Making the most of a Sunday

Jason headed to Dallas early this morning (like 4:30 am!) for the Cowboys/Redskins game. I've been grounded by Dr. F so I stayed behind to get some things done and decided to use the day stocking the freezer. Lindsey & Adam met me at Chuy's for some creamy jalapeno dip and lunch. After lunch Lin kept me company around Target. Jason has been on me to pack my "go bag" but I really didn't have anything to put in it. I have a hard time finding pj pants that are long and stay long, so I don't really buy them. I just do big t-shirts and shorts. I also needed nursing tanks and new undies, plus a few other things for after he's here.


Once we got home I got started in the kitchen. My list included stew, chicken tacos, lasagna and biscotti. A little ambitious, don't you think? However, with Lindsey's help, I got everything cooked, most of it in the freezer and the kitchen is almost clean. I didn't bother with photos, but here are some recipes.


Stew

• 1 chuck roast, cubed
• 1/2 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 2 small cans tomato sauce
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 can mixed vegetables
• 1 can corn
• 2 russet potatoes, cubed

Normally I do stew meat that is already cut up, but Kroger had chuck roast on sale this week. The package came with two really nice sized roasts so I froze one and used the other.

Start by browning the meat with the onion and bell pepper, add salt & pepper and any seasoning you like. Once browned, drain off most of the fat. Add all of the canned items and potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.

Once I finished I realized that I forgot my favorite thing for roast - cabbage. We grocery shopped yesterday and I never thought to buy a cabbage but the whole time the stew was cooking I kept thinking that something was missing. As soon as I spooned a bowl up for dinner I knew exactly what it was!

Lasagna

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• lasagna noodles
• 1 16 oz container ricotta cheese
• 2-3 cups mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

This is a really easy lasagna recipe I found years ago. Usually Jason is the spaghetti sauce person in the house - he's in charge of dinner for that night. But if we want lasagna that's considered my "easy" meal. Lindsey actually cooked this and as soon as we put it in the oven I realized that I wanted to cook it in an aluminium pan to freeze! Instead I just cooked it in the pyrex dish and split it after - keeping some for dinner tomorrow and putting the rest in the freezer.

Start by browning the beef with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder, and oregano. ((You can also add 1/2 lb ground sausage to give it more meat)) Add the spaghetti sauce, stir. In a 9*13 dish, layer 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom. Arrange 1 layer of noodles next. Note: you do not need the "no cook" noodles. Any will do. After noodles, spread 1/3 of the container of ricotta cheese on the noodles, topping with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat for the next 2 layers - meat sauce, noodles, ricotta & mozzarella cheese. Top the last layer with shredded Parmesan cheese. Pour 1/4 cup hot water around the outside of the dish and cover with 2 layers of foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Crock pot Chicken Tacos

• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders
• 1 package taco seasoning
• 1 container fresh pico de gallo
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup water

Pour the package of taco seasoning in the bottom of the crock pot. Add the chicken - it can be added frozen. Top with the pico, olive oil & water. Do not stir. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, turn the chicken halfway if you are home, but if not - don't worry. Remove the chicken and shred, returning back to the crock pot for another 20-30 minutes of cooking on low. Serve with tortillas & cheese or use to make enchiladas.

This recipe has been floating around the Nest for a few weeks and has gotten rave reviews. It is super easy - especially since you can toss the chicken in frozen.

As for the biscotti - I've made it before. It's one of my standards for the Holiday Season. I'm not sure if much of that will actually make it to the freezer...but I have enough pistachios and cranberries that I can easliy make another batch.

Cheese please!

For once, I found a Rachael Ray recipe that actually is a 30 Minute Meal. See, it looks 30 minutes on her show, but it usually takes me a hour. This one, however, could become a quick go-to meal any time. It's also pretty good.

Peas and Cheese Tortellini from Rachael Ray

• 1 lb frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 T butter
• 5 green onions, greens & whites sliced and seperated
• 2 T flour
• 1 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta in salted water to al dente. Drain. In a large saucepan, sautee peas, butter and onion whites for about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour, stir for about 1 minute. Add the milk, bring to a boil and stir in the remaining green onions, salt & pepper. Combine the sauce and tortellini, along with the parmesan cheese and stir.

Chicken Picatta

I've been on a bit of a spring cleaning kick. The first thing has been to get rid of stacks of magazines. The issue with this is that my subdivision doesn't recycle. I sort of feel bad throwing away 2 years worth of Southern Living magazines with a few extras tossed in. So...I've tearing out the pages with recipes I think I may actually make and putting the rest in a shopping bad. I'm hoping that I come across someone who does recycle and will take them off of my hands! Or I may pass them on to a friend in the event she finds something that I missed. Probably seafood, considering I don't eat that. :-)




My first magazine rip-out recipe came from a Rachel Ray I picked up...probably in an airport. It was actually really good, but a little bit of a pain to make. 30 Minute Meals my a$$. This is more of a nice meal that you make on a Saturday. I was also very surprised - Jason and I have never been fans of capers, but I took a chance and didn't omit them.




Parmigiano-Reggiano-Crusted Chicken Picatta from Rachel Ray

• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 4 chicken breasts, pounded 1/4" thick
• 1/2 pound thin spaghetti
• salt & pepper
• olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 sliced lemon
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup capers, drained and patted dry
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 T butter
• 1 5-oz pkg baby spinach

Place the flour on a plate. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Place 1 cup cheese on another plate. Dredge each chicken breast in flour, then eggs, then cheese. Cook pasta to al dente, drain and reserve about 1/2 cup water. In a large skillet, heat about 2 T of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, about 10 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil. Add another tablespoon of olive oil and add the sliced lemon, garlic and capers. Cook about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and parsley and cook until reduced. Lower the heat and bring it to a simmer. Stir in chicken broth, cook for another minute. Add the butter and lemon juice, and remaining pasta water if needed. Add the spinach, stirring to wilt. Stir in the pasta and toss to coat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add remaining cheese and serve with chicken.

Making it up as I go

I'm not good at making things up. I think that's why I'm a baker by nature. I like precision and recipes and following directions. But every once in a while I break pattern and throw something together. This was one of those times. And because I've been sucking at this blogging thing, I have NO idea exactly how this recipe went but it was something like this.

• 1 pkg fresh spinach, washed
• 1/2 carton ricotta cheese (part skim)
• about 1/4 cup skim milk
• onion
• garlic
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• Parmesan cheese
• pasta
• grilled chicken

I sauteed the garlic and onion, adding the spinach in to wilt. Then I added the ricotta and milk until it looked creamy. That was tossed with cooked penne pasta (my favorite kind) and added Parmesan cheese.

The whole thing started because I didn't want to waste the ricotta and spinach...and it turned out pretty well!

Cooking lightER

I recently started working out with a personal trainer. Yep, I'm crazy. So...I decided that since I was going to be spending a lot of money working out, I should try to help myself by eating better. The sushi I had last night probably doesn't fit the plan, but these Lasagna Rolls were pretty good! I got a great Cooking Light cookbook for Christmas and this was my first shot at using it. The photo in the book just looked too good not to try. I'm a visual person and will always lean toward trying a recipe that looks good before one that sounds good.

I did change this up a bit - neither of us eat mushrooms and the original recipe called for regular pasta, but I only had whole wheat.

Lasagna Rolls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce adapted from Cooking Light

• 8 uncooked ww lasagna noodles
• 4 t olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 7oz jar sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and patted dry, chopped
• 1 6 oz package fresh baby spinach
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• fresh basil, minced
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t crushed red pepper
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 7 oz bottle roasted red bell peppers, undrained
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and oil. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add onion, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, and 3 garlic cloves. Sauté until onions are tender and spinach wilts. Remove from heat, and stir in cheeses, basil, salt and crushed red pepper.

To prepare sauce, place vinegar and remaining 6 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.
Place cooked noodles on flat surface; spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture over each noodle. Roll up noodles and place the rolls, seam sides down, in a shallow 2-quart dish. Pour 1/4 cup sauce over each roll, and cover with heavy-duty plastic wrap. Microwave at high 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. **I actually put this in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes, but would suggest longer because they were not completely warm. This makes 4 servings of 2 lasagna rolls each.

We both liked the roasted red bell pepper sauce, but to make things easier and faster we'll probably just to regular pasta sauce next time. This is a good starter recipe and something easy to add to or change up. My favorite thing about my new CL cookbook is that the nutritional information is included in every recipe - making the task of keeping up with my food a lot easier!

It can't always be gourmet.

Well, in my house it rarely is. Gourmet would be more of the exception, not the norm! The following meal is about as far from gourmet as you can get, but it still tasted pretty good. I actually found this recipe years ago and use to make it quite often. Last week, I wanted something different but really easy. Tada! Plus, now that asparagus is one of the less expensive vegetables, I wanted to use some in a pasta dish.

Chicken & Asparagus Alfredo adapted from Campbell's Kitchen

• 8 oz whole wheat fettucine pasta
• olive oil
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
• garlic, minced
• onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• fresh asparagus, cut in 1/3's
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of cream of mushroom soup (I used the 98% fat free kind)
• 1/2 cup milk (I used fat free)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook the pasta according to the package, drain. In a large skillet, saute the garlic and onion in olive oil. Add the chicken, season to taste, and cook until it is almost done. Add the asparagus toward the end, cook until tender. Pour in the soup and milk, stir until the sauce thickens. Add the Parmesan cheese, stir, and add the pasta.

Weight Watchers Points: 7 pts per serving, 4 servings

Pasta...baked!

I've been really bad about taking photos. Mostly because I just have too much going on. Last week we invited the guy over that Jason does his bike rides with, and his wife and two kids. Their kids are so cute! The oldest is just a mess...and my kind of girl. That skinny three year old can put away the bread. Their second baby is only 7 months old, but cute as a bug and SO chubby.

Since the boys needed to consume quite a few carbs and calories, I went with Baked Ziti. The recipe came from Katie, a friend of mine, who has recommended it before. I really like the way it turned out and it's actually pretty easy. Unless you double the batch like I did. I think I used almost every bowl, pot and dish in my house! What a mess.

Baked Ziti

• olive oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 pound lean Italian sausage
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 14.5 oz cans crushed tomatoes (the Italian seasoned type)
• 1 small can tomato paste
• season to taste with salt, pepper, oregano...basically whatever you want!
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese with 2% milk
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach
• 1 box ziti pasta (I actually used Whole Wheat Penne)

Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. Brown the meats with those, drain if needed. Add in the canned tomatoes and any seasonings you wish. Simmer until you have a pasta sauce consistency. Boil the pasta in another pot, according to the package. I recommend cooking it to al dente, since it will cook longer in the oven. Toss the pasta with the sauce and pour half into a lightly greased 9*13 baking dish. Combine 1 cup mozzarella, the egg, Parmesan cheese and spinach in another bowl. Spread this onto the pasta in the baking dish. Top with the remaining pasta and 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 375 until the cheese begins to brown.

Since I doubled my batch, we're still eating this tonight. Maybe I'll take a picture then...

By the way - this is very NOT healthy. 11 WW points...if you use the light Italian sausage and whole wheat pasta.

Carbs, carbs, carbs!

Like I need those, right? I've been eating the Penne a la Vodka from last week for days now. We managed to get 6 meals out of it, which is good, but still...I'm a little done with pasta. And it does not help that my monthly Aggie Women's Networking luncheon is held at Maggiano's.

If you haven't been to Maggiano's, please go. You are missing out. My cousin, Bear, thinks it's something close to God's greatest Italian. Probably because you can order family style and they keep bringing more and more food...and come on, his name is Bear. What do you expect? Jason worries that I won't ever want to go back to Maggiano's, but I can safely say that he is wrong! I mean, I do get to go once a month, but I don't get my favorite Chicken Parmesan. This month we started with the Maggiano's Salad and a Caesar Salad. For the entree, they served Meat Lasagna and Chicken & Spinach Manicotti. This was the first time we've had the Manicotti (I'm partial to the Rigatoni D) but it was fantastic! I'll be ordering that on my next dinner trip with Jason! Of course we get dessert...Cheesecake, with some of the best strawberries I've had this year, and Tiramisu. Who can beat that?

As if I had not consumed enough carbs this week, I decided to make french fries for dinner last night. Jason was in class, so I didn't want to cook much and I really needed to finish a bag of potatoes.

Garlic & Cumin Seasoned Fries with Chipotle Ketchup adapted from Cooking Light

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t lemon juice (calls for lime)
• 1/4 t chili powder (calls for chipotle chili powder...I only had regular)
• 1/2 t ground cumin
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 2 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" strips
• 1 T olive oil
• Tony Chachere's seasoning, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, with your baking sheet in the oven. I used my Pampered Chef stone and this was perfect! Mix the first 4 ingredients and set aside. Toss the potatoes in the oil, cumin, salt and garlic powder. Spread them on the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 10-15 minutes, toss and bake another 5-10 minutes. Serve with the ketchup.

And, as if we didn't have enough carbs I'm making Baked Ziti tonight. Though, this was a request. Jason is riding in the MS 150 this weekend (a bike ride from Houston to Austin, 150 miles) so he needs the carbs! I'll just have to eat more salad...

You can never have enough Vodka.

Ok, you probably can. And I can say that I probably have had too much Vodka, which is why I tend to avoid drinking it. But sometimes...you don't have a choice, right? Friday my hotel sponsored a hole at a golf tournament. The theme of the tournament was Mardi Gras so we had this great idea to serve purple (Purple Passion), green (Sour Apple) and gold (Lemon Drop) martinis. Then it rained. A lot. And the temperature dropped to about 63 degrees. If you don't golf, I can tell you that it is not ideal weather for golfing. After seeing about 5 out of 25 teams, they called the tournament and left me with about 4 gallons of martinis made with Ketel One that could not be returned. Fantastic...if you drink Vodka!

So, Friday night Jason and I once again tried drinking martinis...and decided that we still don't really like them. I ended up passing them on to a friend to take to her boat for the weekend...I'll stick with my red wine and beer! I've really been craving Penne a la Vodka and had everything at home...so what the heck, since I also had 3 gallons of martinis we decided to add Vodka to our dinner.

I can say this is probably the most unhealthy meal I've cooked in a LONG time! I used regular pasta (not whole wheat) and whole cream (not half-and-half) and boy was it good!!

Penne a la Vodka

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 14-oz cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 10-oz can tomato paste
• Salt & pepper
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t dried basil
• 1 t dried parsley
• 1/2 cup whole cream
• 1/4 cup Vodka (you can add more, but this was all we had)
• 12-oz penne pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta. Brown the turkey with the onion and garlic. Drain an excess liquid. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and seasoning. Cook through. Add in the cream and Vodka, stir. Drain the pasta and toss to serve.