
2 1/2 cups bread flour*
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
optional spices: garlic, basil, onion powder
* we use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 450.
In a medium bowl, combine yeast, sugar and hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Add flour, salt, olive oil and spices. Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Ball up the dough and put it on a lightly floured surface to roll it out. Transfer to a greased baking sheet (if using a pizza stone, spread out some cornmeal and roll out dough directly on stone).
Add your sauce, toppings and cheese, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
December 18, 2012
Make your own Popcorn
As usual, there are two reasons why making your own popcorn is better than buying microwave popcorn: it's cheaper and healthier.
Sean and I have been making our own for a while now. A post on Facebook prompted us to try it. We will never again go back.
Here is a basic cost comparison between the two.
Examples of Microwave popcorn bought from Walmart (prices given on their website):
Orville Reddenbacher's "Movie Theater Butter" 10 pack - $5.18
Act II "Butter Lovers" 12 pack - $3.98
$.52 - .33 per bag
Homemade Popcorn Ingredients (per bag):
Popcorn - $.05
Brown Bag - $.02
Butter - $.13
Salt - $virtually_nothing
$.20 per bag
So not an earth-shattering difference, but cheaper none the less.
When I went to foodfacts.com to get an ingredient list on microwave popcorn, I was surprised at how few ingredients they actually contain. Here's one example:
Act II "Butter Lover's"
Corn Popping, Palm Oil, Salt, Contains less than 2% of Flavors Natural & Artificial, Colors Added, TBHQ, Citric Acid
The obvious: It contains artificial flavors and colors that you won't get if you make it yourself. And I can almost guarantee you won't put as much salt and butter (well, oil in their case) on it as they do. So right there you're making yours a lot healthier.
The less obvious: What is TBHQ? On the foodfacts website, it's marked as a "controversial" ingredient. I did some minor research and quickly realized this is a preservative that I personally want to stay away from (even though the FDA says it's okay for me to have it in small doses...btw, a large does will kill you).
Article from naturalnews.com:
1/4 cup kernels
small amount of vegetable oil
1 brown lunch bag
2 tbsp melted butter
sprinkle of salt
In a small bowl, coat kernels in oil. Put kernels into brown bag and fold top over. Microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes (until pops are 2 seconds apart...you know the drill).
Melt butter and pour over popcorn. Salt. Enjoy!
Sean and I have been making our own for a while now. A post on Facebook prompted us to try it. We will never again go back.
The cost.
Here is a basic cost comparison between the two.
Examples of Microwave popcorn bought from Walmart (prices given on their website):
Orville Reddenbacher's "Movie Theater Butter" 10 pack - $5.18
Act II "Butter Lovers" 12 pack - $3.98
$.52 - .33 per bag
Homemade Popcorn Ingredients (per bag):
Popcorn - $.05
Brown Bag - $.02
Butter - $.13
Salt - $virtually_nothing
$.20 per bag
So not an earth-shattering difference, but cheaper none the less.
The ingredients.
When I went to foodfacts.com to get an ingredient list on microwave popcorn, I was surprised at how few ingredients they actually contain. Here's one example:
Act II "Butter Lover's"
Corn Popping, Palm Oil, Salt, Contains less than 2% of Flavors Natural & Artificial, Colors Added, TBHQ, Citric Acid
The obvious: It contains artificial flavors and colors that you won't get if you make it yourself. And I can almost guarantee you won't put as much salt and butter (well, oil in their case) on it as they do. So right there you're making yours a lot healthier.
The less obvious: What is TBHQ? On the foodfacts website, it's marked as a "controversial" ingredient. I did some minor research and quickly realized this is a preservative that I personally want to stay away from (even though the FDA says it's okay for me to have it in small doses...btw, a large does will kill you).
Article from naturalnews.com:
TBHQ - Why this preservative should be avoided
TBHQ is used in many foods...as well as in cosmetic and baby skincare products, varnish, lacquers and resins. It is used in the stabilization process of explosive compounds. The risks and side-effects of this preservative product far outweigh the benefit of it being used as a highly unsafe preservative ingredient.A form of BUTANE...no thanks, I'll save that for my lighter fluid.
Tertiary Butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ...is in fact a chemical preservative which is a form of butane. It is used in foodstuffs to delay the onset of rancidness and greatly extends the storage life of foods.
Homemade Popcorn
1/4 cup kernels
small amount of vegetable oil
1 brown lunch bag
2 tbsp melted butter
sprinkle of salt
In a small bowl, coat kernels in oil. Put kernels into brown bag and fold top over. Microwave on high for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes (until pops are 2 seconds apart...you know the drill).
Melt butter and pour over popcorn. Salt. Enjoy!
December 17, 2012
Menu Monday
Every Monday I'm going to post our family's menu for the current
week. It's simply to spark some ideas. If you'd like to see a recipe for
something I've mentioned, please leave a comment and I'll post it as
soon as I can.
Monday
Stir fry with egg rolls
Tuesday
Homemade pizza: white sauce, kale, white beans, onions
Wednesday
Pasta with Alfredo sauce, asparagus and roasted tomato
Thursday
Mexican-style rice and beans
Friday
S.P.A.C.L.E. Soup
Monday
Stir fry with egg rolls
Tuesday
Homemade pizza: white sauce, kale, white beans, onions
Wednesday
Pasta with Alfredo sauce, asparagus and roasted tomato
Thursday
Mexican-style rice and beans
Friday
S.P.A.C.L.E. Soup
December 16, 2012
Fluffy Pancakes
On the weekends, we often enjoy a brunch of eggs, pancakes and bacon (sometimes grits). Our go-to recipe for pancakes comes from our Taste of Home cookbook. We've never been disappointed with anything that came out of there.
This basic recipe makes light and delicious pancakes. It's easy to throw together and there are many ways to dress them up.
1 cup all-purpose flour (we always use whole wheat)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (or use flaxseed)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased griddle. Flip when bubbles form on top of pancake.
Makes 8 pancakes
***
Additions to batter:
Toppings:
How to make a fruity topping
In a saucepan on medium heat, combine equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a boil and add fruit (apples, cranberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.).
In a separate bowl, dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in cold water. Add to saucepan and stir. Remove from heat.
This basic recipe makes light and delicious pancakes. It's easy to throw together and there are many ways to dress them up.
 |
| Whole wheat pancakes with apple cranberry topping |
Fluffy Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour (we always use whole wheat)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg (or use flaxseed)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients.
Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased griddle. Flip when bubbles form on top of pancake.
Makes 8 pancakes
***
Additions to batter:
- 1 mashed banana
- 1 mashed or pureed cooked sweet potato (makes a heavier pancake)
- Chocolate chips
- Blueberries
- Cut up apples
- Pecans or walnuts
Toppings:
- Honey
- Powdered sugar
- Jelly/jam
- Apple butter
- Peanut butter
- Peaches or Strawberries (chopped and sprinkled with sugar...let sit until juicy)
How to make a fruity topping
In a saucepan on medium heat, combine equal parts sugar and water. Bring to a boil and add fruit (apples, cranberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.).
In a separate bowl, dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in cold water. Add to saucepan and stir. Remove from heat.
December 15, 2012
"Pimento Cheese" Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Well, pimento cheese minus the pimento.
I have always thought myself to be skilled at making grilled cheese sandwiches. If we're having them for dinner, it's my job to make them. 95% of the time I can get them perfectly toasted and gooey.
I know the art of making grilled cheese sandwiches can get quite elaborate (like at this site, which I might steel some ideas from). But for the sake of keeping it simple, here is one extra step that will make the cheese-melting step go a little smoother. Nobody wants to bite into their g-c sandwich with half-way melted cheese.
(but don't be afraid to add some other ingredients besides cheese, like leafy greens, tomato, ham, bacon, whatever you want...)
These quantities are for making about 4 sandwiches, so adjust the amounts accordingly.
8oz block of cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Bread (one piece buttered on both sides, one piece buttered on one side)
Shred the cheese and place in a food processor with the mayonnaise. Blend briefly until mixed, but still chunky (if you don't have a food processor, just mix it up in a bowl).
Spray pan or griddle and set to medium heat. Put down the double-buttered piece of bread and wait until golden brown. Flip over, pile up the cheese mixture and any other ingredients (greens, tomato, meat, etc.) and put on top piece of bread.
Flip when golden brown and do the other side (the obvious steps...).
(Keep the heat low enough so that the bread doesn't get too dark, but that the cheese melts. Shredding the cheese helps it to melt faster)
I have always thought myself to be skilled at making grilled cheese sandwiches. If we're having them for dinner, it's my job to make them. 95% of the time I can get them perfectly toasted and gooey.
I know the art of making grilled cheese sandwiches can get quite elaborate (like at this site, which I might steel some ideas from). But for the sake of keeping it simple, here is one extra step that will make the cheese-melting step go a little smoother. Nobody wants to bite into their g-c sandwich with half-way melted cheese.
(but don't be afraid to add some other ingredients besides cheese, like leafy greens, tomato, ham, bacon, whatever you want...)
 |
| Whole wheat bread, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce |
"Pimento Cheese" Grilled Cheese Sandwich
These quantities are for making about 4 sandwiches, so adjust the amounts accordingly.
8oz block of cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Bread (one piece buttered on both sides, one piece buttered on one side)
Shred the cheese and place in a food processor with the mayonnaise. Blend briefly until mixed, but still chunky (if you don't have a food processor, just mix it up in a bowl).
Spray pan or griddle and set to medium heat. Put down the double-buttered piece of bread and wait until golden brown. Flip over, pile up the cheese mixture and any other ingredients (greens, tomato, meat, etc.) and put on top piece of bread.
Flip when golden brown and do the other side (the obvious steps...).
(Keep the heat low enough so that the bread doesn't get too dark, but that the cheese melts. Shredding the cheese helps it to melt faster)
December 14, 2012
Update to Oatmeal Muffins
I made a batch of these yesterday and I think this version turned out the best so far.
Added to the base of the Oatmeal Muffin recipe:
2 carrots, shredded
1 medium granny smith apple, diced into small pieces (do not peel)
1/2 cup raisins
(walnuts would be great in this, but I couldn't add them because of my son's allergy)
I guess what probably made these even more delicious was the icing I added to them (we had some leftover cream cheese to use up):
Blend together with a hand mixer:
4oz of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Added to the base of the Oatmeal Muffin recipe:
2 carrots, shredded
1 medium granny smith apple, diced into small pieces (do not peel)
1/2 cup raisins
(walnuts would be great in this, but I couldn't add them because of my son's allergy)
I guess what probably made these even more delicious was the icing I added to them (we had some leftover cream cheese to use up):
Blend together with a hand mixer:
4oz of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
December 12, 2012
How to cook delicious roasted veggies
A couple years ago, Sean and I watched a "how to" video on roasting vegetables (we were doing it wrong). It has vastly improved our veggie side dishes and some of our main dishes that have veggies in them. When they're roasted (correctly) they have such a great flavor. And it's super easy.
(the ones we roast on a regular basis are: broccoli, cauliflower, onion, red or green pepper, zucchini, and sometimes turnips and beets)
Chop everything into medium size chunks (not tiny, not huge) and all roughly the same size. Combine everything in a bowl and coat with oil and salt.
Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray. Spread the veggies out in one single layer. Do not overcrowd or they will just steam instead of roast.
Bake at 500 for about 10 minutes. Wait until you see some edges getting blackened.
(just salt is fine, but other spices can certainly be added)
***
This adds a great side dish to almost any meal, but don't forget about roasting your veggies in some of your main dishes as well to add some flavor.
One of our favorites is to do some pasta in Alfredo sauce with roasted broccoli and red pepper. And sometimes we'll add some cut up sausages or small pieces of bacon.
How to Roast Veggies
(the ones we roast on a regular basis are: broccoli, cauliflower, onion, red or green pepper, zucchini, and sometimes turnips and beets)
Chop everything into medium size chunks (not tiny, not huge) and all roughly the same size. Combine everything in a bowl and coat with oil and salt.
Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray. Spread the veggies out in one single layer. Do not overcrowd or they will just steam instead of roast.
Bake at 500 for about 10 minutes. Wait until you see some edges getting blackened.
(just salt is fine, but other spices can certainly be added)
***
This adds a great side dish to almost any meal, but don't forget about roasting your veggies in some of your main dishes as well to add some flavor.
One of our favorites is to do some pasta in Alfredo sauce with roasted broccoli and red pepper. And sometimes we'll add some cut up sausages or small pieces of bacon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)