Anyone worried my family didn’t eat this past week due to a lack of post? I’m not going to lie, it was just one of those weeks. A busy holiday weekend, followed by a busy week with a big school event, followed by all kid activities/sports in full swing as well as weekly games now in the mix all while having several headaches and migraines… the fact that we ate anything at all is a wonder. Beyond a few planned meals, I went to the store more than my standard two times, we ate frozen Trader Joe’s stuff, had Door Dash deliver our favorite Mediterranean salads, and grabbed food after a game and at a school event. Needless to say, I’m happy to get back in the kitchen this week.
Also, I realize it’s becoming harder for you to navigate through the blog with all the recipes in links as well as not having them indexed. Trying to find a recipe in a previous post is probably not super easy. Know that I want to make this easier on you, and me. As soon as I get time with my favorite IT guy, I will make the website/blog more user friendly. For now, I hope you enjoy the recipes below. Have a great week!
White Chicken Chili (Crockpot)
http://iowagirleats.com/2016/01/11/crock-pot-white-chicken-chili-recipe/
*Trying a new recipe* We are going to have this tonight after my son’s late afternoon baseball game and I know we are going to come home hungry! I’m going to prep it in the morning, let it cook, do the final simple step about an hour before we leave for the game and let it sit on the warm setting so when we get home it’s ready to go. I think it’s going to be tasty and hope it’s good enough to go in my recipe binder- only the best make their way in there!
Mexican Lasagna
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/mexican-lasagna-recipe.html
This is a great recipe to make-ahead and cook later, or make/cook ahead and reheat an individual portion when you need to eat dinner in waves. It’s adaptable because you can use ground beef, ground turkey, or no meat at all. You can also change out whatever canned beans you like or have on hand as well as make it gluten-free and use corn tortillas. Most importantly for families with younger kids- you can control how mild or spicy you want to make it depending on which salsa/taco sauce you use. We like to top ours with sour cream and sliced avocado and serve it with tortilla chips. This week I am planning on leftovers the following night. It might even be served on paper plates for a truly easy dinner- score!
Salmon with Honey Mustard
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017244-roasted-salmon-glazed-with-brown-sugar-and-mustard
This is a tasty recipe and with 3 ingredients it couldn’t be an easier dinner to throw together. This particular recipe calls for Dijon mustard and brown sugar, but I also like whole grain mustard and honey mixed together, spread on top of salmon and grilled on the barbeque (on a sheet of foil with the edges turned up to make a “pan”). Basically, whatever you have on hand works and whether you want to turn on the oven or fire up the grill. Personally, I like to keep the fish smell outside if I can help it! I often like to serve salmon with roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts or sweet potatoes and either a mixed green salad or kale salad with lemon vinaigrette. Easy, tasty, healthy dinner!
This week I’m serving it with this kale salad and adding dried cranberries and chopped green apple. It’s very similar to one made at our local Urban Bistro and my kids and gobble it up. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/kale-brussels-sprout-salad-368295
Grilled Shrimp Tacos
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/grilled-drunken-shrimp-tacos-recipe.html
*Trying another new recipe* You may want to wait for the update after our family eats it before you waste your time and money on expensive shrimp. Let me waste my time and money! I think it’s going to be good though. One thing I’m not great at is making up my own recipes. One thing I am pretty good at is finding tasty recipes. That’s why my family thinks I’m a great cook- I rarely have a dinner flop because I spend a lot of time pouring over recipes online and through my cookbook collection that I can easily spot a bad recipe. Another great resource and where I’ve learned a ton about how ingredients grove with each other, is the show America’s Test Kitchen. It’s a PBS show and it’s a bit geeky, but they really talk through recipes and all the different ingredients and methods they test until the recipe is the best it can be. I generally don’t trust much of what I see on Pinterest- although my mouth waters when I look at all the yummy dishes, it’s such a random mix of sources. It’s so discouraging to spend time and money on ingredients for a recipe only for it to not turn out. I love to try new recipes, but once inspired by Pinterest, I often stick safely within my trusted websites and cookbooks. #recipesnob?!?
Since this is a weekend meal, it will also be served with chips and salsa/guacamole and a side of black or refried beans. There’s also a pretty good chance it will be served with a nice cold Corona with a slice of lime.
Wait, there’s more! Because we are having leftovers one night this week and frozen beef and cheddar hand pies another, I thought I’d share a few extra non-dinner recipes that I made last week or will be making this week. Hope you enjoy!
Apple Spice Cake
http://www.marthastewart.com/351254/apple-spice-cake
September always signals apple season for me even though I feel like I can get great apples year-round. Some of my friends from other parts of the country have fond memories of the changing seasons and apple picking with their families- I cannot tell you how many times we’ve talked about apple picking, apple cider and donuts in the fall. And since I grew up in California where we are lucky to get a passing cloud, I can only imagine bundling up and trouncing though the apple orchards, steamy cups of hot cider and sweet puffy donuts. In honor of my friends’ fond memories, and because it’s officially apple season somewhere- I’m baking with apples, dammit!
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve made this bundt cake. It’s super easy to make and makes a tasty snack or dessert. I have never made the caramel sauce but I can imagine it’s delicious. The cake is perfectly sweet even without the additional sauce.
Confession- last time I made this, I went to flip my bundt pan over to get the cake out and only half of the cake released from the pan! Speaking of wasting time and money!!! What a mess. Even worse, I was taking it to a friend with a new baby and there was no way I could deliver that pile. I greased the pan properly, but I had been thinking my pan was on its last leg and now I know it’s time to get a new pan.
PS- This is my absolute, never has failed me yet, line of nonstick pans and I have several sheet pans and loaf pans. http://www.williams-sonoma.com/shop/bakeware/bakeware-williams-sonoma/bakeware-usa-goldtouch/ Unfortunately, they don’t make a bundt pan in the Goldtouch line, but I have also had luck in the past with this line: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/anniversary-bundt-cake-pan/?& When I get a 20% off with free shipping coupon, I will own this bundt pan!
Layered Mediterranean Dip
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/02/layered-mediterranean-dip/
I brought this dip with pita chips to a barbeque last weekend. As expected, it was a hit, just like the other 5 or 6 times I’ve made it. Not many dips are very healthy, but this one really is! It’s easy to make, (just a lot of chopping) and impressive to look at. Your friends will ask you for this recipe!
French Toast Waffle Sticks
http://thebakermama.com/recipes/french-toast-waffle-sticks/
These are a fun change to the weekday morning breakfast routine. It does require me to get up a few minutes earlier and throw on a hat for morning drop off, but my kids love this treat and it’s worth the minor extra effort every now and then. They are very quick and easy, and are a great way to use up that dry loaf of bread that even peanut butter and jelly cannot save. I give the kids each a tiny bowl with warm (real!) maple syrup to dip and they are all pretty happy. So far, sourdough bread and whole wheat have been favorites. A fruit smoothie with Greek yogurt and we’ve got a pretty yummy breakfast!
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