Yesterday was my one year anniversary of being married to my sweeeeetttt billy! I woke up early and made him breakfast to start the celebration. He doesn't really like pancakes or waffles (my favs) but he does love eggs, so I made him a farmer's omelet with bacon and biscuits for breakfast.
I just made canned biscuits! eassssyyyyyy!
For the bacon, I made it in the oven so it was nice and flat. 400 degrees for 15 minutes on a cookie sheet, done!
The omelet starts with sauteing some veggies-- 1/2 a bellpepper, 1 medium tomato, 1 jalapeno, 5 mini-potatoes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook until they are tender.
Remove the veggies to a plate and crack 3 eggs into a bowl with a little heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Beat the eggs together and then put into the hot skillet. Lift and turn the skillet and make sure that the eggs distribute evenly. After about a minute or so flip the whole thing over. Cook for another 30-45 seconds and then remove to a plate. Put the veggies in the middle of the omelet and then close!
Billy really liked his omelet! I like the bacon in the oven because more of the fat runs off, and it also stays flat so its easier to put into a biscuit!
We had a really good day and a really good anniversary. We just spent the whole day together... ahhh!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
cook-less
This week has been a cook-less week. I only cooked one time- tilipia crusted with parmasan and lemon pepper- and haven't cooked since. Billy's brother, Ben, is in town and we have also been out all week looking for a new car for Bill. Ah, life gets in the way sometimes!!
Friday, August 19, 2011
nEW
Oh, yes, that EW is capital in the title! For this weeks "new" dinner, Bill grabbed a package of frozen seafood. There were mussels, clams, octopi, cuttlefish, small peices of cod, and shrimp. And it was all already cooked. And it smelled bad before the bag was open. (not like it had gone bad, but like it was already overcooked) I encouraged him to change his mind, but he said it was either the bag of seafood "stuff" or the $17 and pound frozen crayfish that they had at the seafood counter. Being the cheap girl that I am, I decided to go for the seafood stuff..... MISTAKE!!!
I also got a half pound of shrimp becuase it was on sale, and I figured that it would be ok with the bag-o-seafood.
I started by defrosting the bag-o-stuff and shelling the shrimp. They went in the fridge while I made the base for what I am calling my seafood stEW.
I used:
1 package of frozen corn
1 regular sized can of tomaotes
2 Onions, diced
2 tablespoons of basil, minced garlic, parsley and oregano
2 tablespoons of butter and EVOO
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup chicken or seafood stock
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
1 packaged cooked bag-o-seafood, thawed
1/2 lb of shrimp, shelled and chopped in half
2 cups cooked rice
I started by heating the oil and butter in a large pot, and added the onion and garlic. Cook for until the onions are soft and add everything except the seafood and the shrimp. Put a lid on your pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the seafood and cook until the raw shrimp is cooked (4-5 minutes). Serve over the rice.
If I would have had all fresh ingrediants I think this would have been pretty good. I tried the sauce before I put the seafood in, and it was quite flavorful! The bag of stuff was just not good....I should have used fresh stuff.... I am not a huge fan of mussles or clams, so I may not have used them, but Billy likes them. I have to say it again, the bag-o-stuff was just not good! Billy pretended to like it for a little bit, but then even gave up.
Oh well, not everything can be great! All that matters is that I'm still trying to make new things and that I am working towards becoming a better cook!
Eat something good for me-- just don't eat that bag-o-seafood! yuck!
I also got a half pound of shrimp becuase it was on sale, and I figured that it would be ok with the bag-o-seafood.
I started by defrosting the bag-o-stuff and shelling the shrimp. They went in the fridge while I made the base for what I am calling my seafood stEW.
I used:
1 package of frozen corn
1 regular sized can of tomaotes
2 Onions, diced
2 tablespoons of basil, minced garlic, parsley and oregano
2 tablespoons of butter and EVOO
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup chicken or seafood stock
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
1 packaged cooked bag-o-seafood, thawed
1/2 lb of shrimp, shelled and chopped in half
2 cups cooked rice
I started by heating the oil and butter in a large pot, and added the onion and garlic. Cook for until the onions are soft and add everything except the seafood and the shrimp. Put a lid on your pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the seafood and cook until the raw shrimp is cooked (4-5 minutes). Serve over the rice.
If I would have had all fresh ingrediants I think this would have been pretty good. I tried the sauce before I put the seafood in, and it was quite flavorful! The bag of stuff was just not good....I should have used fresh stuff.... I am not a huge fan of mussles or clams, so I may not have used them, but Billy likes them. I have to say it again, the bag-o-stuff was just not good! Billy pretended to like it for a little bit, but then even gave up.
Oh well, not everything can be great! All that matters is that I'm still trying to make new things and that I am working towards becoming a better cook!
Eat something good for me-- just don't eat that bag-o-seafood! yuck!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A little bit Italian...
When I want something REALLY easy to make for dinner I boil some pasta and thaw out some of my home-made marinara sauce! The process to make the marinara takes a good long while, but it is mainly just simmer time on the stove! I use this sauce for just regular spaghetti, baked penne pasta, and for pizza sauce... it could just as easily be adapted for anything where you need a tomato sauce.
To make my marinara you need:
1 BIG can of crushed tomatoes (I usually get the kind with basil already in it)
1 BIG can of diced tomatoes
1 regular can of diced tomatoes (or whole if you like your sauce a little chunkier)
1 small can of tomato paste
2 onions, diced
2 tablespoons EVOO
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons dried granulated garlic
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
2-3 bay leaves
Start by heating the oil in a big pot. Saute the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add ALL the spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add all the cans of tomatoes and stir so that all the spices are pretty incorporated with the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Taste your sauce and this point and see if you need more salt, garlic, or basil. The three flavors should be there when you taste your sauce. I usually end up adding more garlic and basil. Simmer on the stove for AT LEAST 2 hours, but I usually do a minimum of 3, and stir every 10-15 minutes. Taste as you go! Sometimes you need more seasoning- don't be afraid to add more seasoning!! If you think your sauce is getting a little too thick, add a little bit of chicken broth or another can of diced tomatoes. This makes 4 different meals worth of sauce for Billy and I. I just put the sauce into zip lock bags and then freeze.
I ALWAYS have this in my freezer! When I open my last bag, I make sure that I make more that day, or the next weekend.
When I am ready to eat, I just take the sauce out and defrost it in some warm water. Last night I cooked some turkey meat with garlic, parsley, basil, and salt and then added the defrosted sauce for a few minutes before draining and adding the pasta.
The process of making the sauce, not so fast... the process of eating it once defrosted? SUPER fast! (and good!) Yum!
To make my marinara you need:
1 BIG can of crushed tomatoes (I usually get the kind with basil already in it)
1 BIG can of diced tomatoes
1 regular can of diced tomatoes (or whole if you like your sauce a little chunkier)
1 small can of tomato paste
2 onions, diced
2 tablespoons EVOO
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons parsley
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 tablespoons dried granulated garlic
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon garlic salt
2-3 bay leaves
Start by heating the oil in a big pot. Saute the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add ALL the spices and saute for a few more minutes. Add all the cans of tomatoes and stir so that all the spices are pretty incorporated with the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Taste your sauce and this point and see if you need more salt, garlic, or basil. The three flavors should be there when you taste your sauce. I usually end up adding more garlic and basil. Simmer on the stove for AT LEAST 2 hours, but I usually do a minimum of 3, and stir every 10-15 minutes. Taste as you go! Sometimes you need more seasoning- don't be afraid to add more seasoning!! If you think your sauce is getting a little too thick, add a little bit of chicken broth or another can of diced tomatoes. This makes 4 different meals worth of sauce for Billy and I. I just put the sauce into zip lock bags and then freeze.
I ALWAYS have this in my freezer! When I open my last bag, I make sure that I make more that day, or the next weekend.
When I am ready to eat, I just take the sauce out and defrost it in some warm water. Last night I cooked some turkey meat with garlic, parsley, basil, and salt and then added the defrosted sauce for a few minutes before draining and adding the pasta.
The process of making the sauce, not so fast... the process of eating it once defrosted? SUPER fast! (and good!) Yum!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
New meal!
For my weekly never before meal Billy grabbed Chicken wings, mini potatoes, and a shallot. I grabbed artichokes, a bottle of white wine, and lemons. I decided to make lemon, oregano and thyme chicken with mini potatoes and artichokes.
I grow a lot of my own herbs- thyme and oregano being two of the varieties I currently have.... trust me, I do NOT have a green thumb! In fact, I am pretty good at killing plants.... I just grow my own stuff because 1) I'm cheap! and 2) this way I know I'll have it when I need it! I just used the last of my oregano, so I need to find another plant. I also grow basil, tomatoes, jalapenos, and parsley. We had an explosion of tomatoes getting ripe this week, and I need to either make a LOT of salsa or find something to make them with! I think salsa may be in the cards!!:)
The chicken turned out reallllllyyyyy good, but I think I would use either a chicken breast next time, or maybe drumsticks..... the darker meat just stays so flavorful!! Chicken wings are just hard to eat if they aren't fried!!!
Here's what I used:
1 very juicy lemon, zested and juiced- use 1 1/2 if your lemon is not so juicy
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 tablespoon oregano if fresh- less if dried
1 teaspoon fresh thyme.
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 shallot, minced
one package of chicken wings or breasts or drumsticks
Combine all the ingrediants in a plastic bag and then add the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the over to 400. Put the chicken and the marinade in a 13X9 baking dish. cover pretty tightly with foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Take the foil off and turn the broiler on, broil for about 5 minutes so the top gets a little crispy! Remove the chicken from the pan, then pour the juices in a little pot and reduce on the stove by about half.
While the chicken is working, you can make a marinade for the artichokes.
You'll need:
1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cleaned artichokes
Combine the marinade ingredients in another bag. Add the artichokes. Marinade the artichokes on the counter for a few minutes-- until the chicken has about 30 minutes to go.
Pour the artichokes and about half of the marinade in a baking dish. Cover with tinfoil, but make a small vent in the foil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes.
And, last but defiantly not least were the potatoes! I am not a huge potato fan unless they are fried into french fries, but these were EXCELLENT!!
For the potatoes:
1 bag of mini potatoes
2 tablespoons EVOO
salt
pepper
garlic powder
toss the potatoes in the evoo and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake in the oven with the chicken and aritchokes for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is broiling, broil the potatoes too!! They get even crispier!!
Oh, and that sauce you reduced? Use it on the chicken, and then dip the potatoes in it while you are eating! They are SOOOOOO good! I think they may have been my favorite thing last night.
If you want, you can make a simple butter sauce for the artichokes, but I thought they were fine without it and actually mixed some of the butter sauce with the chicken sauce for an even better dipping sauce for the potatoes!
This one is defiantly a keeper!!
Picture courtesy of my sweet husband, Billy!
I grow a lot of my own herbs- thyme and oregano being two of the varieties I currently have.... trust me, I do NOT have a green thumb! In fact, I am pretty good at killing plants.... I just grow my own stuff because 1) I'm cheap! and 2) this way I know I'll have it when I need it! I just used the last of my oregano, so I need to find another plant. I also grow basil, tomatoes, jalapenos, and parsley. We had an explosion of tomatoes getting ripe this week, and I need to either make a LOT of salsa or find something to make them with! I think salsa may be in the cards!!:)
The chicken turned out reallllllyyyyy good, but I think I would use either a chicken breast next time, or maybe drumsticks..... the darker meat just stays so flavorful!! Chicken wings are just hard to eat if they aren't fried!!!
Here's what I used:
1 very juicy lemon, zested and juiced- use 1 1/2 if your lemon is not so juicy
1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 tablespoon oregano if fresh- less if dried
1 teaspoon fresh thyme.
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 shallot, minced
one package of chicken wings or breasts or drumsticks
Combine all the ingrediants in a plastic bag and then add the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours.
When ready to cook, preheat the over to 400. Put the chicken and the marinade in a 13X9 baking dish. cover pretty tightly with foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Take the foil off and turn the broiler on, broil for about 5 minutes so the top gets a little crispy! Remove the chicken from the pan, then pour the juices in a little pot and reduce on the stove by about half.
While the chicken is working, you can make a marinade for the artichokes.
You'll need:
1 lemon
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 teaspoons thyme
2 cleaned artichokes
Combine the marinade ingredients in another bag. Add the artichokes. Marinade the artichokes on the counter for a few minutes-- until the chicken has about 30 minutes to go.
Pour the artichokes and about half of the marinade in a baking dish. Cover with tinfoil, but make a small vent in the foil. Cook for about 25-30 minutes.
And, last but defiantly not least were the potatoes! I am not a huge potato fan unless they are fried into french fries, but these were EXCELLENT!!
For the potatoes:
1 bag of mini potatoes
2 tablespoons EVOO
salt
pepper
garlic powder
toss the potatoes in the evoo and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake in the oven with the chicken and aritchokes for about 20-25 minutes. While the chicken is broiling, broil the potatoes too!! They get even crispier!!
Oh, and that sauce you reduced? Use it on the chicken, and then dip the potatoes in it while you are eating! They are SOOOOOO good! I think they may have been my favorite thing last night.
If you want, you can make a simple butter sauce for the artichokes, but I thought they were fine without it and actually mixed some of the butter sauce with the chicken sauce for an even better dipping sauce for the potatoes!
This one is defiantly a keeper!!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Feasting on sweets!
Last night was a treat! Billy and I were invited to our friend Kyle's house for dinner. Two of our really good friends, Garrett and Jessica, along with their sweet baby girl, Dylan, were there too! Garrett and Kyle manned the grill and made some delicious chicken thighs. Garrett wanted me to take pictures of him in his grill-mastery best, but I was too lazy to go get my camera. :)
For my contribution to dinner, I made cookies! Kyle loves a good cookie, and I haven't made any from scratch in a while, so I figured I'd give it a go. These cookies are HUGE and soft.... I LOVE them!
You'll need:
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
one pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter softened
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
Chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325. Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl together. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Mix. Put the flour, baking soda, and salt in a little at a time and mix on low. Don't mix too much or the cookies will be tough. Add as many or as few chocolate chips as you'd like. (This recipe is also good with butterscotch or peanut butter chips.) Use parchment paper on your cookie sheets if you have it-- it just helps with clean up and removing the cookies from the pan. I use a 1/4 measurer to divide out my cookies. If you use the 1/4 cup measure this recipe should make about 16 cookies. I also have to use 3 cookie sheets when I use the 1/4 measure. These really get BIG! Cook for about 15 minutes, give or take a minute or two. Rotate the racks halfway through if you are using 3 cookie sheets or the ones on the bottom rack will get too brown.
I have to admit that I didn't make this recipe....The only things I changed are having the butter just softened and not melted and the amount of chocolate chips. The original recipe wants WAY too many (and I love chocolate!). You can melt the butter if you don't have time for it to soften on the counter ( I did yesterday), but the times that I have made this when the butter was just melted, the cookies have been a little flat. I know this is supposed to be my ideas for cooking, but my theory is if it aint broke, don't fix it! These cookies are awesome!! Plus, it's hard to create baking recipes! Cooking can just be thrown together, baking has to be too precise to just throw stuff in!
I did have pictures of these right after I pulled them out of the oven, but I think my phone ate them because I can't find them anywhere.... weird!!!!!
For my contribution to dinner, I made cookies! Kyle loves a good cookie, and I haven't made any from scratch in a while, so I figured I'd give it a go. These cookies are HUGE and soft.... I LOVE them!
You'll need:
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
one pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks of butter softened
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
Chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325. Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl together. Add the vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Mix. Put the flour, baking soda, and salt in a little at a time and mix on low. Don't mix too much or the cookies will be tough. Add as many or as few chocolate chips as you'd like. (This recipe is also good with butterscotch or peanut butter chips.) Use parchment paper on your cookie sheets if you have it-- it just helps with clean up and removing the cookies from the pan. I use a 1/4 measurer to divide out my cookies. If you use the 1/4 cup measure this recipe should make about 16 cookies. I also have to use 3 cookie sheets when I use the 1/4 measure. These really get BIG! Cook for about 15 minutes, give or take a minute or two. Rotate the racks halfway through if you are using 3 cookie sheets or the ones on the bottom rack will get too brown.
I have to admit that I didn't make this recipe....The only things I changed are having the butter just softened and not melted and the amount of chocolate chips. The original recipe wants WAY too many (and I love chocolate!). You can melt the butter if you don't have time for it to soften on the counter ( I did yesterday), but the times that I have made this when the butter was just melted, the cookies have been a little flat. I know this is supposed to be my ideas for cooking, but my theory is if it aint broke, don't fix it! These cookies are awesome!! Plus, it's hard to create baking recipes! Cooking can just be thrown together, baking has to be too precise to just throw stuff in!
I did have pictures of these right after I pulled them out of the oven, but I think my phone ate them because I can't find them anywhere.... weird!!!!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
FEC Pesto
I have another FEC meal! Today was LONG.... School starts tomorrow and I am overwhelmed. I got to work at 7:25 and got home at 5:10.... it was a very long day, complete with breaking down into tears over a very frustrating set of computer wires that took an hour to de-tangle. Whew!
When I got home, it had just stopped raining and the basil that I have growing in my backyard smelled a.maz.ing. I decided right when I smelled that sweet, wonderful basil that I was making pesto in some way for dinner tonight. I always have at least one basil plant growing, but during the summer I grown tons of the stuff! Right now, I have little mini basil plants growing wild all over my backyard. Basil is one of those things that can be expensive if you buy just a bag of the leaves (and it doesn't last long either), but if you buy a plant it ends up saving tons of money. Right now, Publix has their live herb plants at 2 for 4 dollars. Two bucks for something that will continue to reproduce over and over again, yes please!!
Pesto is super simple to make, and its pretty dang cheap, too! (and it's about 2 WW points for 1/4 cup of the recipe!)
You'll need:
20ish basil leaves
1/4 cup EVOO
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
a couple of pinches of salt
1 1/2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic (or less if you don't like garlic as much as I do!)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or pistachios-- I like using pistachios because I think it gives the pesto more flavor, but pine nuts are traditional. * Keep your pine nuts in the freezer! They last forever that way!*
Put everything in a food processor and then blend until it becomes a paste-like consistency. Taste and add ingredients as needed. Sometimes depending on your Parm, you'll need more salt. If you think your pesto is a little too salty, add a little EVOO and a couple of basil leaves. I don't really measure anything when I make pesto, I just eyeball it! It is so easy to fix, there's no problem! This recipe makes about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. Easy, right!?!
I just toss the pesto with hot pasta and serve with sauteed shrimp! YUM! This whole meal can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta-- 8-10 minutes! Fast! Just process the pesto and saute the shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder for about two minutes on each side while the pasta is boiling!
Cheap, too! 1/2 a lb of shrimp costs about 4 bucks, the pasta I bought (and use three separate times!) for 79 cent as a BOGO at Publix, the Pesto can be made for about a buck if you take into account how many times you can use the ingredients that you buy for the pesto (especially if you buy a basil plant!)
*****Just a warning! The pine nuts are kind of expensive, BUT I have had the same container of pine nuts in my freezer for like 6 months. And, I make pesto a lot!****
Look at all that stuff!! The basil has gotten SO big this year! I have another pot of it in another container too!
Look at that wild growing stuff!! (along with all the weeds! lol!)
Go make some pesto! It's really good!!
When I got home, it had just stopped raining and the basil that I have growing in my backyard smelled a.maz.ing. I decided right when I smelled that sweet, wonderful basil that I was making pesto in some way for dinner tonight. I always have at least one basil plant growing, but during the summer I grown tons of the stuff! Right now, I have little mini basil plants growing wild all over my backyard. Basil is one of those things that can be expensive if you buy just a bag of the leaves (and it doesn't last long either), but if you buy a plant it ends up saving tons of money. Right now, Publix has their live herb plants at 2 for 4 dollars. Two bucks for something that will continue to reproduce over and over again, yes please!!
Pesto is super simple to make, and its pretty dang cheap, too! (and it's about 2 WW points for 1/4 cup of the recipe!)
You'll need:
20ish basil leaves
1/4 cup EVOO
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
a couple of pinches of salt
1 1/2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic (or less if you don't like garlic as much as I do!)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or pistachios-- I like using pistachios because I think it gives the pesto more flavor, but pine nuts are traditional. * Keep your pine nuts in the freezer! They last forever that way!*
Put everything in a food processor and then blend until it becomes a paste-like consistency. Taste and add ingredients as needed. Sometimes depending on your Parm, you'll need more salt. If you think your pesto is a little too salty, add a little EVOO and a couple of basil leaves. I don't really measure anything when I make pesto, I just eyeball it! It is so easy to fix, there's no problem! This recipe makes about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup. Easy, right!?!
I just toss the pesto with hot pasta and serve with sauteed shrimp! YUM! This whole meal can be made in the time it takes to cook the pasta-- 8-10 minutes! Fast! Just process the pesto and saute the shrimp with salt, pepper, and garlic powder for about two minutes on each side while the pasta is boiling!
Cheap, too! 1/2 a lb of shrimp costs about 4 bucks, the pasta I bought (and use three separate times!) for 79 cent as a BOGO at Publix, the Pesto can be made for about a buck if you take into account how many times you can use the ingredients that you buy for the pesto (especially if you buy a basil plant!)
*****Just a warning! The pine nuts are kind of expensive, BUT I have had the same container of pine nuts in my freezer for like 6 months. And, I make pesto a lot!****
Go make some pesto! It's really good!!
Monday, August 8, 2011
WW friendly!!
Tonight's dinner was a thrown together feast-- and it just so happens to be WW friendly (mostly)! Today was a looonnnggggg day... I was at school until 5 working on getting myself and my room ready for work on Wednesday when the kids come back.... 5 is LATE for me!! Between going through data from state testing to fighting with the computer that I was given to trying to figure out how I am going to teach to each child individually so that they pass the state test and get to graduate.... I am stressing out!!
I didn't even go grocery shopping last week because I was dreading going back to work and somehow figured that not shopping would slow it down.... the only meal that I actually cooked at home was the one that I blogged about-- pathetic, I know!! This week there will be more meals at home-- I made dinner tonight and have enough food for at least three more meals this week.... one of which will be my never before made meal!
Tonight, I made and almost WW friendly panko crusted tilipa with crab cakes and and more three cheese mac and cheese ( I did say almost!)
** no pictures today! my phone is DEAD!**
I'll start with the most WW friendly thing- the fish!
I used:
2 tilipa fillets
1 egg
1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of old bay
1/3 teaspoon of salt
a little water
To start, pre heat your oven to 400. While the oven is heating up, crack the egg into a bowl, add a little water and whisk together. In another bowl pour the panko, garlic, old bay, and salt and mix together. Dry off the fish, and then dunk in the egg wash. Put in the panko mixture, smush it down a little and then flip over and smush again. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it. You should have LOTS of panko left over, so take a couple of tablespoons for each fillet and smush it onto the top of the fish. Cook for about 7 minutes!!
Each fillet comes out to be about 4-5 points depending on how much panko you used. I end up with having a little more than half of the panko left over, so one fish fillet ends up being about 4 points. The fish fillet itself is 2 points, the panko is 3 points for 1/4 cup (which is split between two fillets), and the egg wash comes to be nothing, not enough ends up on the fish to really count for anything.
The next thing is a crab cakes!
You'll need:
1 container of crab claw meat
one egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
a few squirts of mayo
2 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/3 teaspoon of horseradish
1 teaspoon of old bay
2 tablespoons EVOO
start by rinsing the crab meat- it can be VERY salty! Dry on some paper towels. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together with your hands-- they are your best tools! divide the mixture into 4. Form into patties, and then sear in a sautee pan for about 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other! Eat and enjoy!!
I LOVE this because the entire 6 oz container of crab meat is only 3 points! I figured that I used about 2 tablespoons of mayo, so that equals about 5 points. The EVOO is HIGH in points (6 for 2 tablespoons!), but we are supposed to get those oils in, so it doesn't hurt so bad! Also, the EVOO has a LOT left over in the pan after cooking- about half, so really you only have to count 3 points for the whole recipe! The egg is 2 points. For half of the mix- 2 cakes- that comes out to be 6.5 points. Eat that with a salad of some kind (for free!) and dinner isn't so bad!
4 points for the fish
6.5 for the crabcakes
salad for free(or whatever the dressing is)
=10.5 points for your whole meal!
well, not my whole meal!
I also ate 1/2 a cup of the mac and cheese-- that was also about 7 points.... whoops!!
I improved the mac and cheese with some bacon, salt, pepper, and hot sauce! Yum!
Eat something good for me!!
I didn't even go grocery shopping last week because I was dreading going back to work and somehow figured that not shopping would slow it down.... the only meal that I actually cooked at home was the one that I blogged about-- pathetic, I know!! This week there will be more meals at home-- I made dinner tonight and have enough food for at least three more meals this week.... one of which will be my never before made meal!
Tonight, I made and almost WW friendly panko crusted tilipa with crab cakes and and more three cheese mac and cheese ( I did say almost!)
** no pictures today! my phone is DEAD!**
I'll start with the most WW friendly thing- the fish!
I used:
2 tilipa fillets
1 egg
1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of old bay
1/3 teaspoon of salt
a little water
To start, pre heat your oven to 400. While the oven is heating up, crack the egg into a bowl, add a little water and whisk together. In another bowl pour the panko, garlic, old bay, and salt and mix together. Dry off the fish, and then dunk in the egg wash. Put in the panko mixture, smush it down a little and then flip over and smush again. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it. You should have LOTS of panko left over, so take a couple of tablespoons for each fillet and smush it onto the top of the fish. Cook for about 7 minutes!!
Each fillet comes out to be about 4-5 points depending on how much panko you used. I end up with having a little more than half of the panko left over, so one fish fillet ends up being about 4 points. The fish fillet itself is 2 points, the panko is 3 points for 1/4 cup (which is split between two fillets), and the egg wash comes to be nothing, not enough ends up on the fish to really count for anything.
The next thing is a crab cakes!
You'll need:
1 container of crab claw meat
one egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
a few squirts of mayo
2 1/2 teaspoons of minced garlic
1/3 teaspoon of horseradish
1 teaspoon of old bay
2 tablespoons EVOO
start by rinsing the crab meat- it can be VERY salty! Dry on some paper towels. Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together with your hands-- they are your best tools! divide the mixture into 4. Form into patties, and then sear in a sautee pan for about 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other! Eat and enjoy!!
I LOVE this because the entire 6 oz container of crab meat is only 3 points! I figured that I used about 2 tablespoons of mayo, so that equals about 5 points. The EVOO is HIGH in points (6 for 2 tablespoons!), but we are supposed to get those oils in, so it doesn't hurt so bad! Also, the EVOO has a LOT left over in the pan after cooking- about half, so really you only have to count 3 points for the whole recipe! The egg is 2 points. For half of the mix- 2 cakes- that comes out to be 6.5 points. Eat that with a salad of some kind (for free!) and dinner isn't so bad!
4 points for the fish
6.5 for the crabcakes
salad for free(or whatever the dressing is)
=10.5 points for your whole meal!
well, not my whole meal!
I also ate 1/2 a cup of the mac and cheese-- that was also about 7 points.... whoops!!
I improved the mac and cheese with some bacon, salt, pepper, and hot sauce! Yum!
Eat something good for me!!
Friday, August 5, 2011
messes and successes!
So, Wednesday's dinner had good points and some not so good points.
Things I learned:
-tin foil is not a substitute for a real lid.
-I need a dutch oven like this one:
I'll start with the thing that was probably the easiest to make, the Mac and Cheese!
I used
half a box of macaroni
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 stick butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour
3 oz baby swiss cheese- grated
2 oz gruyere cheese- grated
3 oz sharp cheddar- grated
2 oz smoked mozzarella
a couple of teaspoons of panko.
Boil the pasta. While boiling, heat the milk and heavy cream and then put to the side. In a pretty big pot, melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes to get the raw flour taste gone. Add the milk and then cook for a couple of minutes. Add the grated cheeses. Use a whisk to get the cheese mix smooth. Add the drained pasta and mix well. Put into a casserole dish or into two individual gratin dishes and then top with the sliced mozzarella. Top with the panko. Bake at 350 for just a few minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
While what I made was good, I would have added bacon that was cooked and crumbled. I was going to add it, but my bacon went bad... I also would have added a little more salt, some pepper and maybe even a little hot sauce! It needed something to cut the creaminess of all that cheese.
The artichokes were also super easy, other than cleaning the actual artichoke!
You'll need:
2 artichokes
1 Tablespoon garlic
one lemon cut in half
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons EVOO
The hardest part was the actual cleaning of the artichoke! start by cutting the top 1/3 of the artichokes off. Trim the sharp edges off of all the other leaves, and pull the little leaves off of the bottom.Trim the stem, but don't cut it all the way off. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. IMMEDIATELY squeeze one half of the lemon juice over the cut artichokes so they don't brown. This is where the hard part comes in. The choke has to be taken out of each side. I used a melon spoon, but my method took FOREVER to get all those pesky hairs! After getting all the choke out, rub the squeezed half of the lemon on the artichokes again. In a skillet that you also have a lid for, heat the butter and EVOO together. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add the artichokes cut side down and the unsqueezed half of the lemon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water and then put a lid on it. steam for about 10 minutes.
These were REALLY good! I steamed them a little too long, but they were still good! I made a simple sauce to eat them with- melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice. YUM!
Now on to the veal--I haven't ever made veal before, so I just used a recipe. It didn't turn out nearly as well I wanted. I used my cast iron skillet because my cookware isn't ovensafe. That would have been fine, but my cast iron skillet doesn't have a lid, so I just used tin foil. The tin foil didn't keep any of the juices locked in, so everything evaporated. I want a dutch oven!! The veal would have been perfect if it was cooked in a dutch oven.... maybe next time ....
Eat something good for me!!
Things I learned:
-tin foil is not a substitute for a real lid.
-I need a dutch oven like this one:
*Rachael Ray Stoneware "Casserovals" and "Casserrounds" Dishes
- Four cheese Mac and Cheese is very creamy and needs something like bacon to help cut the cream... but it is SO good!
- Artichokes are good! Lemon, butter, and garlic make them even better!
- Veal shanks are not fast, easy, or cheap-- but they are worth it!!
I ended up making braised veal shanks in red wine and garlic, 4 cheese mac and cheese, sauteed and steamed garlic lemon artichokes, and peach cobbler. Everything but the peach cobbler needed some adjusting, but that's what happens when you make so many things for the very first time.
I used
half a box of macaroni
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 stick butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons flour
3 oz baby swiss cheese- grated
2 oz gruyere cheese- grated
3 oz sharp cheddar- grated
2 oz smoked mozzarella
a couple of teaspoons of panko.
Boil the pasta. While boiling, heat the milk and heavy cream and then put to the side. In a pretty big pot, melt the butter and then add the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes to get the raw flour taste gone. Add the milk and then cook for a couple of minutes. Add the grated cheeses. Use a whisk to get the cheese mix smooth. Add the drained pasta and mix well. Put into a casserole dish or into two individual gratin dishes and then top with the sliced mozzarella. Top with the panko. Bake at 350 for just a few minutes until the mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
While what I made was good, I would have added bacon that was cooked and crumbled. I was going to add it, but my bacon went bad... I also would have added a little more salt, some pepper and maybe even a little hot sauce! It needed something to cut the creaminess of all that cheese.
The artichokes were also super easy, other than cleaning the actual artichoke!
You'll need:
2 artichokes
1 Tablespoon garlic
one lemon cut in half
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons EVOO
The hardest part was the actual cleaning of the artichoke! start by cutting the top 1/3 of the artichokes off. Trim the sharp edges off of all the other leaves, and pull the little leaves off of the bottom.Trim the stem, but don't cut it all the way off. Cut the artichokes in half lengthwise. IMMEDIATELY squeeze one half of the lemon juice over the cut artichokes so they don't brown. This is where the hard part comes in. The choke has to be taken out of each side. I used a melon spoon, but my method took FOREVER to get all those pesky hairs! After getting all the choke out, rub the squeezed half of the lemon on the artichokes again. In a skillet that you also have a lid for, heat the butter and EVOO together. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add the artichokes cut side down and the unsqueezed half of the lemon and cook for 5 minutes. Add the water and then put a lid on it. steam for about 10 minutes.
These were REALLY good! I steamed them a little too long, but they were still good! I made a simple sauce to eat them with- melted butter, garlic, and lemon juice. YUM!
Now on to the veal--I haven't ever made veal before, so I just used a recipe. It didn't turn out nearly as well I wanted. I used my cast iron skillet because my cookware isn't ovensafe. That would have been fine, but my cast iron skillet doesn't have a lid, so I just used tin foil. The tin foil didn't keep any of the juices locked in, so everything evaporated. I want a dutch oven!! The veal would have been perfect if it was cooked in a dutch oven.... maybe next time ....
Eat something good for me!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Something new...
When I was telling my husband, Billy, about making a blog about food he thought it was a good idea. Then he pointed out the fact that I tend to make the same things over and over and over! An idea he gave me was to have a once a week dinner where I make something that I never have before. This will be the first of those never before attempted meals!
Today is also my last day of summer vacation (BOO!) and I met Billy for lunch since it will be a while before we get to spend a weekday together again. After dining on some really good Chinese for lunch, we headed over to Fresh Market. Billy wheeled around the store like a mad man and picked up 4 peaches, an artichoke, 3 different kinds of cheese, and a veal shank.
I had an idea right away for the cheese-it's kind of obvious, mac and cheese, but I am going to bake it in the oven to make it extra good! I have never ever used a whole artichoke before, and I still have no idea when I am going to do with it, but I'm sure that it will be fine. The veal shank is another story. I was watching the food network the other day, and Ann Burell was making oso bucco, so I'm thinking I may make that. The peaches are going to go into a cobbler. I made Bill some peach cobbler a couple of weeks ago and he LOVED it, so that's what I am going to do again.
Wish me luck!! (I may need it!!)
Today is also my last day of summer vacation (BOO!) and I met Billy for lunch since it will be a while before we get to spend a weekday together again. After dining on some really good Chinese for lunch, we headed over to Fresh Market. Billy wheeled around the store like a mad man and picked up 4 peaches, an artichoke, 3 different kinds of cheese, and a veal shank.
I had an idea right away for the cheese-it's kind of obvious, mac and cheese, but I am going to bake it in the oven to make it extra good! I have never ever used a whole artichoke before, and I still have no idea when I am going to do with it, but I'm sure that it will be fine. The veal shank is another story. I was watching the food network the other day, and Ann Burell was making oso bucco, so I'm thinking I may make that. The peaches are going to go into a cobbler. I made Bill some peach cobbler a couple of weeks ago and he LOVED it, so that's what I am going to do again.
Wish me luck!! (I may need it!!)
Monday, August 1, 2011
Weekend Feasts
This weekend was full of good times and good food! Saturday was my mom's birthday, so I cooked dinner for her and my family!
My mom LOVES fish tacos. However, there aren't many places in town that have fish tacos that are any good. I just happen to have a recipe that is pretty dang good!
Fish tacos- This recipe is more of an estimate for each ingredient rather than exact measurements!
4 tilipia fillets
2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
a good pinch of pepper
a little pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all the dry ingredients on a plate. Dry the tilipa fillets on paper towels, and then dip the fillets in the dry mix on each side. DO NOT make the mix too thick on the fish or it will just burn on the outside of the fish. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the fish in. Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip the fish over. Cook for another one to two minutes.
I cut the tilipa in half, and then place it in a 10 inch tortilla shell with cheese, bagged cole slaw mix, salsa, and sauteed onions. Yum!!
For a side dish, I serve either yellow rice or a corn side dish.
** I forgot to take pictures of my food on Saturday, but this is pretty much what they look like!**
Sunday, I had some of my work friends over for a cookout. I made beer can chicken, pasta salad, and grilled corn!
The beer can chicken is super easy to make, but I found out Sunday that whole chickens are NOT easy to cut up! All those people on food network just make it look so simple, but that was the hardest part of the whole meal for me!! It may not have been the prettiest after I finished, but it sure was good!
To make the beer can chicken you need a beer, whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs), grill seasoning, salt, pepper, a couple of garlic cloves, and oil.
Start by removing the giblets and any extra fat from inside the neck and inside the bird. Rinse the inside and outside of the bird with cold water. Pat the bird dry- inside and out. Oil the outside and inside of the bird. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and gill seasoning inside and outside the bird. Cover the bird and let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When you are ready to grill, pre heat your grill on one side to 350 degrees. Open the can of beer and drink/ pour out about half of it. Add the garlic cloves, and more grill seasoning, salt and pepper to the can. Punch 3 to 4 extra holes in the top of the can. When your grill is pre-heated, place the chicken on the beer can and put it on the non-lit side of the grill. We put our can on some tin-foil. Your beer can chicken should be standing straight up! It looks a little silly, but the beer bastes the chicken from the inside out while cooking and makes the chicken super flavorful and moist. The chicken cooks for about 20 minutes per pound. Check the chicken every so often to make sure that it isn't browning too fast! If it looks like its getting a little too brown too quickly, then turn your grill down just a bit and tent the chicken with tin foil. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure your chicken is done, and then take it off the grill still standing up.
CAREFULLY pull the beer can out of the bottom of the bird using oven gloves or tongs. Let the bird rest for at least 10 minutes and then you can start to carve it.
This is where I ran into a problem-- Carving a cooked and hot chicken is no easy feat! I used a tutorial that I found online to help me. Just google how to carve a chicken and you can find step by step directions. They make it look easy, but I didn't have an east time at all! :(
The important thing is that it tasted GREAT!
We had a GREAT time on Sunday. Our friends' little girl was just in love with playing in Abby's bed. Abby the baby and Abby the puppy love each other!!
Eat and enjoy!!
My mom LOVES fish tacos. However, there aren't many places in town that have fish tacos that are any good. I just happen to have a recipe that is pretty dang good!
Fish tacos- This recipe is more of an estimate for each ingredient rather than exact measurements!
4 tilipia fillets
2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
a good pinch of pepper
a little pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all the dry ingredients on a plate. Dry the tilipa fillets on paper towels, and then dip the fillets in the dry mix on each side. DO NOT make the mix too thick on the fish or it will just burn on the outside of the fish. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the fish in. Cook for about 2 minutes and then flip the fish over. Cook for another one to two minutes.
I cut the tilipa in half, and then place it in a 10 inch tortilla shell with cheese, bagged cole slaw mix, salsa, and sauteed onions. Yum!!
For a side dish, I serve either yellow rice or a corn side dish.
** I forgot to take pictures of my food on Saturday, but this is pretty much what they look like!**
Sunday, I had some of my work friends over for a cookout. I made beer can chicken, pasta salad, and grilled corn!
The beer can chicken is super easy to make, but I found out Sunday that whole chickens are NOT easy to cut up! All those people on food network just make it look so simple, but that was the hardest part of the whole meal for me!! It may not have been the prettiest after I finished, but it sure was good!
To make the beer can chicken you need a beer, whole chicken (about 3-4 lbs), grill seasoning, salt, pepper, a couple of garlic cloves, and oil.
Start by removing the giblets and any extra fat from inside the neck and inside the bird. Rinse the inside and outside of the bird with cold water. Pat the bird dry- inside and out. Oil the outside and inside of the bird. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and gill seasoning inside and outside the bird. Cover the bird and let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours. When you are ready to grill, pre heat your grill on one side to 350 degrees. Open the can of beer and drink/ pour out about half of it. Add the garlic cloves, and more grill seasoning, salt and pepper to the can. Punch 3 to 4 extra holes in the top of the can. When your grill is pre-heated, place the chicken on the beer can and put it on the non-lit side of the grill. We put our can on some tin-foil. Your beer can chicken should be standing straight up! It looks a little silly, but the beer bastes the chicken from the inside out while cooking and makes the chicken super flavorful and moist. The chicken cooks for about 20 minutes per pound. Check the chicken every so often to make sure that it isn't browning too fast! If it looks like its getting a little too brown too quickly, then turn your grill down just a bit and tent the chicken with tin foil. Use an instant read thermometer to make sure your chicken is done, and then take it off the grill still standing up.
CAREFULLY pull the beer can out of the bottom of the bird using oven gloves or tongs. Let the bird rest for at least 10 minutes and then you can start to carve it.
This is where I ran into a problem-- Carving a cooked and hot chicken is no easy feat! I used a tutorial that I found online to help me. Just google how to carve a chicken and you can find step by step directions. They make it look easy, but I didn't have an east time at all! :(
The important thing is that it tasted GREAT!
We had a GREAT time on Sunday. Our friends' little girl was just in love with playing in Abby's bed. Abby the baby and Abby the puppy love each other!!
Eat and enjoy!!
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