Main Dish

Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos

May 5, 2020 by Christina Shoup 2 Comments

I’m not sure where my love of Mexican cuisine began, but it is no doubt my favorite cuisine. “Authentic,” not authentic, Tex Mex, Cal-Mex, it’s all my favorite. I’m lucky that my family likes things on the spicy side, so it gives me plenty of room to experiment with recipes using a variety of fresh and dried chilies, salsas and more. I trained them well, I suppose.

Since today is Cinco de mayo and Taco Tuesday, it is no big surprise in my house that we are having my favorite Carnitas Tacos with all the fixings. But, when those two fall during a pandemic and we are all home together, it’s a quiet feast in the backyard, just the 5 of us. The majority of the cooking is very hands-off — it just takes a bit of planning as the pork marinates overnight and the black beans as well as the rice for horchata both benefit from a good long overnight soak.

The menu:

Mezcal con Pepino (search for recipe on website)

Guacamole and Chips

Loaded Guacamole with CA avocados from The Good Fat

Carnitas Tacos

Overnight marinated pork shoulder with citrus and bay leaf

No extra fat needed- this crisps up perfectly under the broiler

Homemade Flour Tortillas

6 inch flour tortillas- perfect for tacos

Drunken Black Beans

My favorite brand of beans- the Midnight Black Beans are a gorgeous deep purple when soaked

Homemade Horchata

Basmati rice soaked overnight with cinnamon stick and vanilla bean

I cannot wait until it’s safe to gather again… I need to make this menu for friends and family! For now, I say cheers to my favorite people and thankful we have this time at home together.

Cheers,

Christina

Carnitas Tacos

These pork carnitas tacos are at the top of my most favorite foods. They are adapted from the famed tacolicious cookbook by Sara Deseran — one of my favorite cookbooks in my growing collection. The majority of this dish is completely hands off and with the crisping happening under the broiler rather than fried, it's full of flavor, not grease. We take the time to make homemade tortillas which takes this meal over the top delicious. It feeds a crowd, or in my house, a meal and some rockin' leftovers.

Course Main Course

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

4-4½ lbs pork shoulder cut into 1½-2 inch chunks; bone reserved
1 large onion, sliced
5 cloves garlic, skins removed and smashed
5 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp kosher salt
3 tbsp dried Mexican oregano
2 bay leaves
5 strips orange zest
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½-1 tsp dried red chili flake
1 cinnamon stick optional

Instructions

The night before: Combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot with a lid. Toss to coat and place covered pot in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 300°. Give the pork a toss so it is evenly covered with marinade and place covered pot in the oven for 3 hours. Be sure to give the pork a quick stir once or twice over the 3 hours. When the pork is tender and pulls apart easily, remove from oven.
To crisp the pork: Move rack near the top of the oven and turn on broil. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack in the pan. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. Using tongs, remove the pork pieces from the pot and place on the rack, giving space between pieces if possible. Be sure to remove any large chunks of fat. Keep a close eye on the pork, broil until desired crispiness.
Serve pork with tortillas, cilantro, radish, cilantro, hot sauce and lime wedges.

Crispy Chicken Sandwich

April 30, 2020 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

As a typical kid who grew up in the 80s, we ate our fair share of fast food- namely Taco Bell and Burger King. A popular item at the King was a chicken sandwich (because we thought we were being healthier by eating the FRIED and BREADED chicken sandwich over the burger). It was such a simple item on the menu- soft bread roll, breaded chicken, mayo, romaine. If we were feeling fancy we got the “deluxe” which had sliced tomato and a slice of American cheese.

My mom would often make her version of the Burger King Sandwich which was so dang good it landed in our family recipe book, and below is my version of that version. 🙂 The components are the same: soft French roll, chicken cut or pounded thin and smeared with Dijon mustard, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven. Toast the roll, smear a good amount of mayo and top with crisp romaine lettuce. That. Is. It.

My version: brine the chicken breasts for a few hours (I only do this half the time), pat dry, spread Dijon mustard on both sides and coat in toasted panko breadcrumbs. Spray a baking rack with non-stock spray and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees until cooked through and crispy- about 25-30 min.

Meanwhile, make your house sauce of mayo, sriracha, lime juice and a touch of salt. Split your rolls in half and spread a little butter or mayo on each side and sprinkle garlic salt. Toast the rolls till lightly golden. Assemble the sandwich with house sauce, chicken and romaine lettuce. Wait for your kids to devour your fast food.

Cheers,

Christina

Crispy Baked Chicken Sandwiches

This baked chicken sandwich is just as satisfying as the fried version, but without all the grease and mess! It's inspired by the childhood favorite of so many of us – the original chicken sandwich from Burger King. Although my kids don't know this fast food favorite of the 80s and 90s… they sure love Mom's fast food. Keep it simple with a smear of Best Foods mayo or play with a few ingredients and make your own House Sauce. It doubles as a great fry sauce for a side of baked sweet potato fries!

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp melted butter divided
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp Italian seasoning optional
salt and pepper
4 soft French rolls
¼ tsp garlic salt
romaine lettuce
mayonnaise or house sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°
Combine 2 tbsp melted butter, garlic powder, italian seasoning and panko on a rimmed cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly golden.
After toasting bread crumbs, remove and set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 400°.
Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
On a cutting board, place chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and pound thinly. Season each side with salt and pepper. Brush one side with mustard and place mustard side down onto breadcrumbs. Gently press to adhere.
Turn chicken over and brush with mustard. Again, gently press the chicken into the bread crumbs to make sure it is fully coated. Cook chicken until fully cooked though and outside is crispy, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare rolls. Open each roll and place on a cookie sheet. Brush each side with remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt. When the chicken has just a few minutes remaining, place the rolls in the oven to lightly toast. Alternatively, broil the rolls after removing the chicken from the oven.
After chicken is cooked, place on a clean cutting board and cut lengthwise so they fit into the roll. Smear mayo or house sauce onto roll, then place chicken and lettuce.

Recipe Notes

One of our favorite parts of this sandwich is the house sauce – it’s different each time, but almost always includes a combo of mayo, sriracha, honey, lime juice and a touch of salt.

Anytime Frittata

August 24, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Frittatas are a perfect way to use up veggies that may be past their peak freshness, small chunks of random cheeses in your fridge drawer, or leftover cooked meat. I like to make a frittata for dinner the day before leaving for a trip or for breakfast before hitting the farmer’s market to restock. It’s easy, versatile, and a family favorite. The combinations are endless!

My favorite pan to use is the Calphalon Contemporary Nonstick 12-In. Everyday Pan With Cover- I have two, I use it so much- scrambled eggs, quesadillas, dutch baby pancakes, grilled cheese, etc. It’s the perfect pan, and without a long handle, fits in all ovens. And it’s affordable and on sale ALL the time!

A few easy steps to a satisfying and healthy meal:

Add veggie/herbs/meat/whatever filling into nonstick pan.

Add any cheese you have sitting in your cheese drawer- shredded cheddar blend, gruyere, dollops of goat cheese, crumbled feta.

Crack eggs in bowl (8 eggs makes for a thinner frittata, 12 makes a taller, more filling frittata- both are great!) add a splash or two of cream, half and half, or milk. Add some seasoning- salt and pepper, mushroom magic powder, italian seasoning, some dried herbs, whatever you want. Adding hot sauce is always a nice flavor kick. Whisk together until it’s one homogenous mixture.

Pour egg mixture evenly on top of veggie filling.

A great option: Hearty veggie and wilted greens

Bake in a hot oven at 350 until golden and slightly puffy, about 20 min.

Let sit for a few minutes, then slice into wedges and enjoy!

Anytime Frittata

Frittatas are a perfect way to use up veggies that may be past their peak freshness, small chunks of random cheesees in your fridge drawer, or leftover cooked meat. I like to make a frittata for dinner the day before leaving for a trip or for breakfast before hitting the farmer's market to restock. It's easy, versatile, and a family favorite.

Course Breakfast, dinner

Keyword frittata

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

8-10 eggs
2 TB milk or cream
¼ cup shredded cheese, any kind
1-2 cup(s) cooked greens or veggie mixture
½-1 cup(s) cooked sausage, ham, bacon (or leave out and use more veggies)
salt and pepper to taste
½ tsp magic mushroom seasoning (optional)
few dashes hot sauce (optional)
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (or reserve 2 tbsp of shredded cheese for top)

Instructions

In a nonstick, oven-safe pan, cook veggies in a little olive oil or butter. Alternatively, if you have leftover cooked veggies, simply add those to the pan. Add cooked meat, if using.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over top.
In medium bowl, whisk eggs, cream, seasoning and hot sauce.
Pour egg mixture evenly over the veggie, meat, cheese. Finish with grated cheese, if using or additional shredded cheese for a nice crust.
Bake at 350° until golden and slightly puffy, about 20 minutes.
Let sit a few minutes, then slice in wedges and enjoy! We like ours with sliced avocado and hot sauce or salsa.

Summer Tomato Pie

July 14, 2019 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Tomato Pie- the best kind of pie there is!

It’s late July and the local farmer’s markets in the Bay Area are overflowing with summer’s bounty. I don’t usually have a go to list from week to week (depends what is on the meal plan!), but one staple from June until at least late September are tomatoes. Only three out of my five family members even like tomatoes but that doesn’t stop me from making all things tomato. And as it turns out- it doesn’t stop five out of five from eating dishes with tomatoes in them. Funny how that works! So many ways to use them: fresh cream of tomato soup, tomato salsa, gazpacho, tomato sauce… but my all time favorite way to eat ripe summer tomatoes is in Tomato Pie. This is my childhood in a pie shell.

Recently a farmer selling me tomatoes asked what I was planning on doing with the tomatoes and because July 4th was just days away- Tomato Pie was definitely on the holiday menu! It’s a summer staple.

There are a few but critical easy steps to ensure a delicious tomato pie!

Step 1:

Roll out dough into a 9″ pie dish and prick all over with fork. This can be store bought- Trader Joe’s has a decent one or my favorite is an egg and butter based Pâte Brisé that is very easy to work with.

Step 2: Blind bake

Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Step 3

While the crust is baking, slice tomatoes and give them a gentle squeeze to remove some juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides.

Step 4:

Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Let sit while the crust is baking and you prepare the topping.

Successful blindbaking- golden and no puffed up spots!

Step 5:

Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed. Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves.

Step 6:

Sprinkle fresh basil and chive over the tomatoes.

Fresh herbs are best, but dried basil would work, too

Step 7:

Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.

Sharp cheddar, mayo, scallion and a few seasonings for a delicious topping

Step 8:

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

I hope you love this as much as I do!

Cheers

~Christina

Tomato Pie

This savory pie is the best of summer. Ripe, in season tomatoes seasoned with fresh herbs sit in a flaky crust with a cheesy topping. What's not to love?

Course Main Course, Side Dish, vegetarian

Keyword tomato

Servings 8 servings

Author Christina Shoup

Ingredients

1 9" pie dough
3-4 medium tomatoes thickly sliced
handful cherry tomatoes sliced in half
2 tbsp fresh basil julienned
1/4 cup chives minced
2 cups sharp cheddar shredded
1/4 cup mayo
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Roll out pie dough into 9" pie dish and prick all over with fork. Line pie dough with parchment paper and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes. Remove parchment paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden.
While crust is baking, prepare the tomatoes by giving them a gentle squeeze to remove some seeds and juices. Place tomatoes on a baking rack and salt both sides. Let sit while you prepare the topping.
For the topping: Combine cheese, mayo, scallions, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
Lay the drained tomatoes in the pie shell, overlapping as needed. Fill in gaps with cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle herbs evenly over tomatoes.
Gently dollop cheese/mayo mixture on top of seasoned tomatoes and press lightly.
Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Best served warm or room temperature.

Food helps soothe the soul

January 22, 2018 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Beautiful Santa Barbara coastline with charred hills just above Montecito

For my close friends and family, you know the past few weeks have brought lots of sadness and anxiety with the disaster that has unfolded in Montecito. For those that don’t know me personally but read my blog know that my last post focused on the fabulous trip we just took to Montecito and the Santa Barbara area and all the tasty food we enjoyed on that visit. For many people not in CA, Montecito is familiar because it’s where Oprah and Ellen live- for me it’s where three of my favorite people on the planet live and love. The devastation that has occurred there is mind boggling. Families have been forever changed. The tight-knit community who was still so raw from the fires in December have had to endure hours, days and now weeks of trauma and uncertainty. As I write this, the main freeway that runs through this darling little town has only just opened in the past 24 hours but residents still remain shut off from their homes and neighborhood and will continue to be for more than a week. All I can say is that the feeling of helplessness is a terrible feeling and all I have wanted to do the past two weeks is scoop up these three, transport them to my town and nurture and comfort them with every warm and tasty dish I know how to make. If praying is your kind of thing, please continue to include the town of Montecito in your prayers. There is still much uncertainty and a massive clean up effort to continue.

For now, we focus on feeding the souls of our friends and family whenever possible. Below are some recipes that I have made in the past week or are on my meal calendar for the week ahead. I hope you find something to try and enjoy.

As always, thanks for reading and happy meal planning!

~Christina

Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

I’m not sure what to say about these other than they are absolutely delicious and dangerous to have in my kitchen- I made them a few days ago and they disappeared in no time. They are buttery, chocolatey and have the best crunch from the turbinado sugar. I am planning on making a few batches of these this week for my husband to bring to work. Just a mid-week treat of cookies to get them through the week!

Classic Italian-American Stuffed Shells

I made this dish this past week and split it between two foil pans- one for my kids and grandma to have while Eric and I were out for the night and one for the freezer to take to a friend who just had a new baby. It’s flavorful, comfort food at its best! This recipe is your standard spinach ricotta filling but with an extra step or two to soak up the moisture of the spinach and ricotta. If you have a few extra minutes, it’s worth the additional steps. I used a jar of Rao’s Homemade Sauce- it’s a great weeknight solution and a quality brand that is almost always on sale at Safeway. Or try Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce. It’s the best sauce I think I’ve ever had and super easy- 3 ingredients and 45 minutes of simmer time.

Ham and Split Pea Soup

This is the easiest soup to make and full of flavor. My entire family loves it. I make it as written, but always double the recipe and we either eat it for a few meals or put it in smaller containers and freeze it. The only thing you need to do if eating it for leftovers is to thin it a bit with water or stock before heating it up. I used leftover ham (Cook’s Illustrated Holiday Ham with Cherry Port Sauce) I had in the freezer from the holidays. We have this with a side of kale salad. Yum!

Chickpea, Barley and Kale Soup

Everyone needs to have an easy super healthy soup like this one in their repertoire. And, everyone needs to have a friend like my friend Patricia! She brought me this soup about a year ago when I wasn’t feeling awesome and I loved it so much that I promptly requested the recipe. I’ve made it many times since and it’s a hit with my family. The only changes I usually make are to use vegetable or chicken stock instead of the water and bullion cubes and I also double the amount of kale, carrots and celery- can never have enough veggies! My kids love to sprinkle Tajin seasoning salt on the top so I am sure to keep the salt to taste at a minimum. A garlic toast to dip is the perfect side.

Slow Roasted Salmon with Pesto

Recently, we were visiting my mom and she offered us the yummiest baked salmon for lunch. It is so simple using prepared pesto and it cooks beginning in a COLD oven so you don’t even need to take time to preheat! We ate it cold, as my mom usually does, and it was delicious. I cannot think of a healthier option to have in your fridge during the week for a quick lunch. Bonus- cold salmon means you can take it to work and not stink up the company kitchen! I cannot think of anyone who might have done this while teaching about 10 years ago- but, you only do that once before learning your lesson.

My mom’s “recipe” in a text message. We are fancy like that.

“Hi Sweetie! Cannot find the exact recipe but here’s what I do: olive oil in the bottom of a shallow casserole, put Costco prepared Pesto on top of salmon after I season with a little salt and pepper. Spread about 2 Tbsp. depending on size of filet. Set oven to 400°. Place casserole on middle rack in cold oven and after temp reaches 400° I turn off the oven and let it sit in the oven for another 5 or 10 minutes. It all depends on the size of the fillet. You can check for desired firmness and also for the milky white liquid to disappear.”

If you need an exact recipe: Pioneer Woman puts salmon filet in a cold oven, then turns on the heat to 400 degrees and cooks for 25 minutes. Both preparations couldn’t be more simple! I hope you enjoy.
Crispy Dijon Chicken Sandwiches

When I was growing up we loved going to Burger King and instead of getting a burger we often got their “healthier” (ha!) chicken sandwiches on a roll. They were so simple but so delicious. And, because they were several dollars a sandwich and my parents had 4 teenagers at once with big appetites, it added up. My mom recreated it at home for much cheaper and included it in our family collection of recipes. Using organic chicken- which I would- would definitely not make this more affordable, but certainly worth making for my family to satisfy my fond childhood memory.

The only tip I would give is to put your pan in the oven to get really hot and when your chicken is ready to go in the oven, pull your pan out, grease it with olive oil (my mom would use more butter) and quickly place your prepared chicken on the hot pan and put it back in the oven. I tried this with breaded eggplant recently and it produced the most crispy coating- I am certain it would work great with this recipe.

PS- the recipe below would be for boneless, skinless chicken. Using “thin cut” chicken breasts would be a good idea as well. I recently saw this organic option at the store.

Shrimp Tacos with Pickled Red Onion

This is hardly a recipe either, but one of the easiest dinners that I can quickly make and always have the ingredients on hand is shrimp tacos. I keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer (Trader Joe’s), tortillas in the refrigerator, and a packet of taco seasoning (Trader Joe’s brand is a great one) in the pantry. I toss 1 lb of defrosted shrimp in half a packet of taco seasoning, put a little oil in a hot pan and saute the shrimp for about 3 minutes and then turn over and saute for another minute or two. A few pieces of cooked shrimp, a little shredded lettuce topped with a mixture of Greek yogurt and sriracha sauce wrapped with a corn or flour tortilla is pretty delicious.

If we are feeling fancy on a particular Taco Tuesday evening, I’ll do a quick batch of pickled red onions to sit while I’m sauteing the shrimp and heating up some frozen corn and a can of black beans as a side. My kids eat these pickled onions right out of the jar. I follow the recipe exactly with the exception of the vinegar- I prefer using red wine vinegar but almost any vinegar besides the big jug of white distilled vinegar would work great. Apparently it has too strong of a flavor for the best pickled red onion. It’s a super quick- dinner on the table- in 20 minutes.

PS: Thaw frozen shrimp quickly in a colander placed in the sink with cold water running over it for a few minutes. Be sure to take a shorter shower that day to make up for the wasted water- sorry. It’s the only way and I have no good use for shrimp water so it goes down the drain.

Happy 2018!

January 7, 2018 by Christina Shoup 2 Comments

Happy 2018 to you all! I truly hope you had a great holiday season filled with family and friends. We sure did! Apparently, I failed to take a closer look at our family calendar because we ended up hosting 5 different holiday gatherings in less than 10 days- lots of work but completely worth it for the laughs and memories made. My hubby is a gracious co-host and an expert dishwasher and I very much enjoy the menu planning and the cooking- we make a great team.

Over the break we visited family in the Santa Barbara area and had a blast. The gratitude toward the firefighters is clear all over town and while several establishments were still doing fire/smoke restoration, the town seems resilient and grateful. We were happy to see our family safely back in their home and very happy to help support the local economy get back on their feet. A few of the tasty meals we had were from: Cava- a Spanish, Mexican restaurant on Coast Village in Montecito with dessert across the street at Here’s the Scoop- gelato with homemade waffle cones; Lama Dog in the Funk Zone- seafood burgers, fish tacos, german pretzels with cheesy beer sauce; and a great breakfast at the Montecito Cafe. Another great place we had a picnic from while wine tasting was Industrial Eats in the town of Buellton. A few of the sandwiches blew our minds.

My favorite- by far- was the hole in the wall taco stand East Beach Tacos. This place is insane! I haven’t stopped thinking of my ahi poke taco in a wonton skin and bahn mi taco. In fact, I could have eaten one of everything on the menu. They even have this super fun item on the kid’s menu called the Beachball- a favorite of my nephew’s and now my daughter’s. It’s a ball of sushi rice about the size of your fist and it’s stuffed with ahi tuna- poke style. Delicious. The super fun part about this taco stand is that it shares the same property with an old school (20 pitches for a token- score!) outdoor batting cage and serves local beers. I cannot even imagine the danger this place would be to our family if we lived nearby. With all the amazing eateries Santa Barbara has to offer- this is the first stop we will make on our next trip. To hold us over in the meantime, I asked (begged) Eric to go in front of the long line of people to take a close picture of the creative and inventive taco menu and will be recreating these in the very near future. My brain is going crazy about this place– after culinary school I might have to open this in the Bay Area! After my coffee/breakfast/lunch cafe, that is. Dreams…

It’s back to reality as we approach kids going back to school this week. I think we are all ready for routine, but I’m going to miss my sleepy kiddos stumbling downstairs with their blankets and settling in on the couch each morning. Back to rushed mornings, making lunches, and busy afternoons. Thankfully, after the first few days it gets easier and we have a few Monday holidays coming up for those sleepy mornings. Since we’ve been home the past few days we’ve been enjoying super simple meals such as: baked sweet potatoes, white beans with pancetta and rosemary; smashed avocado with aleppo pepper, sea salt, lemon and olive oil; shrimp tacos; kale salad; and carrot soup with lemon and ginger.

For the week ahead: I’ve got a few easy weeknight dishes planned. One exception, I’ve got a special dinner planned for Monday night as we will be celebrating Eric’s first day at his new job. I’ll take some time on Monday to make sure we’ve got a good bottle of celebratory wine, and everything for a yummy Italian feast of Eggplant Parmesan and Chicken Saltimbocca. And his favorite dessert, chocolate mousse for dessert. **Lest you get the wrong idea here- a celebratory Monday night dinner at home is no intimate candlelit soiree- it’s just extra special food that are favorites of the one being celebrated and are eaten in stages due to 2 out of 3 kids needing to be driven to and from sports and religion classes. We are just super proud of him and are excited to celebrate his new gig!(Will post recipes for these later this week as none of them are easily available online.)

Carrot Soup with Lemon and Ginger

This soup makes you feel like you’ve been to one of those high-end wellness retreats where they pamper you with delicious healthy meals and take you out on nature walks around their property and serve you spa water with lots of magical ingredients to make you feel like a million bucks. For those of us in real life: make this soup (it literally takes 20 minutes after chopping a few ingredients), take a walk around your neighborhood while listening to your favorite inspirational podcast (my current fav is For the Love of Food series, Jen Hatmaker), and upon your return squeeze some lemon into your glass of water. Done. DIY Wellness retreat in between carpool duties. You’re welcome.

We made this recipe last night exactly as written, in fact, I chopped the ingredients for efficiency and my 8 year old made the rest. Don’t forget the squeeze of lemon at the very end and we skipped the optional sour cream dollop on the top- this soup just doesn’t need it. I only wished I had doubled the recipe- it made exactly enough for our family of 5 to have a bowl with a side of kale salad and garlic toasts. This was a huge hit with my whole family!

Fried Rice

This is such a great recipe that can be easily adapted to what you have in the refrigerator. It’s comforting, quick, and can be healthier if you increase the veggies (I add zucchini and more bell pepper) swap brown rice for the white rice, and use coconut oil for the canola oil. Obviously, you can add chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu for protein. We like ours with a generous amount of Sriracha sauce.

Note: I use my dutch oven pot because it contains all the extra veggies I add but if I had a wok, that would be ideal. Also, do not begin this without having everything prepped and ready to go. We are talking about a super quick dish over high heat that can be ruined with sad overcooked veggies or egg stuck to the bottom of your pan never to be scrubbed off entirely.

Beef Chili with Kidney Beans

This is another one of our go-to chili recipes. It is heavier on the quantity of ground beef (2 lbs) but makes a lot and I take care to use good organic, grass-fed beef. We rarely eat red meat, so when we do, it’s the best quality we can find and afford. This recipe has a good kick and requires my kids to dollop sour cream or Greek yogurt on top, but it’s full of flavor. I add two red bell peppers instead of one, coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil, and add an extra can of beans- white or black. The recipe brilliantly calls for cooking for 1 hr with the lid on and then for 1 hr with the lid off. Do this. The people at America’s Test Kitchen are no joke and they know these things after much trial and error. It makes for a deeply flavored, thick chili and the leftovers are awesome.

Refrigerator Bran Muffins

Growing up, these were a staple in our house. I remember running out the house to school with two hot muffins on a napkin. The recipe was included in our family recipe collection that my mom made for my siblings and me and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with my own kids. The batter couldn’t be more simple to make, can be left in the refrigerator for several weeks (don’t be alarmed by the strange tint of green the top layer takes on- it’s fine), and are best scooped and put in the oven the day of- I do mine while packing lunches. My kids enjoy them as a snack and are a respectable stand in for a sandwich when packed with a to-go packet of peanut or almond butter. I swap out the Crisco sticks for butter and add chopped walnuts but skip the raisins- they get a little too mushy for my liking. Alternatively, you can add the raisins when you are scooping so they are more fresh. Enjoy!

Quick blog note: I hope the tag/category feature helps you find recipes more easily. I sure know it helps me! Also, I’m working hard on figuring out a better way to post recipes (an easy recipe card) when it’s not a linked recipe so you can view and print recipes easily. Stay tuned… I have a day job so it is taking me awhile to integrate all of it. 🙂

I hope you have a great week, avoid all those nasty germs out there, and enjoy all that a fresh year has to offer! Thanks for reading ~Christina

A year later… and still meal planning

November 13, 2017 by Christina Shoup 4 Comments

Happy Fall everyone! It’s been just over a year since my last blog post. Anyone remember my last post about us suddenly buying a new home and putting our current one on the market? I’m happy to report all went well, we settled in fairly quickly, and we cruised right into the holiday season. Excited to share our new space with friends and family, we filled our calendar hosting gatherings that varied from 10 yr old birthday laser tag around the yard (crazy!), to Thanksgiving with family, Father Daughter Dance middle school pre-party, Christmas Eve dinner with friends, Memorial Day backyard fiesta, and many random taco bars to watch the “big game” and dinner parties in between. What I love about all of these events, both big and small, is that I can remember at least one memorable dish from each menu that stood out. The entire meal might have been good, but without fail, I can remember the one dish that everyone loved and was enjoyed by all. Funny enough, those are always the ones that I get an email or text about requesting the recipe for. I guess the takeaway is– don’t be afraid to have friends and family over! You can serve them a whole meal from your kitchen or someone else’s, and they will likely only remember one of those dishes.

A year later, which for me translates into my 11th year of meal calendars, I can look back on all the main events that occurred over the past year. So much of what’s on our monthly calendars show what life was like that particular month. As I have mentioned before, it’s my scrapbook of sorts.

January- predictably shows lots of salmon and veggies after the holiday sugar high. February- plenty of cold-weather dishes like chicken curry and soups as well as delicious, naughty super bowl treats. March/April- lots of standard go-to recipes like southwest chicken salad, chicken meatballs, and burrito bowls; showing little time with an epic ski season, flag football and baseball in full swing. May- with warmer weather and several family birthdays and holidays, the calendar shows special dishes like grilled scallops and asparagus, grilled tri tip with lots of yummy sides, and favorite restaurant reservations. June- early summer produce at the farmer’s market provided easy dinners like BLT sandwiches, shrimp tacos with corn, and quesadillas with grilled veggies. July- July was nothing short of crazytown. We lived at the ballpark the entire month and when our dinner wasn’t from the snack shack, it was in a container sitting in the stands. Thankfully, kale and couscous salad travels really well. Let’s be honest though, mostly it was snack shack dinner followed by a bowl of cereal at home or hotel. When it got really crazy, dinner came from a Chick Fil A drive through window- Ben’s first drive through! Maybe 3rd or 4th for Syd and Ry. I had never had a chicken sandwich from Chick Fil A, but now I know what all the fuss is about. Those things are delicious! August- summer’s bounty at the farmer’s market turned into delicious, healthy, easy dinners such as fresh tomato soup and homemade rosemary focaccia, ratatouille, summer veggie quinoa, and fresh basil pesto pasta. September- settling back into the school routine allowed for more predictable schedules and dinners at the table. On the calendar that month was roasted salmon and broccoli with a side of white beans and pancetta, a sheet pan dinner of braised chicken with tomatoes and bacon and an easy make-ahead stuffed shells dish. October- with good intentions to make cozy warm food and all things pumpkin, the weather suggested otherwise. We had a nice chilly fall week where beef chili, pork tenderloin, roasted brussels sprouts and acorn squash were on the menu, but then our heat wave came and we were back to grilled chicken pitas, veggie burgers and deli roasted chicken over mixed greens.

Here we are in November! After coming home from a much needed Mexican vacation with Eric, we had a few busy weeks and I was thankful for those go-to recipes that I practically have memorized. I can grab any scrap of paper in my purse, sit in my car in the local grocery store parking lot and meal plan for the next several days. Thank goodness for our little handheld computers where we can look up that recipe to ensure we have all the right ingredients and check our calendar to check for any late meetings, practices or games. There’s nothing worse than cooking a meal only to realize it’s only you and the cat home to eat it. Wait a minute… that doesn’t sound so bad afterall!

Some of those go to meals that we’ve had in the past two weeks include: Beef and Cheddar Hand Pies, Greek Chicken Pitas, and Baked Chicken Meatballs. All of the recipe links and notes are in previous posts, so just scroll down for those if you’re interested.

A new recipe I tried recently was from New York Times Cooking (usually a homerun!) that I sadly cannot recommend- Turkey Pork Sausage Meatloaf with Tomato Relish. It was very flavorful but the texture was so strange and heating it up the next day made it nearly inedible. I’ll stick to my other meatloaf recipes that are a big hit with my family. Bobby Flay’s Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze that uses beef and pork and Ina Garten’s Meatloaf that uses ground turkey.

As I have done in the past, and life allows going forward, I will try to post my meal plan for the week on Sunday or Monday morning at the latest. My hope is that it will inspire you to meal plan for the week and perhaps at least one of the recipes makes your mouth water enough to give it a try. I will let you know if any of the recipes are new to me, but 90% of the time, the recipes I recommend are those that are already a hit with my own family. Nobody needs another recipe in their “to try” file that may or may not be a hit- let me waste my time and money for you. 🙂

This week is full of commitments in the evening for most of our family so I am planning accordingly. All will either be made in advance or can be left on the stove to accommodate all the different schedules we have going on here. No need for frantic pizza orders or drive throughs when you have a plan. But, as always, use pencil because life happens and plans change!

Coconut Chicken Soup

This is a quick and easy soup that you can adapt to suit your preferences. I use full fat, unsweetened coconut milk. Thai Kitchen (now organic and at Costco!) is my favorite. My kids despise mushrooms so I may cut back on the quantity or they can pick them out. While I love the flavor of lemongrass, I don’t love the woodsy texture. I will use the lemongrass for the amazing flavor, but will make sure to finely dice or cut even cut in large chunks and simmer in the soup and skimming them out before the last step. Our side dish will be frozen potstickers from Trader Joe’s or Costco. Yum!

Paleo Chili

This became a hit a few years ago when we went on a ski weekend with another family and I was in charge of one of the dinners. Cold + mountains = chili! The problem (beyond the lack of snow during the drought and not all that cold temps) was I only had chili recipes that either had beans in it (one of our friends wasn’t a fan) or was a thick Texas-style chili with lots of spice (not exactly kid-friendly). So, I found this recipe with great reviews and decided to try it. As with all chili, it’s best made the day before and reheated. It was a hit! Only change I made was to use ground beef instead of ground bison (but now you can find bison at Costco if you’re interested in trying). And because most of us weren’t actually following a Paleo diet, we loaded it up with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions. Don’t forget a side of cornbread and butter, too. Trader Joe’s is a good one to have on hand.

Nordstrom Nicoise Salad with Herb-Crusted Salmon and Tuscan Roast Potatoes

I’m planning on having this salad twice this week. Once with salmon and the other with grilled lemon-herb chicken. It may seem like a lot of components, but if you plan correctly, you can have most of this done ahead of time or cut back on some of the steps. For instance, if you don’t want to buy a bunch of fresh herbs, you can shake on a little Italian Seasoning on the salmon and potatoes before roasting and you will get plenty of flavor for your salad. If your people, especially the little ones don’t like salad because it’s all touchy on the plate, then separate any of the components that they will eat or you want them to try and you essentially have the same family dinner. I skip the vinaigrette in the linked recipe and use this Balsamic Vinaigrette with Basil. Btw, this recipe link doesn’t include thyme, but I have Danielle Walker’s cookbook Against All Grain and the original recipe uses chopped up thyme. Be sure to use fresh basil and thyme! It’s so delicious I could drink it. I try to have a mason jar of it in my refrigerator at all times. One recipe makes plenty for at least two, maybe three large salads for our family of five.

Ground Turkey Enchiladas

No link here because the “recipe” is written on a scrap of paper that is barely legible. We had this a few years back at a family get together and my sister-in-law who brought the dish gave me the recipe on the spot. Our family has enjoyed it many many times and I’m happy to pass it along to you. Easy, healthyish, and most importantly, my kids cheer when they see it on the calendar. Warning- it can be on the spicy side, which two out of my kids enjoy, but make sure to get the mild Hatch sauce and have sour cream on hand to help with the heat. A side of black or refried beans and chips is not a bad idea.

1 lb ground turkey thigh (dark meat)

1 small can of diced Ortega/Hatch mild green chilies

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 14oz. can of refried black beans

~2 c shredded cheddar, jack or colby jack cheese

1 large can of Hatch Enchilada sauce, mild

~12 corn or flour tortillas

Green onion

In a glass pyrex baking dish, spray non-stick oil and cover bottom with a thin layer of sauce. Brown ground turkey, drain oil, and mix in taco seasoning according to packet directions. Add refried beans and mix until combined. Divide meat and bean mixture among tortillas, top with cheese and roll up. Place rolled tortillas in the baking dish nice and tight and top with remaining sauce. Be sure to cover enchiladas completely and top with any remaining cheese. Bake at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes and top with sliced green onion before serving.

*When I make this dish later this week, I will pay attention to exactly how many enchiladas it makes. The reality is, depending on how many mouths I need to feed I can adapt the recipe accordingly. Need to stretch the recipe because the playdate went long and you’ve got more mouths to feed? Perfect- add another can of beans, add more cheese or use smaller fajita sized tortillas and serve with a fruit smoothie. Or if you use Kirkland Organic ground beef from Costco, those prepackaged squares are more than a pound (1.13lbs, I think) and you have more filling than you need. Or mix If you’ve got extra sauce, go ahead and dip your tortillas in sauce before adding the meat/bean mixture to make them extra delicious. Point is, this is a very adaptable dish that I make differently all the time. Bonus- it’s very freezer friendly, so make up a double batch!

Banana Flaxseed Muffins

These are tasty healthy banana muffins and are going in school lunches this week. I use almond milk and trade off between using coconut oil or melted butter, both are good. I often use toasted and chopped walnuts and mix in with the batter rather than sprinkle on top. Very adaptable with Cup for Cup flour to make gluten free or any dairy-free milk for allergies. All ingredients, including the ground flaxseed, are found at Trader Joe’s. (Swear I don’t have an impending job at TJ’s in their marketing department, it’s just a great store!)

Happy meal planning this week and please let me know if you have any questions or if you end up trying any of these recipes! Have a great week ~Christina

Big changes around here!

October 2, 2016 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

Happy October!! Just when I thought fall couldn’t get any busier, we bought a new house and put our current home on the market- all in the past 2 weeks! To say we’ve been a little crazy is an understatement. Buying a new home and all that it entails is a big deal, but as I think you’ll all agree- nothing is as disruptive as having your own home on the market and available for showings at any minute WHILE you’re still living in it. WITH KIDS! I must say they’ve been troopers, have demonstrated great patience with me as I yell like a drill sergeant every day to pick up their stuff, make their beds like a hotel, and avoid globs of toothpaste in the sink. The daily vacuuming, sweeping, and all tasks to make it look like we don’t live here is exhausting for everyone. I think it will all come to an end fairly quickly and we can get on with preparing for our move in less than 2 weeks!

We are all very excited about our new home- just about a mile from our current one. We look forward to a floor plan that works better for our family and a flat backyard for the kids. While I will miss my beautiful kitchen, and really nothing can top its charm and beautiful views, I very much look forward to creating new memories in our new one. Filling the dining room with friends and family for many years to come makes me happy just thinking about it. I’m already thinking about the first meal I’m going to make when we are settled. I still remember the first meal I made in our current home nearly 3 ½ years ago just 2 days after moving in. (Thank you past meal calendars!)

First meal in our current home: Roasted salmon with honey mustard, mixed green salad with pears, feta and almonds, and a side of broccoli and corn

Some were impressed that we could get settled that quickly (I am my mother’s daughter after all), but since I don’t feel at home anywhere until I have made a meal for my family in my own kitchen, the motivation is there to get it done.

So… what has the Shoup family been eating the past few weeks??? For the busiest days of preparing the house for sale, I was able to make beef chili on the first day and we ate leftovers for another day or two. Then, the heat wave came and it was over 90 degrees in my house with no A/C, so turning on my oven with frozen items was not an option- we went out for dinner probably 3 days out of 4. That gets old very quickly unless you’re on vacation! The next week when the weather cooled off, my freezer became my go-to. Frozen beef hand pies, frozen chicken meatballs and frozen Trader Joe’s orange chicken. Another day I picked up a roasted chicken from the store and a few other ingredients to make a Southwest barbequed chicken salad- a staple in our home. (More on that in a future post.)

Busy month!

I anticipate this next week being a little calmer and have planned some easy, flavorful dishes for dinner. I also realized that I have needed a few more options for a quick breakfast in the morning and have included a few recipes for that as well. I’m going to make both today or tomorrow and hopefully our mornings of picking up the house will go smoother with breakfast already made.

As always, thank you for reading and for sharing in my love of Food, Family and Friends. Have a great week and feel free to share if you end up trying any of the recipes below!

Mexican Chicken Soup

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/mexican-chicken-soup-recipe.html

This is a cross between a feel good chicken soup and tortilla soup. It makes a ton and is great for leftovers, not to mention packed in a thermos for school lunches. It’s not spicy, very healthy, and has lots of flavor. Good toppings are a must- sour cream, cilantro, shredded cheese, and crushed up tortilla chips.

Mississippi Roast

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017937-mississippi-roast

*New recipe* I’ve read/seen/heard about this recipe for quite some time now and have never tried it. People RAVE about it on many a food blogs. There was definitely a time when I would have made it with any old piece of meat and very happy to throw in a few packaged seasoning mixes and called it a day. However, as my headaches/migraines have only increased and other members of the family have had sensitive tummy issues, the original recipe as it was written with many undesirable ingredients in these packages is something that I have passed on despite the positive reviews on this dish. There’s even a fun back-story (more in the link) about how the recipe became so popular and I’m a big sucker for recipes that have deep meaning for friends and family. This all changed when I came across the same recipe revamped by the New York Times with alternatives to the packaged ingredients. A few easy steps with ingredients I already keep on hand, a good piece of quality beef, and about 6-8 hours of hands-off cooking, and I think we are going to enjoy a great meal! I’m going to serve it with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. If I’m feeling generous, I may even make mashed potatoes for the two people in my family who enjoy them as I think something to soak up all the gravy that this dish produces would be a good idea.

Quick Tikka Masala

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/quick-chicken-tikka-masala-56389806

This is a hit in our family! It calls for garam masala and it can be found at most grocery stores. It’s also sold in small portions so if you don’t want to commit to another spice in your cabinet that may go to waste, you can be sure it’s not expensive and worth adding it to your shopping list. I only have two recipes I use it in, but I still think it’s worth having it. Alternatively, you can use curry powder for a similarly flavored dish. If your kids aren’t very adventurous with spiced (not spicy) foods, this is a good one to try because the tomatoes and tomato paste kind of sweetens the dish. Serve with naan warmed in the oven to dip all that yummy sauce or over rice of any kind. The leftovers are even better the next day.

Apple Muffins

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/apple-muffins-recipe.html

I’m sneaking in one last apple recipe before all things pumpkin happen in October and November. These are really tasty! I make them just as the recipe says. I usually have whole wheat pastry flour, but if I ran out I’d use whole spelt flour or half whole wheat and half all purpose flour. If you don’t eat the entire batch out of the oven, they are best stored in the refrigerator. My family seems to like them cold just as well as warm. They also pack well for snack or school lunches.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222586/scrambled-egg-muffins/

My family likes to call these “egg pucks.” This is a good starter recipe and I’m sure it’s delicious as written, but I make several changes to suit our tastes better. I like to sauté veggies such as red bell pepper, green onion and spinach in a little olive oil just until soft and divide equally among the muffin cups. Then I sprinkle on diced Canadian bacon or cooked crumbled bacon on top of the veggies followed by a pinch of grated cheese. Finally, I pour the egg mixture on top of each muffin cup and bake as directed. They heat up really well for a quick and healthy breakfast during the week.

PS- I love this muffin tin and have had great success getting these little pucks out of the pan with ease! No need to grease the pan. https://www.amazon.com/OvenArt-Bakeware-Silicone-12-Cup-Muffin/dp/B00CNVBCLK

You can download the PDF of the October calendar below!

oct-2016-calendar

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When you know better you do better

August 28, 2016 by Christina Shoup 5 Comments

Some farmer’s market love from Eric

Let me first say that I truly appreciate all the feedback since I’ve started this little blog. I have really appreciate our texts, emails, posts, and comments at school to let me know how much you’re enjoying it. It’s been fun for me and I am enjoying it more than I thought. So many of you have been kind enough to share your tips, suggest new recipes, and commiserate about the stress and hassle of getting dinner on the table each evening- thank you!!

For many of us, school and fall sports are well underway. I might have over-planned last week’s meal calendar just a bit. I stuck to the plan, and my family appreciated each meal, but I underestimated how busy and tired I’d be with school and sports starting all in the same week. I planned for one day of leftovers, but what I really needed was either another day of leftovers or something easy from the freezer. Rookie move. This week is looking a little nutty with busy days and several evening meetings. One of my favorite sayings- When you know better you do better! Here’s to an easier week of getting food on the table. And, let’s not forget we’ve got a nice long weekend ahead of us!

Turkey Chili with White Beans

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/turkey-chili-with-white-beans-3090

There are many chili recipes out there, and I’ve made several different kinds myself. Over the years I’ve tried many variations- beans vs. no beans, ground beef vs. cubed, tomato sauce vs. chicken/beef stock/beer, spicy vs. mild, quick and easy vs. simmer all day, etc. This week I am cooking my favorite turkey chili because it’s quick and easy, full of flavor and provides leftovers. It’s always a hit and the recipe is usually requested when I share it with family and friends. I serve it with all the toppings: cilantro, shredded cheese, green onion, avocado, and sour cream. A side of cornbread- Trader Joe’s box(!) or crushed up tortilla chips is yummy, too.

I make it as directed with these exceptions: I substitute the 3 cans of white beans for 1 can of white beans, 1 can of black beans and 1 can of dark red kidney beans. I like the variety but anything works. I also use dark turkey thigh instead of more lean turkey breast- it seems to have more flavor. Finally, I add about a cup of frozen corn in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

*Bonus- the leftovers are even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to develop.

Frozen Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken

You’ll recall me saying a few weeks ago that once school starts you’ll see “Trader Joe’s frozen something” on my meal calendar more often. Well, this is one of those go-to meals for busy nights. I actually cook 2 packages for our entire family and there’s always a little leftover. I serve it with a side of broccoli and frozen jasmine or brown rice- all from Trader Joe’s. Not the healthiest meal, but it couldn’t be easier and my kids absolutely love this dish.

*Caution- Once I packed a few servings in Tupperware for Sydney and I to eat in the car on the way to a “birds and the bees” class. I figured we needed full tummies for the night we had ahead of us. The darn chicken dish didn’t sit for more than 30 minutes in the Tupperware before it steamed its crunchy outside right off and into a nasty mushy layer making our dinner nearly inedible. Lesson #1- do not make this ahead of time and certainly don’t package it! Lesson #2- if you’re going to take your kid to such a class, treat them to a nice juicy In & Out Burger, fries and shake.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/12/03/recipe-best-pulled-pork-crock-pot/

This is a household favorite and I’m excited to get it back into the rotation. Thankfully, my friend Marina reminded me of this dish and I am happy that she did! It’s a great dish for the crockpot that can cook all morning or afternoon and can sit until you’re ready to shred the pork and add BBQ sauce. We love the pork on Hawaiian rolls with a side of coleslaw (nothing fancy here- bagged shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, and Marie’s coleslaw or poppy seed dressing) and baked beans.

Labor Day Menu

Tomato Pie, Grilled Sausages, Corn Salad, Watermelon Wedges and Butterfinger Pie

I made a very similar menu when we had some friends over this summer and thought it would make a great Labor Day menu as well. Make one or all of these dishes and you won’t be sorry. At first glance, it probably doesn’t look like an easy menu, but each dish only has a few ingredients, very easy to prepare, and is full of summer flavor. Enjoy!

Tomato Pie

I know what you’re thinking… tomato what?! This has been a favorite of mine since childhood. My mom used to make this when we had company over and guests always requested the recipe. Years ago she gave my siblings and me a wonderful Christmas gift- a book of family recipes and this one made the cut. I make it several times each summer and this year is no different. It makes an impressive and delicious dish when you entertain but is simple and comforting enough to make and bring to a friend with a new baby.

Make it easy on yourself and buy pre-made pie dough and unroll it right into a pie dish. Poke a few holes in the dough and cook as instructed before filling your pie shell with the tomatoes and cheese mixture. And, don’t bother peeling the tomatoes, it’s unnecessary!

Right out of the family recipe collection

Strange looking crust but that didn’t affect the taste

Corn Salad

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/fresh-corn-salad-recipe.html

This is delicious, super easy, and I make it as directed. Fresh corn is really important here!

As disturbing as this photo seems, it’s a great way to cut corn off the cob and catch it in a bundt or angel food pan.

Butterfinger Pie

This is hardly a recipe but here’s another favorite from my childhood that was included in our family recipe book. My kids nearly died when they were at the grocery store with me and I asked them to go find 6 Butterfinger bars. One of them said, “What is this, Halloween or something?” My candy bar-deprived children declared this the best dessert ever and I’m pretty sure I’m going to need to include it in my very own family recipe book someday.

4 ingredients!

Plans change, so use pencil!

August 21, 2016 by Christina Shoup 2 Comments

Meal planning always begins with the best intentions- a nice balanced week of food, a mix of simple and more involved recipes and different types of cuisines. Last week the planning was no different, but the execution was not as easy. Several days last week I wasn’t feeling super and in the late afternoon the meal I had planned on making just didn’t sound great to me. I texted Eric each afternoon and asked, “What sounds better- fish tacos or cobb salad? Beef hand pies or chicken lettuce wraps?” He thought the service around here was amazing! I didn’t want him to get used to the changing daily menu choices so I fessed up that nothing sounded good to me and that while I was happy to cook it was his job to pick the meal.

That’s the beauty of using a pencil with a good eraser when meal planning. What I had planned on for Sunday night’s dinner got moved to later the following week due to a last minute family birthday celebration. Wednesday’s dinner got moved to Monday because I had all the ingredients and no time to go to the store. Friday’s meal wasn’t made because I needed a cooking break and moved that meal to Monday. It usually all works out. My goal over the past few years has been to meal plan so that when the plan changes, we don’t end up wasting a bunch of food that goes bad and has to be thrown out. All of us are guilty of that right? And it doesn’t feel good at all…

I have finally found a way that works for me and that is to break up the grocery shopping into two times a week. This will be different for everyone, but as I wrote in a previous post, I look at my calendar on Sunday, and then make a meal plan for the entire week, including at least one of the following weekend days. I go to the store on Sunday or Monday as well as the farmer’s market to get me though 3-4 dinner meals, breakfast, lunches, snacks, etc. If I made everything as planned, then I shop for the rest of the week/weekend. If I had to make a change- last minute dinner invitation to someone’s house, meeting went longer than expected, the flu hits our house, etc. then I adjust accordingly. When I used to shop once a week, my cart looked like I was stocking up for a big storm to hit, not to mention the issue of enough refrigerator and pantry space. So, taking two trips to the grocery store a week is what generally works for me.

Speaking of taking two trips to the grocery store, I get to do that completely kid-free beginning in a few days! Camp Mom is about over and I think we are all finally ready to throw in the summer beach towel. I’ve got some easy recipes planned for the week, as well as using a yummy one from last week that I didn’t quite get to. It’s also the time of year that I need to pull out those easy breakfast and snack ideas. During the summer I pretty much only make my kids dinner- they are in charge of making their own breakfast, snack and lunch. It’s just a nice, well-deserved break for me. Kudos to all of you that have your kids make their own school lunches. I’m just not there yet! I want to be, but it’s not the morning battle I choose right now.

A few recipes I’m making this week:

Baked Chicken Meatballs

https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/10/baked-chicken-meatballs/

These are really easy to make ahead and bake at dinnertime. They are full of flavor and a great recipe to double or even triple and freeze for another day. I often serve them with roasted sweet potatoes or Brussels sprouts and a Caesar salad. You can also toast some rolls and make a tasty meatball sub sandwich with your favorite pasta sauce and melted mozzarella/provolone cheese on top.

A few changes I make- I have made this recipe with diced pancetta (Trader Joe’s has this for a reasonable price) and diced bacon. Either way, if you cook the pancetta or bacon in the pan it will render enough fat to sauté the onions making the whole dish more flavorful. If you use precooked bacon, just add a touch of olive oil to the pan, add the precooked bacon diced up and it will crisp up in the pan and then you can add the onions and sauté. I also really like adding a mixture of ketchup and barbeque sauce- just brush it right on top before baking. It’s a favorite around here!

Thai Chicken Wrap with Spicy Peanut Sauce

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/thai-chicken-wrap-with-spicy-peanut-sauce-recipe.html

This is the kind of dish I make on our super busy Wednesday evenings. When all kids have practice or a game from 5-8pm, this is the kind of meal that is easy to prep ahead of time and keeps us from getting our dinner from a drive through window. The chicken can be grilled earlier in the day and the veggie and herb mixture only gets better as it sits. If both of these are done ahead of time, you can walk in the door and have dinner on the table in 10 minutes. Another idea is to pre-make them and wrap in foil, cut up a melon and put it in a container and you’ve got dinner on the go. Hmmm… maybe I look forward to these crazy Wednesday evenings!

Pizza Night

Four words for you- Trader Joe’s pizza dough. What kid doesn’t like to make their own pizza? I pick up the dough, a few toppings, a bag of romaine lettuce for salad and we’ve got an easy, quick and fun family dinner.

Egg Breakfast Casserole

There are a million recipes for these types of egg dishes. It’s a standard item in any breakfast potluck because it is easy, can be made ahead of time, and feeds a lot. This is a staple in our house, especially during the school year because I can make it the night before in about 10 minutes. I make it as directed, but if I have time and ingredients; I like to sauté diced red bell pepper, scallion, and spinach and put that on the bottom of the casserole dish before pouring the egg mixture in. This dish has been known to show up on the dinner table served with a fruit smoothie and nobody complains.

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Pineapple Zucchini Quick Bread

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/zucchini-pineapple-quick-bread

My kids love this packed for their morning snack or sliced with cream cheese in lieu of a sandwich. It makes two loaves and we usually plow through one before I get a chance to wrap them up and refrigerate. If your family has more restraint than ours does, then you can cool the loaves completely and wrap one up and freeze it. I make as directed with one exception- the recipes calls for “egg substitute” but I just replace that with 2 whole eggs.

Happy planning this week!

PS- The calendar below show Tomato Pie, Grilled Sausage and Corn Salad on the menu for next weekend. This will be in a future blog post, I promise!

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