Recipe Free Week

This week, I'm breaking from the confines of existing recipes and venturing out on an expedition to create my own. As far as rules - other than avoiding cooking magazines - there are none. I can create meals from scratch or draw on skills I've learned or recipes I've memorized. I've always considered cooking a field where cheating actually teaches you something. By copying someone else's recipe, you learn more about. So this week is a test to see if I've learned anything.

I'll post my creations here each day with pictures and recipes, hopefully everything will be edible! I'll also give Rob's Rating of each dish, so you can have some unbiased input.

Super Sips : Cherry Limeade

I love Sonic, but I've always stuck to their slushes or cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. At the Sonic in North Ft. Myers, there is a huge picture of a pop art Cherry Limeade, which is supposed to be a classic Sonic drink. I realized I'd never ordered a Cherry Limeade, so the next time we were there, I asked for one. I was very disappointed that beyond the cheery pink color, it tasted exactly like Sprite...which is probably my least favorite soft drink.

So no long after that I realized I had a lime I had forgotten to use and cherries in the fridge...fresh cherries (they're in season right now)...and I made my own cherry limeade, which I liked much better. Here is my own recipe:

The juice AND zest of 1 lime - roll the lime on the counter to get the most juice out of it.
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 fresh red cherries, pitted
12 ice cubes

Put everything in a blender and pulse until all the ice is crushed. Makes 1 large serving, 2 small servings, or enough for one momma and her 2 year old son.

July 8 - 21, 2008

T 8 - Creamy Chicken Dish (S & D July '07, 56), Rice, Salad
W 9 - Pork Chops, Fried Apples n Onions, Rolls
R 10 - Vegetable Beef Casserole (S & D September '07, 27)
F 11 - Church Dinner
S 12 - Steak, Mushroom Risotto, Sugar Snap Peas
U 13 - Veggie Steak Salad, Rolls
M 14 - Garlic Pork Chops, Sesame Glazed Snap Peas and Onions
T 15 - Fish Fillets in Lemon Butter, Risotto, Broccolini
W 16 - Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad
R 17 - Wild Rice Chicken Skillet, Broccolini
F 18 - BBQ Chicken Foil Wrap
S 19 - Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots
U 20 - Out
M 21 - Pizza in Miami

On the Side : Broccolini

In my quest to find a way to prepare broccoli so it will be more kid-friendly, I made up this incredibly easy side dish. Caleb actually asked for more!

Broccolini

Broccoli florets
Italian Dressing

Trim and rinse florets and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and pierce a few time to vent. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes (3 minutes is plenty for the amount my family will eat, don't over do it or it will shrivel up). Remove plastic wrap AWAY FROM YOUR FACE!!! (I can't over-emphasize this!) Pour on 1-2 tbsp Italian dressing and toss to coat.

June 24 - July 7, 2008

T 24 - Chili, Cornbread, Carrot Sticks
W 25 - Chili Dogs, Crispy Crowns, Carrots
R 26 - Crab Salad Wraps
F 27 - Possible Miami Trip
S 28 - Chicken Chili Fettuccine, Pull Apart Herb Biscuits, Salad
U 29 - Breaded Pork Chops (S & D September '07, 22), Carrots with Sugar Snap Peas
M 30 - Vegetable Beef Casserole (S & D September '07, 27)
T 1 - Salmon with Mornay Sauce, Sweet Potatoes, Rolls
W 2 - Beefy Shells and Cheese, Broccoli
R 3 - Pizza, Salad
F 4 - In Miami for Fourth of July
S 5 - Pork Chops, Fried Apples 'n' Onions, Rolls
U 6 - Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
M 7 - Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

I couldn't find links to the two recipes I listed magazine reference for. Sometimes if the name of the dish is very generic, the Taste of Home seach engine can't seem to find what I'm looking for.

June 10-23, 2008

10 T - Fried Catfish, Crispy Crowns, Salad
11 W - Tacos, Refried Beans, Salad
12 R - Chicken over Curly Noodles, Sesame-Glazed Snap Peas with Pearl Onions
13 F - Pork Chops with Onion Gravy, Lemon Rice
14 S - Southwest Tamale Pie, Salad
15 U - Pizza Night
16 M - Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Broccoli, Carrots
17 T - Chicken Spinach Manicotti, Salad
18 W - Possible Miami trip
19 R - Shrimp Scampi, Angel Hair Pasta, Salad
20 F - Pork Chops with Sour Cream Sauce, Scalloped Potatoes, Carrots
21 S - Chicken Penne Casserole, Salad
22 U - L.O. Chicken Penne Pasta
23 M - BBQ Beef and Beans

Crispy Crowns are an OreIda product that are flat tater tots. If you like tater tots, these are basically the perfect tater tot. Way to go OreIda!

May 29-June 9, 2008

29 R - Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (BC 473 - or see this post), Cresent Rolls
30 F - Creamy Tarragon Chicken
31 S - Love Wedding In Vero Beach
1 U - Pizza, Salad
2 M - Saucy Mushroom Chicken, Orzo, Salad
3 T - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes
4 W - Church Dinner in Miami
5 R - Seafood Alfredo Baskets, Green Beans
6 F - Stuffed Peppers, Salad
7 S - Fruit Topped Pork Chops, Long Grain Rice
8 U - Goopy Chicken (AKA Down Home Chicken), Mashed Potatoes
9 M - Ravioli Skillet, Salad

I just love the name Goopy Chicken - I discovered this recipe in the "My Mom's Best Meal" section of Taste of Home. The gal spotlighted made this chicken for her family and the children fondly remembered it as goopy chicken. It is quite saucy. I will go a little easier on the molasses than her 2/3 cup. Molasses can get kind of overwhelming to me.

Hearty and Healthy: Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

Betty Crocker wasn't a woman at all, she wasn't a man exactly, but a creation of the Washburn Crosby Company that merged with General Mills. She was "born" in 1921.
Looks good for her age, right?
Here's "her" recipe for Vegetable Beef Barley Soup - a healthy and hearty dinner that is also quite economical.

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup (based on the Betty Crocker recipe, but I modified it to what worked best for me)

3/4 lb beef stew meat
1 tbsp canola oil
28 oz beef broth
1 cup water
salt to taste (may not need it, depends on broth)
2/3 cup pearl barley
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 med. carrot, sliced thin
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 med. onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
1 cup frozen green peas
black pepper to taste

Brown beef in oil, pour in broth and water, add salt. Add barley and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes (a good time to prep veggies), then pour in veggies and return to a simmer for 30 more minutes (a good time to make rolls to go with the soup).

As a note - you can use fresh tomatoes, but unless they are in season, canned diced will work better. You can use fresh corn - 1 ear will be 1/2 cup.

How to: Store Celery

It used to be that I would omit celery when a recipe called for it - mostly because I would use a single stalk and in a few days the rest of the bunch would be droopy and gross. It wasn't that celery was super expensive, it just seemed like I was tossing my $1.99 into the garbage can.

But I recently learned it does not have to be this way! Celery can easily be stored and kept crisp! All you have to do is wrap the whole bunch in a big piece of aluminum foil and keep it in the fridge. Remove what you need, wrap it back up and it will keep much longer.

Celery is a good source of fiber and vitamins and is not only nutrient dense, it's also very filling, making is a good snack.

Tastes Like Chicken: Rotisserie Chicken Ragout

Every now and then I add a recipe onto my meal plan that I think - no way am I going to like this one! But I'm not sure why I add those meals on, usually I don't like them, but this is an exception.

Ragout is a French cooking term, which I'm not sure how to pronounce - but I think it's ragoo, basically it's a catchall term that means to make a sort of stew. Based on what I read on wikipedia, I think they usually include tomatoes, but this recipe does not.

Rotisserie Chicken Ragout*

1 cup chopped yellow summer squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cubed cooked rotisserie chicken
1 can (15 ounces) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Saute the squash, zucchini, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken through pepper, cook until heated through, stir in the parm.

This was much (MUCH) more tasty than I expected it to be. I think the cream made a big difference. I added the garlic in the last minute of saute-ing because it has a tendancy to burn. And I didn't use a rotisserie chicken, instead I seasoned 3 legs and 2 thighs with salt, garlic powder, and cumin (no pepper - pepper burns) and broiled them then shredded the meat - more work, but much cheaper. Also I used dry thyme.

*Simple and Delicious Magazine

May 1-13, 2008

Technically not a full 2 weeks, but we already passed 30 W....

1 R – Asian Chicken Noodle Bowls
2 F – Barley Vegetable Beef Soup (BC 473), Garlic Bread
3 S – Crab Cakes with Lime Sauce, Salad
4 U – Pizza, Salad
5 M – Rotisserie Chicken Ragout
6 T – Tacos, Refried Beans, Salad
7 W – L.O. Tacos
8 R – Calypso Chicken with Island Peas and Rice
9 F – Fill in the Blank (Rob has a conference, we'll probably go to McDonalds...)
10 S – Mushroom Fried Steaks, Micro Scalloped Potatoes, Broccoli
11 U – Basalmic Chicken with White Beans and Spinach (RR 78)
12 M – Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread
13 T – Greek Style Supper, Garlic Sesame Pita Chips

How to : Bakin' Bacon

I've always been a "nuke it in the microwave" bacon cooker, but recently tried baking bacon in the oven. It turned out very well. Here's how you do it:

Preheat the oven to 400.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Lay out the bacon so it is just touching.
Bake 15-20 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.

April 15 - 28, 2008

15 T – Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes
16 W – Church Dinner
17 R – Crunchy Parmesan Chicken, Broccoli & Cheese Soup
18 F – Spring Minestrone Pasta with Crispy Bacon
19 S – BLTs, Mac & Cheese
20 U – Pizza, Salad
21 M – “Good Eats” Brined Pork Chops, Fried Apples ‘n’ Onions
22 T – Asian Chicken Noodle Bowls, Salad
23 W – Rob’s Random Choice
24 R – Indian Spiced Meat with Curried Potato Salad
25 F – Pressure Cooker Pork Ribs, Rice, Broccoli
26 S – BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Baked Beans, Carrot Sticks
27 U – Moroccan Stew, Couscous
28 M – Sloppy Joes, Tater Tots, Carrot Sticks

Tastes Like Chicken: Apple 'n' Onion Chicken

Rob is pretty honest about what he likes and doesn't like when it comes to my cooking. We had this the other night and he pronounced it GOOD!

Apple 'n' Onion Chicken

3 medium apples, sliced
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons unsweetened apple juice

Saute the apples and onions in butter until tender. Meanwhile... Combine the swiss, parm, bread crumbs, and thyme in a bowl. Then pour the apples 'n' onions into a greased baking dish and top with chicken. Season with salt & pepper. Top with cheese mixture and drizzle on the apple juice. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

March 18-31, 2008

T 18 – Hash Brown Turkey, Broccoli, Carrot Sticks
W 19 – Southwest Summer Pork Chops, Corn, Tater Tots
R 20 – Penne with Cannellini Beans, Carrot & Cuke Salad
F 21 – Spicy Shrimp, Salad, Crusty Rolls
S 22 - Rob’s Random Choice
U 23 – EASTER DINNER
M 24 - Parmesan Chicken, Salad, Bread
T 25 – Spanish Rice Chicken Casserole, Broccoli
W 26 – Meat Loaf Wellington, Crispy Potato Cubes, Carrots
R 27 – Baked Taco Chicken, Broccoli, Carrots
F 28 – Turkey Taco Bake, Salad
S 29 – African Beef Curry, Rice
U 30 – Pollo Tropical
M 31 – Left Overs

Tastes Like Chicken: Mediterranean Chicken

So easy, a 2 year old can do it!



Mediterranean Chicken

Some chicken (4 breasts, a package of thighs, a whole cut-up bird, you pick!)
salt
pepper
olive oil
16 black olives, sliced (Caleb uses an egg slicer)
1 pint grape tomatoes (or slightly less if you have tiny tomato snatchers in your home)

Salt the chicken, brown on both sides in olive oil (say 2-3 tbsp). Pepper the chicken (if you pepper before browning, it will burn.), sprinkle with olive slices and grape tomatoes. If you like them, add a couple tablespoons capers, I don't, so I don't.

Bake at 375 (for bone-in) or 475 (for boneless) until internal temperature is 180+ (about an hour for bone-in, maybe 20 mintues for boneless.)

March 4-17, 2008

We'll be out of town the 8th through the 11th.

4 T – Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad, Bread
5 W – Grilled Pork & Pineapple, corn
6 R – Mediterranean Chicken, Couscous, Salad
7 F – Pizza, Salad
8 S – NRB - Nashville
9 U – NRB - Nashville
10 M – NRB - Nashville
11 T – NRB - Nashville
12 W – Contessa Meal (Frozen Dinner)
13 R – Spaghetti with Meatballs, Bread, Salad
14 F – Roast Chicken, Stuffing, Broccoli, Carrot Sticks
15 S – Black Bean Chicken Tacos, Salad
16 U – Brined Pork Chops, Fried Apples ‘n’ Onions, Carrots
17 M – Asian Chicken Noodle Bowls

Caleb's New "Toy"

Along with all the toys and clothes my parents got for Caleb and Annalise for Christmas, they also gave each of them a J.C. Penney gift card. Besides new clothes, I have enough hand-me-downs for Caleb to keep him dressed until he starts kindergarten. So I didn't feel too guilty for asking him this loaded question:

"Caleb, do you want clothes or do you want an ice cream maker?"

His answer ;), "AN ICE CREAM MAKER!!!"

So here it is, Caleb's Ice Cream Maker:



And if it's still working when he goes to college, he can take it with him!

Well, today we made some AMAZING strawberry ice cream with fresh Florida strawberries.

The ingredients:
1 pint of strawberries
1 cup sugar - divided
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

First slice the strawberries and stir in the lemon juice and 1/3 cup of sugar, allow to mascerate for 2 hours.

Next drain the juice off the strawberries, combine juice, 2/3 cup sugar, and milk and stir until the sugar is disolved. Add cream and vanilla, follow ice cream maker instructions.

This is the cream mixture at the beginning of the churn. (Note: We added a tiny bit of red food coloring.)

In LESS THAN 30 MINUTES, it became soft serve ice cream!

We added the berry slices with 5 minutes to go in the machine.

After spending the rest of the day firming up in the freezer...isn't this the prettiest scoop of strawberry ice cream!

Caleb takes the inaugural bite!

Caleb says, "Ice cream...
"...GOOD!"

February 19 - March 3, 2008

Don't forget! It's LEAP YEAR!

19 T – Spicy Beans, Sausage Cornbread “Stuffin’ Muffins”
20 W – In a Hurry Curry, Rice, Carrot Stix
21 R – Asian Chicken Noodle Bowls
22 F – Pizza, Salad
23 S – Chicken Satay Noodle Salad
24 U – Spaghetti w/Meatballs, Salad, Bread
25 M – Old Cutler Prez. Mission Dinner
26 T – Shrimp Tostadas, Salad
27 W – Spicy Honey Glazed Chicken, Broccoli
28 R – Pork Soft Tacos, Salad
29 F – Grilled Chicken, Stuffing, Broccoli
1 S – Pernil, Scalloped Potatoes, Cucumber & Carrot Salad
2 U – Cubanos, Tater Tots
3 M – Hashbrown Turkey Cutlets, Broccoli

The recipe for the sausage cornbread muffins was a Publix Apron's Simple Meals card, but it's kind of old, so I couldn't find a link to it on their website.

Happy Valentines Day!

I made cookies today:


They are a Valentine's modification of these Christmas Cookies.

Finger lickin' good! :)


There actually isn't any sugar in the cookie part of these cookies, but the icing and filling made them really sweet. The cookies are very much like puff pastry.

***

We're still working on the last menu, but a few of the recipes have turned out really well. Tonight we had Southwestern Nachos - and I made a few modifications to the meal. They were very good - instead of using pork loin, I braised 3 small pork chops in apple juice and minced garlic then shredded the meat. Instead of high priced "Scoop" tortilla chips, I used store brand white corn tortilla chips. I used all the beans recommended (the original recipe made two 13x9 pans, I made one 9x9 pan), less corn, a whole tomato, about 1/3 of a red onion, red pepper flakes, and lime juice. Instead of velvetta I topped it with shredded cheese. It was yummy!

Also the African Beef Curry was a super easy meal and very good. I also really liked the Ham Barley soup. However I do not recommend the Orange Chicken with Sweet Potatoes.