Menu #68

X-man missed 2 days of school last week because he was sick with an ugly cold and now it’s my turn.  L  I’m in the recovery stage of an ugly cold and I can’t wait to be over this!  His sick-day soup of choice was tomato soup, which was pretty much all he ate last week.  My sick-day soup of choice is chicken noodle with lots of garlic and I definitely feel better after having it.  My mom always made garlicky soups and honey teas for me when I wasn't feeling well and it always made me feel better. . .and still does. 

Garlicky Chicken Noodle Soup

yields:  4 servings w/ leftovers

2 split chicken breasts

6 cups cold water

2 T grape seed oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 handfuls of baby carrots, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

S&P

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 qt chicken stock

2 bay leaves

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t poultry seasoning

2 large handfuls of whole-wheat egg noodles

Place the chicken breast in a pot and pour in the 6 cups of water and add a pinch of water.  Allow the water to just come to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.  Poach the chicken for 30 minutes, remove from the water, and allow to cool before cutting into bite-size pieces.  Strain the poaching liquid and set aside for later use. 

In a large pot heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions, carrots, and celery, season with S&P, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes.  Add the reserved poaching liquid, chicken stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning, and season with S&P.  When it comes to a boil, partially cover the pot with a lid, lower the heat to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn the heat up to medium and add the noodles to boil about 10 minutes, then add the cubed chicken and cook until warmed through and the noodles are tender. 

Tuesday:  Garlicky Chicken Noodle Soup/salad & breadsticks

Wednesday:  Leftover soup, salad, & breadsticks

Thursday:  Chicken Marsala/garlic & olive oil whole-wheat penne w/ zucchini

Friday:  Coconut-Curry Chicken Thighs w/ peppers/steamed jasmine rice

Saturday:  Fall Dinner Party!  Menu:  TBD

I’m having my BFF over for an early birthday dinner combined with a belated birthday dinner for her hubby.  It’s going to be a fun night filled with yummy food, tasty wine, and great conversation.   I haven’t quite decided on the menu yet though.  I want it to be comforting, Fall festive, and delicious, of course.  My first thought was a pancetta-wrapped pork roast w/ creamy baked polenta and butternut-pepper soup for a starter, but I’m now leaning towards a large pot of Beef Bourguignon over buttered noodles with a cheese, nut, & dried fruit platter for a starter.  I’m thinking something with apples for dessert. . .

Sunday:  Party Leftovers!

Slow-Cooker Italian Pork Roast

This is a simple pork roast recipe that can easily be adapted to whatever you have on hand.  I used up some leftover vegetables from the week before along with herbs from the garden.  It was supposed to be served with polenta but I didn't have everything I needed for that, so I went with pesto smashed potatoes and parmesan roasted broccoli.  It was a delicious meal!

For the broccoli, I drizzled broccoli florets with olive oil and seasoned with S&P and roasted them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, added shredded parmesan cheese and roasted for another 5 minutes.  For the potatoes, I just made regular mashed potatoes with milk and a little butter and added a couple of large spoonfuls of pesto.

The next day I made little pesto tater tots with the leftover smashed potatoes and they were so tasty!  I used the same recipe for my regular mashed potato cakes omitting the addition of green onions.  I then placed them on parchment paper and baked them in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, turning them over during the baking process to brown all sides.  I served them with a marinara dipping sauce. . .yum!  I actually don't have a pic of the finished tots because they went so quickly!  :-)

Slow-Cooker Italian Pork Roast

1 handful of parsley leaves

10 basil leaves

2 large sprigs of rosemary

1 T minced garlic

1-1/2 t salt

5 grinds of fresh black pepper

2 lb pork sirloin roast

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 C diced tomatoes

1/2 container sliced cremini mushrooms

1/2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth

Coarsely chop up all the herbs and set them in a mortar along with the garlic and S&P.  

Use a pestle to grind everything into a paste.  You could easily use a small food processor for this step if you don’t have a mortar and pestle. 

Rub the garlic-herb paste all over the pork roast.  Heat up the oil in a large pan over high heat and sear the roast on all sides, creating an herb crust.

Put the carrots and onions into the slow cooker and add the roast on top.  Add the tomatoes on top of the roast along with the mushrooms and pour the chicken broth around the roast.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  

Menu #67

Orange Fudge

Wow…last week was crazy!  But we survived and it was actually a lot of fun.  I had Red Ribbon Week, which was a success, and there was all the excitement of Halloween, which was a blast!  I'll post about that yummy orange fudge later this week. 

Xavier the Green Ninja

This was our first year of real trick-or-treating because our old house always had tons of trick-or-treat traffic and X loved handing out candy to everyone.  This year we only have about 10 kids in our cul-de-sac, so everyone trick-or-treats in the community behind us.  Xavier the Green Ninja (he made us call him that all night!) ran into half his class and trick-or-treated with a group of friends the whole night.  He declared it the best Halloween ever!  J

Laddie & Xavier's favorite Halloween decoration!

This week’s menu doesn’t start until Tuesday night because we had our end-of-the-season soccer party last night at a pizza place.  The kids had a blast but X woke up not feeling well this morning and had to stay home sick.  L  I’m making a batch of chicken noodle soup this afternoon for him to have the next couple days.  As for Laddie and I, this is what we’re having this week. . .

Tuesday:  Slow-Cooker ItalianPork Roast/polenta/roasted broccoli

I’m going to post the pork roast recipe later this week.  I’m using up a bunch of leftover stuff from last week, including mushrooms, tomatoes, broth, and crossing my fingers it comes out like I’m envisioning. 

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Crispy Parmesan FishSticks w/ marinara dipping sauce/buttered noodles/garlicky spaghetti squash

Hopefully X-man is feeling better at this point so he can eat one of his favorite meals. 

Friday:  Crispy Beef Tacos w/ all the fixings/cilantro-lime rice/calabacitas

Saturday:  X-man’s classmate’s Birthday Party

We have been invited to a birthday party at one of X’s favorite classmates’ house.  He’s really excited and we get along great with the parents, so this should be a lot of fun. 

Sunday:  San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos!

I’m not sure what we’re doing yet, but I do know we are watching this game with Xavier’s soccer coach and her family as well as his soccer assistant coach’s family.  They are hardcore Chargers fans and BDL is a hardcore Broncos fan, so this will be a lot of fun.  We just don’t know if we’re hosting or coach is hosting. . .we’ll probably flip a coin.  ;-)

Beef-Barley-Kale Soup

I love soup season!  This is a hearty, delicious soup that’s perfect for a chilly autumn night.  It’s even better the next day for leftovers too.  Xavier loved the soup with exception of the kale.  He doesn't like the texture kale, spinach, or any of the greens take on once they wilt, which I completely understand because I hated that texture as a child also.  He had a bowl of broth with lots of barley and carrots and had raw kale and a breadstick on the side; compromise that everyone can agree happily upon.  ;-) 

Beef-Barley-Kale Soup

2 T grape seed oil

3 carrots, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb ground beef

S&P, to taste

14.5-oz can diced tomatoes

4 C beef broth

4 C chicken broth

2 C water

1 C barley

1 bunch kale, stemmed & chopped

In a dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat up the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the carrots and onion and cook until starting to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.  

Add the ground beef, season with S&P, and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add the broths and water, season with S&P, and allow to come to a boil.  

Add the barley and cook about 10 minutes.  Add the kale and cook another 10 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and serve.  

Menu #66

Do you know that when Xavier started Kindergarten I thought to myself, “Wow, all the free time I’ll have!”  Silly me!  With all the fall activities lately, I haven’t had a chance to make a real menu, much less post one.  There was a ton to do for the school’s Fall Festival the last couple weeks,  but I did go shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables and kind of just threw things together with what I had in the pantry and freezer.  Then I went straight to getting everything in order for our Red Ribbon Week, which kicked off this morning. 

Even with all the hustle and bustle, I’ve managed to get dinner on the table every night (except weekend nights…that’s my time off!).  The key has been simplicity.  I’ve been making very quick dinners and have been using the slow-cooker constantly.   

Above is a super delish butternut squash-red pepper soup I made last week that everyone loved.  I roasted the butternut squash in the morning while we were getting ready for school, which saved a lot of time in the evening.  Here’s the recipe. . .

Creamy Butternut-Red Pepper Soup

3 T grape seed oil

1 butternut squash

S&P, to taste

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

4 cups chicken broth

1 C heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Split the squash in half, remove the seeds, drizzle with 1 T grape seed oil, season with salt, and roast for about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Heat 2 T grape seed oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add the bell peppers, onion, and carrot, and season with salt & pepper.   Cook the vegs until starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes.  

Scoop the butternut squash pulp into the pot and stir. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20-30 minutes.  Remove from the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until very smooth, add cream, and taste for seasoning. 

I served ours with a crumbled bacon garnish and garlic wheat toast. 

This week’s menu. . .

Monday:  Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Sliders/slow-cooker BBQ potatoes/broccoli salad

I sliced 4 small red potatoes and added them to the slow cooker.  I then seasoned 2 very large chicken breasts with BBQ seasoning, cut into 4 smaller chunks, and added them to the slow cooker also.  I topped the whole thing with about 1/2 C BBQ sauce.  Six hours later, I will have a yummy dish of shredded BBQ chicken sliders with BBQ potatoes served with a dollop of Greek yogurt and sliced scallions.

Tuesday:  Smorgasbord Night!    

We have plenty of leftovers to work on, including the yummy butternut squash soup above. 

Wednesday:  Italian Subs/pickles/baked onion rings or fries/fruit salad

Thursday:  Happy Halloween!!!  Ghost Pizzas/bloody eyeballs/witch’s fingers

Halloween menu translation—Ghost-shaped white pizzas with sliced black olives for eyes and mouths, turkey meatballs in marinara, and baby carrots with almond slices for fingernails.  J  Our school’s PTA is making Halloween goodies for the teachers, so I’m making orange fudge also. 

Friday:  Dinner Out or Take-Out
This is the last day of Red Ribbon Week and I know I'll be exhausted.  Were having sushi...just not sure if we're eating out or in.

Saturday:  Grilled Steaks & Prawns/baked potatoes/salad

Sunday:  Chicken Egg Rolls/veg pot stickers/rice noodle salad w/ peanut vinaigrette

Menu #65

So Happy!

Yesterday’s menu was delayed because my whole family came to visit and we had a blast while they were here!  We went to the beach on Saturday with my mom, brother, sis-in-law, niece, and uncle and had one of the best times ever at the beach.  The tide was so low, the weather was absolutely perfect, and everybody was smiling and laughing.  I love days like those!  Then my other brother gave us all a surprise visit on Sunday morning with his twin babies and his fiancé!  We watched football together all day, Xavier showed off his bike and soccer prowess as much as he could, and we had a fab BBQ of ribs, garlic-parmesan potatoes, baked beans, watermelon, and ended the whole thing off with homemade chocolate M&M ice cream. . .yum!  We had a houseful but Xavier could not have been more delighted.  The last of my family left last night, so here I am getting things back in order today. 

First things first, this week’s menu. . .

Tuesday:  Leftovers

We have so many leftovers!!!

Wednesday:  Slow-Cooker Salsa Chicken Tostadas/cilantro-lime rice/refried beans/avocado-mango salsa

I have a lot going on tomorrow with Red Ribbon Week prep and volunteering for after-school movie, so I’m throwing salsa and chicken thighs in the slow cooker to do all the work for me.  I’m prepping my mango salsa in the morning with the addition of avocado.  All I’ll have to do when I get home is steam the rice and make refried beans.

Thursday:  Leftover Makeover--Chicken Chilaquilles/cilantro-lime rice/beans/avocado-mango salsa

I’m going to use leftover corn tortillas and chicken and layer them in a baking dish with cheese and salsa to make chilaquilles. 

Friday:  Parmesan Fish Sticks/mac n cheese/fruit salad

Laddie has a booth at the Del Mar Home Improvement Show this weekend, so it’s just me and the little guy for dinner.  I let him pick dinner for both Friday and Saturday, and I’m actually pretty pleased with his choices.  J

Saturday:  Roasted Red Pepper-Tomato Soup & garlic-parmesan bread

Sunday:  Homemade Pizza/salad

X-man & Cousin Ken :)

Menu #64

Cowboy Bowls

These sausage-bean-rice bowls are definitely in Laddie’s top 5 comforting dinners.  This is the kind of food he grew up eating on their ranch in Minnesota, which is where the name, Cowboy Bowls, comes from.  It’s a warm, comforting bowl of rice topped with sausage, beans, and peppers and then splashed with hot sauce.  This particular Cowboy Bowl was filled with Mayacoba beans, jasmine rice, and an array of hot & sweet peppers from our garden. . .Yum!

I’m running short on time, so straight to this week’s menu. . .

Monday:  Beer Can Chicken on the Grill/garlicky red potatoes/salad

Didn’t get to this last week. . .

Tuesday:  Chicken Salad Sliders/potato salad/fruit

Using leftovers from last night.

Wednesday:  Slow-Cooker Hawaiian Pork/steamed brown jasmine rice/edamame

Thursday:  Mac n Cheese/salad/fruit

BDL is on an overnight business trip to OR, so I let X-man pick dinner.  J

Friday:  Leftovers

Saturday:  ???

My mom, brother, and my brother’s new girlfriend are coming to visit for the weekend.  We haven’t decided if we’re going to BBQ at our place or go out to eat. 

Sunday:  Pizza Dip & Italian White Bean Dip w/ soft pretzels & veggies 

Football Lounge Day!  We're eating pretzels & veggies with yummy dips while we watch the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. . .Go 49ers!!! I'll post about both of these yummy dips next week!