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Recipe success
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Well, as I talked about in this blog entry there are a few recipes I just printed up from various sources on the internet that I wanted to try.
For lunch we had the HOMEMADE SPAGHETTIO's-- they were a huge hit! We've not eaten canned spaghettio's on, oh golly, a number of years. I never cared for them and while DD always liked them, they just weren't something I ever put on the shopping list. But the recipe shared by Delicious Wisdom piqued my interest since it used agave nectar (or honey, if desired) and nutritional yeast (optional), both ingredients I have in the pantry.
Here's a bowl of the "spaghettio's" for DD along with the rest of today's lunch:
 click to enlarge
I did sprinkle a touch of parmesan cheese on top, just because she likes it.
The rest of the lunch is baby carrots w/ ranch dressing, half of a Granny Smith apple ,
string cheese, baby dill pickle, and vanilla yogurt w/ spring themed sprinkles on top.
(Not shown: White Chocolate Cranberry Muffin)
She liked the "spaghettio's" so much she even had a small 2nd helping. As for me, I was VERY surprised that I REALLY liked it too! Oh my gosh! It is SOOOOOOOOOO much better than the canned version. The tomato sauce is thicker and richer. The bit of sweetener (I used the agave nectar) cuts the acidity of the tomato paste *just* enough as to remove the notion of "this tastes like spaghetti sauce" that would make it like any other pasta dish. I was miffed to realize I was OUT of garlic powder (I know, I know-- the horrors!!!) but improvised and used a big spoonful of juice from the jar of minced garlic. I'll definitely be making this again. There was only a small container of leftovers as it was.
For those wondering, the pasta I used was this:
 click to enlarge
I had two bags in the pantry, only using one in this recipe.
The "gears" are VERY tiny and served as a FABULOUS
substitute for the canned shape.
(Local folks: I got the pasta at Lewis Fresh Mart)
As I mentioned earlier, DD also had a muffin from today's recipe trials, too. (So did I for that matter.)
 They turned out DELICIOUS!
I opted to use muffin papers instead of oiling the tin (quicker clean-up.)
I also used my new (Christmas present) food processor
to chop the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
I used whole wheat pastry flour where the recipe merely says
1 1/4 c. flour and followed up with whole wheat flour as called for.
I forgot to use Sucanat in place of the white sugar, instead I used Splenda.
YUMMO! A recipe keeper!
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New Recipes to Try
Thursday, January 29, 2009
So kiddo is doing math (Teaching Textbooks 6) for an hour right now. Since the beginning of TT6 is review she's just working through it for the next while until we get to "new material." By that time we should be done w/ our current Math-U-See textbook and ready to move to the next one. Math is not her strong suit so DH & I decided to add in some extra math focus for her and with input from my dear friend Kay we opted to go with TT6. She's got two books to finish for History/Literature, too, plus chores & Girl Scouts this evening. A nice and light homeschooling day. I'm sure she'll be happy to get back to her audio book she's currently listening to.
I've been perusing through my Google Blog Reader "starred items" (things I bookmarked to keep for later) and found some recipes that caught my attention this morning. I copied/pasted to a Word document and printed the following recipes off. My hope is to try them in the coming weeks.
So, I'll try to work these recipes (and some others I'm wanting to try/make again/family favorites) into a menu plan for the next few weeks. DD wraps up the current theatre season this weekend with 5 last shows so we should be able to get back on a calmer schedule for a while. Maybe.  Now, I'm off to make a batch of the White Chocolate Cranberry Muffins I didn't quite get to last week. |
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Menus for 11/9 to 11/14
Sunday, November 9, 2008
 Click image to read more menu plans
and/or to add your own!
Sunday: Pulled pork (on bun if desired), baked potato, fresh veggies
Monday: Whole wheat spaghetti, garlic bread (planning on homemade), and salad
Tuesday: Bork and noodles (leftover shredded pork w/ a bit of homemade gravy over egg noodles) and steamed baby peas
Wednesday: Seitan Ribz, sweet potato fries, and steamed broccoli
Thursday (Girl Scouts that night): Vegetable Stir-fry with Brown rice and applesauce
Friday: Tortilla Pizzas (Turkey pepperoni, crushed pineapple, mushrooms, green peppers, jalepenos are our choices for toppings. Each pizza is personalized w/ favorites)
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Yummy Breakfast (Tofu Recipe)
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
So kiddo is away at camp this week and with DH at work each day I have to admit it is pretty lonely here at home. However, my Seester (in Japan) and I talked on the phone for a while this morning then I made me some breakfast. A Tofu Scramble Wrap...
It was really quick and tasted yummy! This was one ready-cut slice of firm tofu. Next time, I'll make the whole slice still, but put it into two smaller tortillas as this was a bit unruly to hold. Admittedly I was trying to eat the computer while I read today's news from my iGoogle homepage. LOL This one slice of tofu would easily make 2 servings (for my daughter and I to share, for instance. My DH, on the other hand, would most certainly eat a whole tofu slice of scramble himself.)
This was uber-easy to make... I diced up a small onion and sauteed it till it started to soften. Meanwhile I opened the tofu package, took out one of the four slices, pressed it between paper towels for a few minutes**, and diced it all up. Next, I added a spalsh of soy sauce, some garlic powder, black pepper, and a pinch of turmeric (for color) and sauteed all that until the tofu just started to brown a little bit. Scooped it up onto the tortilla, added a bit of salsa, (photographed it,) and ate it!
You could add anything you'd normally add to scrambled eggs-- perhaps green peppers, mushrooms, etc. I should have added a bit of nutritional yeast to it, but totally forgot about it. I will next time!
**Note: Had I known I was going to make this, I would have gotten the tofu out earlier and pressed the piece longer.
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I'm Not a Professional Chef, Nor Do I Play One on TV
Friday, July 4, 2008
 Okay, so it's 8:30am and I've already burned a pot of veggie noodles**! (aack!)
Well not BURNED BURNED, but let's just say that while sitting at the PC reading various PPK posts and foodie blogs, I hear a crackling a few times. I ignore it thinking it is the boy's chewing on their wooden chew toy. I hear it again and it DAWNS ON ME that OH MY! THE NOODLES!!! I run into the kitchen and there isn't a drop of water left in them! The top portion of the noodles is a bit overcooked (though Kiddo might opt to eat them for lunch, as she loves pasta and isn't too picky) while the bottom part is stuck like glue to the pot!
Now, this is a rarity here, folks, truly it is. Burning something under the broiler, perhaps, but I've never burnt milk, never left a boiling pot on too long to dry out, etc. But this morning, yes, I was having a piece of toast (from the 2 loaves I made the other day) w/garden cream cheese on it and a giant mug o' chai tea (with agave nectar and some SF non-dairy creamer, mighty tasty I must say!) and well, I just plum forgot!
So, because I have OODLES OF NOODLES (thanx to the food co-op I'm in) I put another pot on. I have every intention of making some Italian pasta salad today and by-cracky, I'm going to! LOL I just put the noodles into the water....and set the timer this time!
**Note: Yes, I actually took a picture of my bin of dry whole wheat veggie rotini! I had looked on Google Images for a picture to use but nothing quite had the brilliant, wholesome color as the veggie noodles I use. So, I grabbed the camera, opened the blinds in the kitchen and snapped the photo! I'm a dork, I know.
Edited to add: Here's the finished pasta salad. Nothing fancy, just yummy. A go-along dish for our family's barbeque this afternoon to celebrate America's Independence!
And the recipe (more/less):
2 cups (spiral noodles)
Dressing:
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp. each oregano, basil, vegetable powder, sea salt and paprika
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar , or other vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1-2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 cup broccoli florets, lightly steamed (I had steamed broccoli leftover from the other day, so this was already on hand)
10 black olives, sliced or finely chopped (I had some canned, sliced black olives already on hand from a previous day of pizza making.)
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion (or red onion)
Instructions:
Prepare the pasta as normal (don't leave it on the stove and forget about it like I originally did! LOL.) While pasta is cooking, prepare the dressing and combine with the chopped veggies. Drain pasta, rinse in cold water, and set aside. Pour on dressing and toss till fully coated. Cover and store in fridge till time to eat. This will keep for several days in the fridge.
Optional Ingredients:
Sliced and/or chopped fresh mushrooms
chopped red and/or green pepper
1/2 cup lightly steamed carrot slices
finely chopped celery or 1/2 tsp celery seed
freshly ground black pepper
toasted sesame seeds sprinkled on at serving time
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Gadzooks, I liked it!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
So my best online buddy has a juicer. I've never felt the urge to buy a juicer but did find the idea of "getting lots of veggies" into your day appealing. But again, no urge to go out and buy one, besides- I just don't have the storage space for one! LOL
However, with our recent restart of bi-weekly organics delivery I needed to find SOMETHING to do with the chard we keep getting. I'd tried a couple recipes in the past, but in all honesty, I have been looking too hard recently for something new to cook it up into.
This morning, while perusing the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) forums, I somehow meandered over to a blog with a green smoothie recipe. Now, I'm not anywhere close to being a fan of mangoes, at least not consciously. But, I knew I could substitute I *do* like into this recipe and figured I would try it. I was able to use up a bit of the organic fruit & greens from last Friday's delivery so that was an added bonus! One certainly doesn't NEED a recipe to make a smoothie, and I've made a gazillion smoothies over the years. But this is the first one that ever came out green! LOL
 Note: little pineapple and bananas were also part
of our recent organic produce delivery
My recipe for this smoothie:
5 ice-cubes (more/less, depending on how thick & icy you want it)
1/2 banana, cut into 2-3 chunks
skim milk (a couple glugs worth, I didn't measure)
5 or so strawberries (fresh, with tops cut off)
big handful of fresh baby spinach
2 leaves of swiss chard (as that's the kind I grabbed from the fridge this morning)
I just threw it all into my blender, set it on the smoothie cycle and hit "on". Within seconds it was done. I tentatively stuck a spoon in and tasted it.  WOW! I LOVED IT! Here I thought it might taste all freakily-green and such. Nope. No such thing.
Kiddo just came down right now and saw the last bit of smoothie in my glass. No, she's not brave enough to try it at this time, but did ask about it. I told her it didn't even taste like greens, just the strawberry and banana. I really like it, and am surprised myself. Obviously, it isn't anything fancy, no rock-solid recipe, or uber-chic ingredients, but I'm just happy to 1) find a YUMMY use for the chard and 2) get some added greens in my diet. |
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This week's menus
Monday, June 16, 2008
Click image above to read more menus and to add your own!
I've finally decided I like to cook. I'm probably the last to know this, as friends and family are always saying, ".... since you like to cook..." or "...well, you like to cook at least!" and such. But it dawned on me just the other day (and became a reality when I AIM'd the words to my online buddy) that my "love language" is food. Now, I've never read the book about love languages, so I don't even know if there is such a language. But regardless, it's mine. I like to provide yummy, nutritious meals to my family, and especially like to "wow" my husband with a new taste. He's the BEST food critic one could have ever visit their kitchen, I tell ya, since he just about always likes what I make. LOL
Anyway, DH and I were talking just over a week or so ago about cutting back "in the meats department." Granted, NOT going vegetarian or anything, as we DO love us some meat... but for me to get back to serving up at least 1-2 meatless meals a week. (I'd gotten away from this for some reason. Well, not away necessarily, but hadn't had it on my mind to do it.)
So lately I've been doing just that. Here's our omnivore-family's dinner menu for the week...
Sunday-- BFL Stir-fry & spring rolls (seitan in place of beef) and such 
Monday-- Marinaded Pork Loin, Potato and Leeks, and green beans and such
Tuesday-- BBQ Seitan Ribz (click for video), Veganomicon's (brown) Dill-Basmati Rice with Chard and Chickpeas (p. 116), and salad CHANGED TO... Spicy Slaw with Lime and Cilantroand corn on the cob (need to use up the corn and the cabbage)
Wednesday-- Garlic Dump Chicken, baked potatoes, and salad (and homemade strawberry ice cream for dessert!)
Thursday-- Veganomicon's Tomato Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans (p. 137), homemade French Bread, and salad **Note: the Tomato soup was EXCELLENT! Even our daughter, who HATES Campbell's tomato soup and often picks out big hunks of tomato from chili, ate TWO BOWLS of it! Yes really! So I found the exact same recipe online for you all to try!!!
Friday-- homemade pizzas with garlic crust (will use Seitan Recipe O' Greatness in place of pepperoni, though we usually use turkey pepperoni anyway) ( I just LOVE, LOVE the Garlic Pizza Crust recipe I use. This time, I got 3 medium hand-tossed crusts and 3 personal hand-tossed pizza crusts from the dough! The personals I froze for DH's use later on, for his lunches.)
Saturday-- probably leftovers as I'll be at a Girl Scout function from 9am-3pm, and our fridge needs purging/eaten up!
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