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!