For the love of sanity.......

I am having some serious mental warfare with myself.. I have been in the house for the past 5 DAYS with sick kiddos (except for a trip to the pet store and for those of you who know me well that is about as fun to me as getting a Brazilian wax) and it is snowing outside and I have not taken a shower in 3 days and there are loads of laundry needing to be bleached and I have wiped off more snotty noses then I care to remember and the damn dog won't stop barking and there is a certain 2 1/2 year old who won't let me go pee by myself and I am coming to the realization that those awesome pants that I bought 2 months ago should probably be returned because whose kidding herself, who knows when the next time will be that I will be hanging out with a crowd that does not drink their cock/mocktails from a sippy cup and if I have to play with one more freaking barbie I might scream and it is snowing outside and I have not been out of the house for 5 DAYS!!!

So one might conjecture that I may have a bit of cabin fever and the only way for me to not totally loose it is to update my blog which has been hibernating for longer than I care to admit...

So without further ado, here are some really great recipes that would be great for those Sunday afternoons when time is on your side and you want to eat something that makes your whole self giddy with yummy happines.

Pulled Pork

( I mean...really awesome). PERFECT for the Super Bowl.

Italian Wedding Soup
* So good that my husband wanted to marry me again!

Chile Relleno Casserole
* Don't count the calories, just eat it!

Pulled Pork
Ingredients:
4 pound pork shoulder roast
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 jalapenos seeded and cut into rings (if kiddos are eating this I just use 1)
1 red onion, roughly chopped

Directions:
Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Place 2 large sheets of foil (overlapping 3 inches) on a work surface and place the pork in the center.
Season all over with salt and pepper and cumin.
Spoon jam over pork, turning to coat.
Alter jalapenos and onion around pork.

Fold over foil and crimp edges to seal.
Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender - about 4 hours.

Unwrap pork, preserving juices and discard foil.

Use a fork to shred the pork and remove bone.

Transfer to a bowl and pour the cooking juices, onion, and jalapenos over the pork and toss.

Serve over crusty rolls with coleslaw or in tortillas with cilantro and lime wedges.

Slow Cooker:
Use all the same ingredients and place in slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours.



Italian Wedding Soup
* Ina Garten: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

Meatballs:
1/4 lb ground chicken
1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs. I use store bought, but don't tell Ina!
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving. * I just used Parmesan and it was great.
3 TBSP milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and Pepper

Soup:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 up 1/4-inc-diced carrots (3 carrots)
3/4 cup 1/4-inch-diced celery (2 stalks)
10 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill. * I used dried dill. Use about 1/2 Tbsp
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed.


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesean, milk, egg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork.

With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4 inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs.)

Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for S&P. Stir in fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.


Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients:
8 Anaheim chilies or 2 (7 ounce) cans whole green chiles drained, rinsed, and patted.
1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese cut into 8 sticks.
3 Eggs
1 jalapeno chile seeded and minced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Stuff chiles with cheese and place into baking dish.
* If you are using fresh chilis you need to get the skin off. Use this tutorial to learn how.
Beat together eggs, minced jalapeno, flour, milk, salt and pour over chilis.
Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 35 minutes and cool for 10.

Burger Me If You Please

When it comes to burgers, I have never given them much TLC. I usually see it as my "night off" meal with limited prep time and no actual cooking since the hubs does that part.. Throw some store bought french fries in the oven and call it dinner..But, I recently had a burger at my parents' house that was beyond delish...so good in fact that I was dreaming about it two hours after I had eaten it..... Leave it to Momma Gruen to rock it again and again!


One major tip she gave to a beyond good burger is to not skimp on the fat content. I tend to get lean meat (7% fat) but I highly suggest 20% fat. I promise that once you take a bite you will be in such burger heaven that you won't even think about the extra calories...


So as you plan your upcoming summer bbqs keep this tasty menu in mind as you are sure to get a lot of empty plates and full tummies!

Summer BBQ Menu

*O.M.G Burger

*Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta

*Summer Berry Cobbler

O.M.G Burger
2 lbs Ground meat 80/20 (this should make aprox 8 1/4 pounders).
1 TBSP dijon mustard
3 TBSP olive oil
1TBSP minced garlic. About 3 cloves
1 Tsp minced fresh thyme, or 1/2 Tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and Pepper to taste.


Add ingredients and with your clean hands mix until combined. Divide into 8 equal patties.. I recommend making the patties at least 1/2 hour before hand and placing them in the fridge so that they set.

BBQ or Broil


*Sides can include sliced tomato, red onion, sliced pickles, cheese, mayo, mustard, and ketchup.



Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta

2 cups orzo

I large red onion chopped

1 medium size eggplant

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/4-cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly chopped basil leaves

1 (4 ounce) package crumbled feta

2 tbsp pine nuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop up the onion. eggplant and peppers into bit sized pieces. Place into a mixing bowl and add the minced garlic, seasonings and a 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Mix together and place on a baking sheet so that it is evenly distributed. Place in oven for aprox 30 – 45 mins.

In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook orzo per package directions.

In the meantime, on low heat in a small sauté brown the pine nuts for aprox 5 mins.

Combine oil and lemon juice.

When orzo is al dente, remove from heat, drain and place in a large serving bowl. Pour the lemon/oil dressing into the warm orzo.

Add the roasted vegetables.

Let rest for aprox ½ hour and then add the pine nuts, feta and basil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Summer Berry Cobbler
* food Network
1 pint blueberries

1 pint raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced in half

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more, for dusting

Pinch cinnamon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 recipe Blueberry Scone Dough, recipe follows

Melted butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine berries with sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine. Spread berry mixture out on a 10-inch tart or gratin dish. Dollop spoonfuls of scone dough evenly over the top of the fruit; leave a border around the edge of the dish for spreading. Drizzle the surface with melted butter and dust with sugar. Set on a cookie sheet and bake for 25 to 35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the fruit juices bubbling.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with heavy cream, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Scones:

2 cups unbleached flour,

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut in chunks

3/4 cup buttermilk or cream

1 egg

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; mix thoroughly. Cut in butter using 2 forks or a pastry blender. The butter pieces should be coated with flour and resemble crumbs.

In another bowl, mix buttermilk and egg together, and then add to the flour mixture. Mix just to incorporate, do no overwork the dough.

She liked it...she liked it.... she really liked it!

So, when I started this blog a mere 6 months ago I had two pretty stellar eaters. Chicken sure, extra helping of broccoli, of course..But now I am seeing some unrest within the natives. Bribery, pleading and yes sometimes threatening seem to be the only ways to get these ladies to actually finish a meal. I have received advice - some solicited and some not -and have implemented a few suggestions, but I am about to raise my flag and surrender to the powerful and ruthless 3 1/2 and two year old. Who knew at only 38 inches tall I would feel like I was trying to take down Goliath every night around 6ish... So, I am trying to bring my A-game to the dinner table these days and tonight I hit a home run. I have to say that it was risky, because as you will see it includes Collard Greens - EEK - but to my delight it went unnoticed and I received limited complaining.... Or maybe it was because there was a high fructose corn syrup circus animal cookie tempting them to eat there dinner or ELSE!!!

I also thought that it was really delicious and plus it was healthy (don't tell the hubs) and he would have thought that it was good too if he had not headed out the door to have a dude date, right at dinner, before bedtime, right when all hell breaks loose - but I digress....

So please enjoy and check the blog out at the end of the week and I will have some new yummies to share that will be perfect for your entertaining repertoire.


White-Bean Chili
* Paula Deen for Food Network (Modified)

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

* 1 tablespoon minced garlic

* 3/4 cup diced onion

* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, finely chopped

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin

* 1/2 - 1 tablespoon Chili powder

* 1 tablespoon dried oregano

* Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

* 1 pound collard greens, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 5 cups)

* 1 quart low sodium chicken broth

* 2 cups navy beans, soaked per directions

* Light sour cream, chopped tomatoes and/or lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion; cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and then the garlic for an additional minute until slightly softened. Add the chicken, cumin, oregano, and chili powder. Season with salt and 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is slightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the collard greens and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and pre-soaked beans and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 45 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Transfer the chili to bowls and garnish with light sour cream, chopped tomatoes and/or lime wedges, if desired.

Take that Taco Bell

I hate to admit it but I have a slight addiction to Taco Bell - which all started when I was pregnant with Madeline (and continued with Juliette) and without any guilt would splurge on combo #6 of a grilled stuffed chicken burrito, nachos, and just to be healthy a large sprite :) Pretty gnarly...

But now that I am 21 months out from being pregnant I find myself having to have a serious pep talk around lunch time to not run to the border and stuff my face.. And sometimes I can talk myself out of it and other times I simply relish in the taste of cheesy bean goodness with a little hot sauce to top it off.. But through this addiction I have figured out a way to get a similar and much healthier option in the comforts of my own house.....I have to admit that I do have an extra stock of taco bell hot sauce in the cupboard because La Victoria just doesn't cover it... But that is really not necessary... I guess.
* I modify this for the girls focusing mainly on beans and cheese.


Grilled Stuffed Burrito
1 burrito sized tortilla.

1/3 Meat - Shredded chicken, beef, or shrimp. For the chicken and beef I like to use the slow cooker to get the perfect shredded consistency.

1/4 shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup beans. I really like refried for this... makes it really taco belly. But black beans work well.

1 Tbsp diced green chilies

1 1/2 Tbsp Taco sauce.

2 tbsp sour cream

Directions
1. Spread all ingredients on the top portion of the burrito leaving aprox 1 inch on the top uncovered.














2. Fold both right and left side 1/3rd of the way in.













3. Fold the top down and roll.













5. End with seam side down.

6. Over the stove top preheat a skillet over medium heat for aprox 5 mins.

7. Spray seam side with Pam and place in the preheated pan for 3 mins.














8. Spray the other side, flip and cook for another 3 to 4 mins.

Seconds Please

Thanks to Mama Gruen, this weekend we had the best homemade pizza I have ever eaten... Really, I mean it... I did cheat a little and use Trader Joes pizza dough, but really for $1.99 you can't beat it.. Actually, this whole meal can be purchased there which makes it really user friendly!

There are a few must dos when cooking this most awesomest meal.

1. This tomato sauce from Gweneth Paltrow's Goop is delish.. her singing may be debatable but she sure knows how to make a sauce.

2. Limited amounts of cheese, toppings and sauce. I tended in the past to add too much of all of these and it gets a bit soggy.

3. Use a preheated pizza stone.

4. Bake at 500 degrees on the lower rack for 10 mins.


If you do all of this you end up with mouth watering yumminess :)

Tomato Sauce
* From GOOP

Olive Oil

1 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes. San Marzanos are the BEST.. but if you can't find that then add a pinch of sugar to the sauce.

3 cloves of garlic.

Basil leaves

S & P

In a large saucepan, slowly cook three cloves of thinly sliced garlic in a couple tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes over low heat. Add two large, fresh basil leaves and stir for a minute. Add the whole, peeled tomatoes along with their juice and two more whole basil leaves. Bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat, season with salt and pepper and let it bubble away on low heat for 45 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

* You are going to have a lot left over, so this is great for pasta bakes or spaghetti.








Pepperoni Pizza
* All from Trader Joes

Pizza Dough
Tomato Sauce
1/2 of a medium sized fresh mozzarella ball, sliced
1/2 cup Quatro Formaggio shredded cheese
Pepperoni

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Make sure that one of your racks is in the lowest position in the oven.

Place pizza stone in for 1 hour prior to cooking.

Take pizza dough out of the fridge twenty minutes before cooking.

Flour a cutting board or a pizza board and roll out pizza dough. First make it into a ball and then start stretching it out by hand. Once you have your basic shape use a rolling pin. The pizza circle should be aprox 15 inches in diameter.

Use aprox 1/3 cup of sauce and spread evenly over dough.

Scatter the mozzarella, quattro formaggio, and then aprox 10 slices of pepperoni.

Then gently slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and cook for 10 minutes.

Take out of the oven and let rest for 5 mins.

* Not the best photo, but just to give you an idea :)

I Wanna Hear from YOU!

So, I hear through the grape vine that folks have been using the site, but I would love to hear more! I want to make sure that I am catering to YOUR needs, so what would you like more of? What could I do to make it easier for you to actually cook these recipes - besides coming to your house and doing it myself :) If/when you have the time, shoot me a comment or email because this blog is for you and to make your cooking experience easier and tastier!

Thanks

Tardy for the Party...

Sorry for the absence, but I was house bound for a few weeks with a terrible stomach flu and just so that I did not get too comfy with the idea of ever being well again, the mommy gods also graced me with a head cold and one trip to Urgent Care for ear pain and white dots on the tonsils...just an infection thank goodness.... but I did have about 6 hours in between where I was able to eat and actually taste my food, but the majority of my diet included a lot of saltines, Gatorade and chicken broth.. So I am back in the kitchen with some major cooking fire up my you know what and ready to dish up some uber tasty treats. Here are some really easy and family friendly meals that should give you some "hubs and kids props" but not over extend you too much...

Menu
Simple as 1.2.3
Panko crusted Fish Tacos
* I really love Panko.. It gives that extra crunch that you want!

Fried Rice
* This is great to do with leftover pork loin/chops and rice..It is like the ultimate Asian refrigerator round up meal!


Greek Chicken and Rice
* This has all the flavors of a high class meal, but it so easy and satisfying...

Delectable Desserts

Chocolate dipped strawberries
* Really, is there anything better??

Panko crusted Fish Tacos

* Adapted from Martha Stewart Fish Tacos and ingredients, inc

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups) *Or just use a bag of pre-cut up coleslaw mix

4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 egg white, beaten

1/2 cup skim milk

2 cups panko breadcrumbs

1 lb white fish fillets, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 (8-inch) flour tortillas

In a large bowl, combine sour cream and lime juice; season with salt and pepper. Toss cabbage and scallions with sour-cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

Combine egg and milk in a shallow dish. Combine panko on another plate. Dredge each fish strip in egg mixture then in panko, pressing crumbs to adhere.

Heat oil to medium heat in a large sauté pan 4 minutes on each side, turning once until until golden brown or fish flakes with a fork.

Warm tortillas in microwave 30 seconds.

To make tacos, fill tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro leaves.

Serve immediately.

Fried Rice

1 - 2 green onions, as desired

1 cup cut up pork loin/chop. Aprox 1 pound

1/2 cup frrozen peas

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

2 cups cold cooked rice

1 - 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Wash and finely chop the green onion.

Cut up pork into small cubes.

Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper.

Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons until they are lightly scrambled. Remove the eggs and clean out the pan.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the rice. Stir-fry for five minutes, using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to break it apart.

When the rice is heated through and a bit browned, add the scrambled egg back into the pan. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the green onion, peas, and pork and season with soy sauce.

Serve hot

Greek Chicken and Rice
2 TBLSP Olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breast
1 medium yellow onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 1/4 cups Chic Stock
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 1 TBSLp oil. Add chicken and brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.

Add remaining 1 TBLSP oil and saute onion and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Add remaining ingredients.

Return chicken to pan, cover, and bake until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes


Chocolate dipped strawberries

16 ounces milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

1 pound fresh strawberries with leaves

Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries.

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture.

Place on wax paper to set and refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving.