Coming next week.....

Ladies and gentlemen next week is going to be macaroni and cheese week.  There will be several different variations and the wonderful classic.  Stay tuned!

Nanny's Goulash

Nanny's Goulash

I got this recipe from Robin.  Healthy is something it definitely isn't but it is delicious.  I have added a bit of my own spin to it.  It is extremely quick and easy as well as very kid friendly.  Actually I discovered it because she was bringing it over to feed Joey for lunch.

INGREDIENTS:

Tater tots

1 lb ground beef

frozen corn

milk

1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 bag shredded cheddar or shredded Velveeta

DIRECTIONS:

Dice the onions and crush the garlic.  Put them in a skillet with the ground beef and saute.  Once the beef is cooked add the cream of mushroom soup and 1/2-1 can of milk.  Pour into a casserole dish and top with the cheese.  Top with the tater tots and bake according to the tater tot package directions.  That's it!

Beer Braised Brisket

Beer Braised Brisket

This recipe is AMAZING!!!!!  It has a long cook time but the prep and hands on time are very brief.  And it is delicious.  I didn't even have good beer to cook this.  I had to use Pabst Blue Ribbon and it still came out great.  The gravy is smooth, delicious, and finished in a snap.  It was a good thing that I was making this too because I ended up with several unexpected dinner guests and they loved it as well.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 1/2 pounds flat-cut beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pale ale
• 4 cups lower-sodium beef broth
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 6 carrots, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 6 celery stalks, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, each cut into 12 wedges
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Rub spice mixture evenly over both sides of brisket. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add brisket; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove brisket from pan. Add beer; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and garlic; return to a boil. Return brisket to pan. Cover and cook at 325° for 2 hours. Turn brisket over; cook an additional 2 hours. Turn brisket over. Add carrot, celery, and onion; cook an additional 1 hour or until brisket is very tender.
•  Remove brisket and vegetables from pan using a slotted spoon. Skim fat from cooking liquid; discard fat. Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Place flour in a small bowl; stir in 1/2 cup water. Add flour mixture to pan, stirring until smooth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve the sauce with beef and vegetables.

David Bonom, Cooking Light
OCTOBER 2011

 

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Well jambalaya is not my usual cooking style but this recipe looked fantastic so I decided to give it a try.  The wonderful folks at Cooking Light are correct that it goes wonderfully with garlic bread sticks.  I have to be honest that this is not my favorite recipe ever, but it is still quite good.  We used hot italian sausage but I have to say that it was not the best choice.  A low-fat smoked sausage was recommended but I tend not to like smokey flavors so I tried something different.  Experiment with this one and let me know if you find something you like.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 6 ounces sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup shredded  rotisserie chicken 

Preparation

• 1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage; sauté 1 minute or until browned. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Add rice and next 5 ingredients (through broth); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is done. Remove thyme sprigs; discard. Stir in tomatoes and chicken. Cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Vanessa Pruett, Cooking Light
NOVEMBER 2011

Cooking Light Pastitsio

Pastitsio

This is a new recipe that I tried this weekend from the October issue of Cooking Light.  I'd never heard of Pastitsio before but it looked yummy so I decided to give it a try.  It was very quick to prepare, not terribly complicated at all.  I made it before Zack and I went out and we both ate it with Joseph, who also loved it.  Then our babysitter came over and had some and she loved it too.  She asked for the recipe as soon as we got home.  So Emily, this one's for you.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces penne
• 1 pond ground beef
• cooking spray
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 3 oz fat free cream cheese
• 3/4 cup part-skim mozzerella

Directions:
Cook pasta and drain.  Heat a large skillet and coat with cooking spray.  Add beef to pan and and cook, stirring to crumble.  Remove meat from pan and drain .  Add oil to pan and saute onions for 5 minutes.  Add garlic stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Return beef to pan and season with salt.  Add flour and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in milk, cream cheese, and tomatoes and stir until cheese has melted.  Stir in pasta.  Place in coated baking dish and top with mozzarella.  Broil for 4 minutes until cheese is browned.

*Cooking Light October 2011

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

The weather is getting cooler and you know what that means...its time for comfort food!  One of my personal favorties is Chicken Pot Pie.  This is a great recipe.  The original is from Real Simple magazine and calls for a dry white wine but I've tried several different types and I have gotten the best results with Moscato.  I also prefer it with a bottom and top crust rather than just the top crust.  The bottom line howerver, is tha thtis is the best chicken pot pie I have ever eaten.  Enjoy!

Image compliments of real simple magazine

What you need:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 carrots, diced (or a bag of frozen carrots)

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups 1 percent milk

1 10-ounce package frozen peas (or corn)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme (1-2 tsp to taste if you use dry)

Kosher salt and pepper

 9-inch store-bought piecrust, thawed if frozen ( I have a recipe for homemade pie crust but I haven't tried it yet in this recipe.  I will let you know.)

What to do:

• Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes; let cool, then shred.  I shred the chicken by using two forks to pull it apart.  The chicken more or less falls apart.  Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 6 to 8 minutes (do not let them darken). If you are in a hurry you can use a bag of frozen carrots.  Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the chicken, peas (sometimes I use frozen corn instead of peas because Zack has a pea allergy), thyme, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place one pie crust into a shallow 1 1/2- to 2-quart baking dish.  Pour the filling and other ingredients into the pie crust.  Lay on the top crust, pressing to seal. Cut several vents in the crust. Place the pot pie on a baking sheet to avoid anything spilling and burning onthe bottom.  Bake until bubbling and the crust is golden, 30 to 35 minutes. 

Sara Quessenberry and Kate Merker, Real Simple

Eggplant Sandwich

If you are like my mom and had a hugely successful eggplant crop this year you are probably sick to death of eggplant parmesan.  If that is the case here is a really fantastic sandwich that can be made with this beautifully hued veggie.

  Eggplant Sandwich

• 1 lb eggplant pealed and sliced thin
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinaigrette
• 6 sun dried tomato halves diced
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• french bread

Set the oven to broil and use 1/4 cup of the dressing to coat each side of your eggplant slice.  Place the eggplant on a cookie sheet and broil them for about 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through.  In a bowl mix the feta with the sun dried tomatoes and set aside.  Slice your loaf of bread and spread remaining dressing inside.  Broil with the eggplant for for a few minutes until lightly toasted.  Remove the bread and eggplant from broiler and assemble you sandwich, spreading the eggplant and tomato mixture over the eggplant.  Enjoy!

Pizza Mexicali

When Zack and I first started living together and for at least a year after we got married I used to go to the grocery store with a calculator.  We were broke and there was a finite amount of money to be spent on food.  And also a very limited amount of time to cook it since I was commuting from Dighton to Worcester, sitting in class all day, then coming home to study.  One recipe we discovered during this period of our lives and still throw together periodically is Pizza Mexicali.  This is for all you broke college kids....

Pizza Mexicali

What you need:

• salsa
• black beans
• avacados
• onion
• sour cream
• flour tortillas
• monterey jack or other shredded cheese of your choosing

How to make it:

       Set the oven to broil.  Coat a cooking sheet with cooking spray and broil each tortilla for 1-2 minutes on each side until slightly toasted.  Remove from oven and set oven to 350.  Spread salsa onto the tortilla and top with onions, black beans, and cheese.  Back until cheese is melted, top with avacado and sour cream and enjoy! Sorry folks no photo for this one but I promise it is delicious!



Sundried tomato, Spinach, and Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops

Well hello again to my few faithful followers.  Sorry it has been awhile since I have shared any cullinary delights with you.  Life is busy, busy, busy!  And that is why I call this site "Cooking in Real Life" because sometimes it is hard to find the time to cook delicious meals from scratch while running around with work, errands, kids, etc.  In that spirit over the next week I will try to add in some super fast suppers.  Even a few things that sound complicated but go together fairly easily like this one!

Sundried Tomato, Spinach, and Cheese Stuffed Pork Chop

• Cooking spray

4 garlic cloves, minced and divided

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

5 sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil, diced

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry

1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) block-style fat-free cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat broiler.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 2 garlic cloves; sauté 1 minute. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, tomatoes, and spinach; sauté until moisture evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses and rind.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each pork chop to form a pocket. Stuff about 1/4 cup spinach mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper over pork. Arrange pork on the rack of a baking dish coated with cooking spray; place rack in pan. Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, juice, mustard, and oregano in a bowl; stir well. Brush half of mustard mixture over pork. Broil 6 minutes; turn pork. Brush remaining mixture over pork; broil 2 minutes or until done.

I found this recipe compliments of, David Bonom, Cooking LightAPRIL 2007.  I have tweaked it a bit.  Its delicious.

Cheesy Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Cheesy Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

Believe it or not this is actually a fairly low-calorie recipe.  At 344 calories per serving it is delicious!  This recipe makes 9 servings.  It is also very easy to prepare.  It can be made using no-bake lasagna noodles which cuts way down on mess and preparation time.

Ingredients:

9 lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

16 oz fat free ricotta

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 links Italian sausage

1/2 small onion diced

cooking spray

4 cups marinara sauce

Directions:

Mix together 1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese as well as the seasoning and spinach.  Coat a skillet with cooking spray.  Remove the casings from the sausage and break them up in the pan.  Add the diced onion and saute.  Once the sausage is cooked through add the contents of the skillet to the cheese mixture and stir. 

Coat the pan with cooking spray and spread 2/3 cups sauce on the bottom.  Place 3 noodles in the bottom of the pan.

Spread another 2/3 cups sauce over the noodles.  Top with 1/2 of the cheese mixture and an additional 2/3 cup sauce.

Repeat the layering process with the the remaining cheese mixture ending with the last 3 noodles and 2/3 cups sauce.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Chicken/Pork

Sweet and Sour Chicken/Pork

 This is a great recipe that can be made using either boneless chicken breast or pork.  It is fast, delicious, and low-calorie too.  Even Joseph, my 18 month old son loves to eat it!

Ingredients:

1lb pork or chicken

1 egg white

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp cornstarch

20 oz. can pineapple chunks*

juice from pineapple chunks*

1/2 cup white vinegar*

1/2 cup ketchup*

4-5 tbsp brown sugar*

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 tbsp and 1 tsp olive oil

rice (I prefer brown rice but any rice you like is fine.  If you are using regular rice as opposed to the 10 minute type you should start the process of cooking the rice at the beginning of the recipe)

*I like to have extra sauce so I've doubled the sauce in this recipe. If you prefer you can make less sauce by decreasing the amount of pineapple, pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, and brown sugar by half.

Directions:

First cut the meat into bite sized chunks.  Whisk the egg white, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and the cornstarch together with a fork.  Toss in meat until it is thoroughly coated with this mixture and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.  While you are waiting, cut the peppers into 1/2 inch pieces and set aside.  In a separate bowl mix together the juice, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and set aside.  Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet on high.  Once hot add the meat and cook until browned.  Remove and set aside.

Decrease temperature to medium and add the remaining 1 tsp oil into the skillet.  Add the peppers.  Allow the peppers to cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.



At this point add the sauce and the pineapple into the skillet.  Increase the temperature to high and bring to a simmer.  I use 10 minute rice when I make this recipe, and this is the point at which I usually start making it. 

Once the sauce reaches a simmer return the meat to the skillet.  Continue to cook stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked through.  Serve over rice.  Delicious!



Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ok so this is a very quick and simple recipe. The best part about it is that you can freeze it raw and cook it at 400 degrees in about 45 minutes. To get started you need:
Chicken breast
Swiss cheese
Ham
Bread crumbs
Flour
1 egg
Milk
A meat tenderizer
Hollandaise sauce mix (optional)
Directions:
Pound out the chicken breasts with the meat tenderizer. Once flattened layer 1-2 slices of hand and Swiss cheese and roll it up inside the chicken. Place flour and bread runs each I a separate container. Mix 1 egg with milk. Coat each of e rolled chicken breasts with flour. Then dip them in the egg mixture followed by the breadcrumbs. Once coated in the bread crumbs you have two options. They can be frozen in containers sprayed with cooking spray, or they can be baked immediately on a cookie sheet covered in tin foil sprayed with cooking spray. The great thing about it is that you can make as much or as little of this recipe as you choose. Hollandaise sauce makes a great topping if you choose to use it, but it isn't required.

A brief disclaimer

So before I get started adding recipes and whatnot I feel I should mention that I am not the creator of most of the recipes I use. I may tweak something here or there and I sometimes change recipes a little but mostly they are from family,friends,or cookbooks of some kind. That being said, I hope you find em enjoyable!

WELCOME!

So this is my first ever attempt at blogging. I have been thinking about it for awhile. I find I'm often discussing and sharing recipes and various cooking ideas with other women. Mostly what I get is a lot of people feel too busy to work, clean, take care of kids, etc. and still make great home cooked food. From personal experience I have to say that cooking regularly saves money on processed foods, it's healthier,and it is gosh darn delicious. Like so many folks my age I am constantly wondering what I'm going to cook. I am usually drawn in by any recipe that claims it's super fast. Often they aren't that fast...or simple, or even any good. Needless to say I want you to consider my kitchen your test kitchen. My husband and I both work full time and we have an 18-month old son, so if I can find the time to cook it, the average working person probably can too. I will do my best to offer up some suggestions on a semi-regular basis. If you feel I'm failing you let me know and I'll try to get my butt back in gear :-)