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Food helps soothe the soul

January 22, 2018 by Christina Shoup Leave a Comment

File Jan 22, 11 57 11 AM

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 occured 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. 

File Jan 22, 11 58 23 AM

Sweet little bridge in Montecito on a foggy day

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.

File Jan 20, 4 38 36 PM

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.   

 

Filed Under: Chicken, Cookies, Desserts, Main Dish, Pasta, Pork, Seafood, Soup, Vegetarian Tagged With: Barley and Kale Soup, Chickpea, Classic Italian-American Stuffed Shells, Crispy Dijon Chicken Sandwiches, Ham and Split Pea Soup, Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread, Shrimp Tacos with Pickled Red Onion, Slow Roasted Salmon with Pesto

When you know better you do better

August 28, 2016 by Christina Shoup 5 Comments

 

Photo Aug 21, 4 18 37 PM

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!

IMG_6516

Right out of the family recipe collection

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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!

Photo Jul 17, 3 13 00 PM

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.

Photo Jul 17, 2 32 04 PM

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4 ingredients!

september calendar

Filed Under: Chicken, Desserts, Main Dish, Pork, Salad, Side dish, Soup, Vegetarian Tagged With: Butterfinger Pie, Corn Salad, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Tomato Pie, Turkey Chili with White Beans

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About Me

Hi there! I’m Christina, a wife, stay-at-home mom, former elementary school teacher, and now a culinary student. 

I pretty much live in the kitchen, read cookbooks cover to cover like a novel, and love cooking for family and friends. I hope to share my favorite recipes and meal plans as well as random stories of being a student in a professional culinary program in one of the biggest food cities in the world.

Feel free to follow along on Instagram:

@cookingwithchristinashoup

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