Menu #54

I'm having issues uploading pics to my computer right now and I'm hoping to have it resolved by tomorrow.  For now, here's this week's menu.

Monday:  Leftovers

Tuesday:  Meatball Zucchini Boats/tomato-sweet pepper orzo/spinach-arugula salad
This time I seasoned the meatballs with Mexican flavors and topped them with salsa when they came out of the oven.  They were delicious!

Wednesday:  Grilled Hot Dogs/3-bean chili/grilled potato wedges

Thursday:  Chicken Pad Thai/edamame

Friday:  Pizza Delivery or Out to Pizza

Saturday:  Spanakopita Burgers in whole-wheat pitas w/ cucumber-yogurt sauce/couscous salad/fruit salad
I've been meaning to post this recipe and I plan to next week.  This is a great burger made with ground turkey, spinach, & feta.  It's delicious & healthy!

Sunday:  Housewarming Party #2!  BBQ Tri-Tip & Grilled Salmon or Shrimp/cucumber-tomato salad/BLT pasta salad/rolls/make-your-own sundae bar

Menu #53

Sloppy Joes is a favorite in the Waller home.  It’s cheap, easy, and satisfyingly comforting.  It’s one of those meals that always takes me back to childhood, especially served with corn on the side.  Here’s my recipe. . .

Sloppy Joes

3 T brown sugar

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 t  paprika

S&P, to taste

1 T extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 T minced garlic

2 T tomato paste

1 lb ground beef

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T Worcestershire

2 C crushed tomatoes

Mix together brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and S&P to make a Sloppy Joe spice mix and set aside. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onions & peppers and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic & tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the meat & season with the spice mix.  When the meat has browned, reduce heat to medium and add red wine vinegar & Worcestershire and cook another 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir to combine, reduce heat to a simmer and cook another 20 minutes longer.

This week’s menu:

Monday:  Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken/quinoa & black beans

Tuesday:  Sausage-kale-potato soup/whole-wheat rolls

Wednesday:  Shrimp Salad over greens/whole-wheat rolls

I’m also teaching a Lil’ Chefs School on this afternoon.  We’re making cheese ravioli out of wonton wrappers along with a make-your-own veg salad. 

Thursday:  Chicken-Broccoli Stir Fry/steamed brown rice/edamame & mandarin oranges

Friday:  Movie @ The Park!  Quinoa-Spinach Patties in Pitas/hummus & pita chips/whole-wheat couscous salad/lemon bars

We’re going to picnic while watching Madagascar 3 at one of our local parks.  J

Saturday:  Housewarming Party #1!  Chicken-Sausage-Veg Kabobs/corn salad/pasta salad/chocolate fountain w/ fruit

This is the 1^st round of housewarming parties we are throwing this summer.  We decided to divide the parties into several throughout the summer rather than one huge one, so that we have more conversation time with all our guests (and not too many kids at one time).  ;-)

Sunday:  Party Leftovers!  

Dino Cookie Sandwiches & Chunky Monkey Tails!

Summer has hit hard in our area and I’ve been continuously trying to find things to keep a very active 5-year-old busy indoors that’s both cheap and entertaining.  We’ve done the movies, bowling, library, board games, but X-man’s favorite indoor activity has definitely been making fun frozen treats! 

Last week we read How Do Dinosaurs Eat Cookies by Jane Yolen.  At the end of this book are two cookie recipes—Cinnamasaurus Rex (cinnamon oatmeal cookie) and Fossilized Lemon Tracks (lemon sugar cookie).  Xavier was adamant about baking the “Cinnamasaurus Rex” cookies.  Although the temp was high outside we were in air conditioning, so the cookie baking began.  As they were baking we came up with the genius idea to make them into ice cream sandwiches, and just like that the Dino Cookie Sandwich was born!  I followed the book’s recipe, except for using different sugar and using half whole-wheat flour, and they were delicious cookies—very spicy with the cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves.  We all loved them!

Dino Cookie Sandwiches

1 C softened butter

1 C organic cane sugar (you can totally use granulated sugar; this is just what I had on hand)

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 T honey

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 T cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

1/4 t ground cloves

1 C AP flour

1 C whole-wheat flour

3 C old-fashioned oats

Vanilla ice cream, softened

In a large bowl, cream together butter & sugars with an electric mixer.  Add 1 egg at a time until fully incorporated.  Add the other ingredients in order, mixing well each time.  One you’ve added the oats, you’ll have to mix by hand.  Roll the dough into small balls and flatten them out a bit.  They do spread, so give them space on the cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375. 

After they’ve cooled, scoop softened ice cream onto one cookie and smoosh down with another cookie.  Wrap these cookie sandwiches individually with plastic wrap and stick in the freezer until hardened.

This week we read Naughty Little Monkeys by Jim Aylesworth, which he absolutely loves because there’s a monkey named Xavier in the book.  We decided to link a fun frozen treat to this book also and came up with the Chunky Monkey Tail, so simple and easy but great entertainment for the 5-year-old.  J 

Chunky Monkey Tails

4 bananas

32 oz semi-sweet chocolate melts

Chopped almonds

8 popsicle sticks

Line a cookie sheet/cutting board/plate (anything that will fit in your freezer) with waxed paper or parchment. Cut the bananas in half & insert a popsicle stick into each banana half.  Place the bananas on lined sheet/board/plate and freeze  at least 1 hour.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave according to package.  Set the chopped nuts in a plate. 

Dip the frozen banana into the chocolate & then roll in the nuts.  Return to the freezer until they’ve hardened.  

Menu #52

Hello, I’m back!  Here’s my new kitchen!  This is a pic of the functioning half with the most used hardware; the other half has a small island in a breakfast nook with a small recessed area  we use for bar/coffee station and, of course, the refrigerator (I just couldn’t get an un-fuzzy pic of that half).  

It’s been quite an eventful last couple of weeks.  My first week on hiatus was filled with packing, moving, catering, and the second week was filled with unpacking, a visit from my whole family, and Xavier’s pre-K graduation.  The highlights were definitely visiting with the twin babies and X-man’s graduation ceremony!  I give a huge round of applause for his teachers who put together a marvelous ceremony.  They managed to teach the whole class of 4- to 5-year-olds The Star Spangled Banner!  I was astonished to see my little man sing every single word!  Congratulations Sea Star Class of 2013 and big cheers for Ms. Tonia & Ms. Jackie!!!

Although I am done unpacking, I still have quite a bit to do around the house before I consider us completely moved in.  I’m so relieved to get back to a planned weekly menu.  Without it, dinner time was such a fiasco.  With that being said, here’s this week’s menu. . .

Monday:  Grilled BBQ Salmon/potato wedges/salad

I’m going to concoct a BBQ sauce with garlic, onion, tomato puree, honey, OJ, amino acids, & olive oil.  I’m basically using ingredients I have in my kitchen at the moment.  I’ll post the outcome on a later date.  X-man will get plain salmon with garlic & olive oil only, as he’s not into glazes & sauces.

Tuesday:  Sloppy Joes/blackbean-corn salad/watermelon

Wednesday:  Chinese Chicken Salad/veg egg rolls

Thursday:  4^th of July Picnic—BLT wraps/pasta salad/chips/fruit salad/red, white, & blue Jell-o squares & white chocolate covered strawberries dipped in blue sprinkles.  J 

We’re heading to a local park for their festivities & firework show.  Happy & Safe 4^th of July to All!

Friday:  Grilled Pizzas/salad/fruit

It’s make-your-own pizza night, so I’ll just scrounge together every veg, meat, & cheese we have in the fridge and make a pizza/salad bar.

Saturday:  Going to The Feasts for a belated 4^th of July celebration—Berry Shortcakes

Our friends live right next to Pechanga Casino and every year the Pechanga tribe throws a huge 4^th of July Pow Wow, including a large firework show, the 1^st weekend of July.  They’re having us over for dinner and firework show from their front yard.  I’m contributing berry shortcakes for dessert.  I’m making raspberry, blueberry, & strawberry sauces and topping them over sponge cupcakes.  I’m topping that with a whipped cream frosting and garnishing with the appropriate berry. . .yummy!  I’ll post about them on a later date.

Sunday:  Dinner & Movie Out

We’re heading out to watch Despicable Me 2, which X-man cannot wait to see.  I’ve been craving sushi, so we’ll probably go out for Japanese. 

On hiatus. . .

Taking a small break from blogging until after the move. . .

Chicken Sausage-Kale Pasta & Meatball Zucchini Boats

Chicken Sausage-Kale Pasta

I know I missed my Tuesday’s weekly menu post, but it’s been hectic around here.  I have now started cooking for another couple, so that brings my weekly menu total to 4 including ours.  This is a big feat out of my little kitchen!  I also have another catering gig for a local small business mixer next week, which I’ve stupidly bravely decided to work on my own.  Did I mention we also bought a house and will be moving in 2 weeks!!!  Uggh…I’m getting anxious just thinking about what the next few weeks have in store for me.  So, with that being said, I’m thinking I may mix it up and change it to Weekly Menu Monday…it’s got a better ring to it, don’t you think?

Here's a peek at what what's been going on in my kitchen this week:

Chicken Sausage-Kale Pasta (top photo)

servings:  8-10

2 bunches of kale, ribs removed & coarsely chopped

2 boxes whole-wheat linguine

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 lb chicken sausage

S&P, to taste

red pepper flakes, to taste

1/2 C white wine (I used a light, drinkable Pinot Grigio...you can tell how drinkable by the emptiness of the bottle!)

1 C chicken stock

5-oz container of Italian Cheese Blend (asiago, parmesan, romano)

First you need to bring a large pot of salted water to boil; this will be for both the kale & pasta.  Blanch the kale for 5 minutes and remove with a seive or sloted spoon.  Let the water come back up to a boil and cook the pasta 1 minute under what it says on the box.  Reserve a ladle-ful of pasta water to add to the dish later.

Meanwhile in a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Cook the sausage until browned.  Add the blanched kale, season w/ S&P and red pepper flakes, and cook another 5 minutes.  Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Add chicken stock (I had homemade on hand from poaching for something else, but you could easily just omit this & just add extra pasta water) and a ladle-ful of pasta water.  Bring the liquids to a boil & add cooked pasta.  Season w/ S&P and mix together until everything is incorporated well.  Remove from heat, add the cheese and mix to make a creamy, cheesy sauce.

*This recipe was for a large amount, you can easily cut this in half for 4-5 servings.

**For the Paleo menu, I also made a similar dish subbing spaghetti squash for the whole-wheat linguine & omitting the cheese.

Meatball Zucchini Boats

Meatball Zucchini Boats

Serves:  4 zucchini boats

2 zucchini

extra-virgin olive oil

16 baked meatballs 

2 C tomato-basil sauce

shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow out the middle.  Place the zucchini in a baking dish & spray/drizzle them with olive oil.  Place 4 meataballs inside each zucchini boat and bake until zucchini is tender & meatballs are warmed through, about 35 minutes.  

Meanwhile warm up tomato sauce to serve over the zucchini boats when they are taken out of the oven (I used my Italian Tomato Sauce recipe & added a handful of chopped basil at the end).  Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

Zucchini "Noodle" Chicken Soup

I mentioned last week that I started making Paleo meals for a couple, and this is one of the lunches I prepared for their menu this past week.  It’s just as comforting and satisfying as chicken noodle soup but without the actual noodles.  I cut up a couple zucchini into thin, noodle-like strands by hand, but if you have a mandolin or some sort of julienne-cutting contraption it would be significantly quicker.  I also made my own chicken stock and used the poached chicken from that. 

Zucchini “Noodle” Chicken Soup

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

4 carrots, diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced

S&P, to taste

1/2 C fresh thyme, chopped

1 stem fresh rosemary, chopped

2 bay leaves

10 C chicken stock

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast, poached & chopped (you can use rotisserie or leftover roasted chicken)

2 zucchini, cut into noodle-like strands

1/2 C fresh parsley, chopped

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cook carrots, celery, & onion about 5 minutes.  Season with S&P and add thyme, rosemary, & bay leaves.  Cook another 3 minutes.  Add chicken stock and allow it to come to a boil.  Turn the heat down to medium, season again with S&P, and add chicken & zucchini.  Allow the soup to simmer until the zucchini is tender & the chicken is warmed through.  Add the parsley & serve.