Day 333: Deep-Fried Brusselsprouts with Capers & Walnuts, Goat Cheese & Basil Chicken, Mashed Potatoes

I often make spinach & goat cheese stuffed chicken and I've been using garlic and herb goat cheese with it.  But all I had in my refrigerator today was plain goat cheese, so I searched for a way to make the dish more flavorful.  I minced 2 cloves of garlic and mixed them in with the goat cheese, and then instead of using spinach, I cut up some basil (julienne style) and added that to garlic and cheese mixture.  I stuffed this under the skin of the chicken breasts and baked them in the oven at 400* for about 35 minutes, or until cooked through with crispy skin.

But onto the star of this post, the brussel sprouts.  Randy loves brussel sprouts.  I don't understand it.  I'm not a huge fan.  But being the darling, loving wife that I am, I try to still cook things that he likes once and a while even if I don't.  ;)  So, if I was going to make brussel sprouts, they were going to be flavorful and yes, deep-fried.  Does anything NOT taste better deep-fried???  Begin by making the dressing...

Deep-Fried Brussel Sprouts with Capers & Walnuts
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 TB capers, rinsed
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 TB honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb brussel sprouts
oil for frying
1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped

Heat the oil on the stove until it reaches about 350*.  While it's heating, prepare the dressing.  In the bowl that you plan to serve the brussel sprouts in, combine the walnuts, capers, scallion, garlic, honey, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.  Mix well.  Place the bowl near the hot oil.  In batches, fry the brussel sprout until they deepen in color and just begin to flake a bit, about 3 minutes.  Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer them right into the dressing.  Toss with the dressing.  When all of the brussel sprouts are finished, add the parsley to the bowl and toss everything together.  Serve warm.

Days 276-280: Quesadillas, Burgers, Stuffed Chicken, more Risotto and then some!

The kids are asleep--down for their afternoon naps.  Should I nap?  Or should I work on stripping wallpaper?  That's been the question of late.  Yesterday I napped.  Today I would like to work on the wallpaper, but the room in question is the "office", so with the computer and a hot cup of coffee calling my name, here I sit, playing catch-up.  Last night I was up past 11:00 stripping wallpaper.  This has become my life.  Before I move on to our latest meals and capture 6 days in one post, let me talk about this haunting room of wallpaper for a moment.

The wall where the paper has been mostly removed.

Everyone has their own tricks to taking down wallpaper.  I've heard them all.  I've tried them all.  Nothing is working the way people have described.  I'm not looking for more advice or suggestions, I've resigned myself to the idea that I'll be taking down wallpaper for the rest of my life.  (Just kidding--the goal is to have it done this weekend, which I actually do believe is achievable.)  It's not a huge room.  It's not a tiny room.  It's a normal-sized room, with normal wallpaper.  It's just old.  And stuck on there good.  When I took down the wallpaper borders in other parts of the house, I used the chemical removers you can buy at the paint store.  I scored the paper, sprayed the stuff, waited, then scraped.  It wasn't terribly hard, but it was still work.  This whole-room business is hard work.  I started with one wall.  I scored the whole thing.  I sprayed the stuff.  I waited.  Then, I "scraped."  Little tiny bits of paper came off.  That's it.  How discouraging!  At first I thought my problem was that I wasn't waiting long enough.  But then if I waited too long, the paper would dry and it was as if I never sprayed it in the first place.  The glue wasn't loosened at all!  So the project went on hold.  With 2 little kids to entertain and a million other things to do, when was I going to find the perfect amount of time to do this?  Not too long, but not too short!?

Wall in-progress

Then it was suggested that I try hot water and fabric softener.  I even double checked this method on HGTV--they recommend it.  So that's what I'm doing.  I must say, it works better than the chemical stuff, but it's not as easy as HGTV makes it sound.  It's still coming off in small amounts.  Then my MIL came to visit and thought I probably wasn't scoring enough.  She's taken down lots of wallpaper before, and she loves the fabric softener method, so I know I'm doing something right with that.  When she said I probably needed to score the paper more, I got excited.  This meant there was hope that the process wasn't actually doomed to take forever!  So she tried herself, scoring the way she thought best.  And guess what?  Her results were the same as mine.  She concluded that the paper was stuck on there better than she'd ever seen it stuck to a wall before.  Great.  All hope lost.  So for those of you who are keeping track of how long it's taken me to pull down this wallpaper, then--tell me, please.  I've lost count.  I just know it's been a long time!  And I'm still at it.  Thank you for letting me vent.  Hopefully I'll have more progress to report soon!

Still left to go...

So let's chat about meals, shall we?  I think I only have one new recipe to share on this post, and no picture to show for it!  All of the other recipes are "repeaters" but I do have pictures!  Wait, scratch that.  I have 2 new recipes!  Forgot about the homemade salsa.  Let's start with that...

Wednesday, Day 276: Chicken Quesadillas, Homemade Salsa, and Classic Margaritas
To find my quesadilla recipe, click here.  I'm sure by now, most of you know where to find my recipe for classic margaritas.  Here's my homemade salsa recipe:

Restaurant-Style Salsa
28 oz canned, whole, peel tomatoes
20 oz canned tomatoes with green chiles
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
chopped cilantro (to taste)
chopped jalapeno (seeds removed)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
half of a lime, juiced

Throw the ingredients into a large food processor and pulse until fully combined.  Refrigerate.  (The flavors will strengthen and combine the longer it sits in the fridge.)  Serve with tortilla chips!

Thursday, Day 277: Bleu Burgers with potato wedges

Friday, Day 278: Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Green Beans, Butternut Squash Risotto

So, Randy's mom was in town to celebrate her birthday as well as Randy's brother's birthday.  They're within a couple days of each other!  Randy asked that I make the lemon-blueberry cake with lavender frosting since he thought his mom would love it.  I made a 3-layer version which I knew everyone would love because you get more frosting per bite and, well, this frosting rocks!

Saturday, Day 279: Movie Night!  Diane (mother-in-law) and I got into our pajamas, ordered a pizza, watched a chick-flick, and drank some champagne. ha!  The boys went out for the night.

Sunday, Day 280: Our church had a cook-out after the second service so I brought an autumn side dish.  I forgot to take a picture of it in the morning and it was about all gone by the time I got to it in the food line, so I never got a photo. :/  It's a great dish, though, and easy to make-ahead if you need to!

Sweet Potato Side Dish
6 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
3-4 granny smith apples, cored and sliced
1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
1/2 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the sweet potatoes just until fork tender.  Drain them and add them to a 13x9 baking pan.  Add the sliced apples.  Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix together well.  Pour the mixture over the potatoes and apples and bake at 350* for about 15 minutes.  Pull out of the oven, add the cranberries, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.  Serve warm.

Days 274 & 275: Swedish Meatballs, Swedish Potatoes, Broccoli Au Gratin

Alas, I find myself one week behind on my postings. (Sigh!)  Will I ever get fully caught up again???  I have about 5 posts lined up with recipes ready to go.  Now I just need an assistant to come and type them up for me (and do my dishes).  I can dream, can't I?

So last Monday, the crown molding went up on our cabinets in the kitchen!  I know, I owe everyone pictures of how it's coming along.  We're almost at the end, so I'm just trying to hold out a little longer before posting "before" and "after" pictures.  These finishing touches are taking longer because they aren't vital to the function of the kitchen, so it's easier to push them back when we need a renovation break.  So for Monday, Day 274, we ordered pizza.  It would've been too hard to try to cook and maneuver around the equipment that was in the kitchen--the molding went up right around supper time.

On Tuesday, Day 275, we had ourselves a little feast.  I love throwing together a super big meal on the occasional fall weekday.  It reminds me that the holidays are right around the corner, which gets me excited like a little kid!  And somehow, serving 2 sides of vegetables plus crescent rolls makes a Tuesday night meal feel more like Thanksgiving!  I made Swedish meatballs, Swedish potatoes, broccoli au gratin, corn, and rolls. 

Swedish meatballs
I get asked how I make Swedish meatballs all the time.  Yes, I'm part Swedish.  My mother's family is all 100% Swedish, actually.  And yes, I love to cook!  But I must confess, my Swedish meatballs are not necessarily authentic--they're traditional, but only to my family.  What does it take to make an authentic Swedish meatball?  Well, if you look on the back of a McCormick all-spice container, it would say to just add all-spice to ground beef and then you'll have Swedish meatballs.  If you look at a Swedish recipe, however, it will say to soak bread in milk until it's crumbly and to add the moist "breadcrumbs" to the beef and the all-spice, maybe a few other seasonings, and then there will be a recipe for a white sauce to go with them.  Me?  I use my regular recipe for meatballs and add about 1/4 tsp (or 1/2, depending on how much meat I use) of all-spice to the mixture.  And here's where I cheat... big time.  I either make my own brown gravy with any beef stock I have in the fridge, or I get a little help from McCormick (again) and use their brown gravy sauce.  I'm sorry, but that's how my 100% Swedish grandmother has always done it!  So for me, yeah, that's tradition...

 I first brown my meatballs in a skillet, but don't be like me and overcrowd your pan... do as I say, not as I do.  ;) I was probably in a rush that night!

 Then I add my meatballs and gravy into a casserole dish and bake in a 350* oven for about 20 minutes.

Swedish Potatoes
A much more authentic recipe, even though I'm the first one in my Swedish family to make them!

4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
heavy cream (about 1-2 cups)
salt, lots of pepper
vegetable oil

In a large skillet, drizzle in some vegetable oil and turn the heat to medium-high.  Cook the onions until they are translucent, then add the potatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the white wine and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Pour in the heavy cream using enough so that all the potatoes are coated with cream.  Reduce the heat and let the potatoes cook until tender.  Season liberally with black pepper.

Broccoli Au Gratin
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
French fried onions

In a pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the milk and the broccoli and simmer until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the shredded cheese.  Pour into a casserole dish and top with French fried onions.  Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes.

Days 269-270: Some old and some new...

So yesterday my poor wedding ring finger took a beating in the kitchen.  While slicing onions, I sliced the finger's tip, and then while removing an apple pie from the baking sheet it was sitting on, I burned the same finger right above my rings.  I definitely won't be getting those off for a while--at least not until the swelling goes down!  So please excuse my slow typing... ;) (I crack myself up!)

Around this time of year, I start bringing back recipes we haven't had since last winter.  Some are served almost exactly the same, others have different side pairings, and others are changed even more.  These two dinners are repeaters with a twist...

Day 269: Stromboli & Antipasto
Here is the original recipe when it first appeared on my blog: http://bethanysmeals365.blogspot.com/2014/04/day-83-easy-stromboli.html

That recipe was a simple cheese, pepperoni, and crust recipe.  This time, I followed the same guidelines with the crust, but I added a layer of my homemade sauce inside the stromboli.  I also made it long enough that I could change the filling every 3rd section.  I left 1/3 of the stromboli with just sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.  The next 1/3, I added diced green peppers into the mix.  And the final 1/3 (Randy's 1/3) included all the previous ingredients, plus chopped onions and olives.  I baked it the same (400*, 10-15 minutes) and served it alongside a nice, big antipasto.  Buon appetito!

Day 270: Apple & Thyme Stuffed Pork, Butternut Squash Risotto, Asparagus, Apple Sauce

The original recipe for just the pork portion of the dish can be found here.  In that post, I combined the whole meal into one "recipe" and gave instructions for cooking the meal as a whole, with the sides and all so it would come out at the same time.  Here, I'll break down the pork recipe by itself, and then show the side recipes separate.  I served this meal with my homemade applesauce, which will be featured in a different post.

Apple & Thyme Stuffed Pork

4 pork chops
1/2-1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2-1 small apple, chopped
combo of fresh and dried thyme leaves (about 1/4-1/2 tsp each)
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
olive oil, salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 350*.  In a small saucepan, drizzle a little olive oil and start sauteing the onion and garlic.  When the onion is translucent, add the apple and thyme and cook a little more.  Pour in the apple juice and breadcrumbs and turn off the heat.  Stir everything so a nice, sticky stuffing forms.  If it seems too dry, add more juice.  If it seems to wet, add more breadcrumbs.
Pound out the pork chops and place a couple tablespoons of the stuffing in the middle of each chop and roll the meat around the stuffing.  Use toothpicks to secure them shut and place on a baking sheet seam-side down.  Drizzle the pork rolls with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through.

Butternut Squash Risotto

1 cup arborio rice
1 cup small cubed butternut squash
1 TB chopped fresh rosemary
3 cups good chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
olive oil, salt, pepper

Warm the 3 cups of chicken stock in a saucepan on low.  In another, larger saucepan, drizzle olive oil and start the onion, rosemary, and garlic cooking over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.  When the onion is translucent, add the rice and squash.  Pour in the white wine and cook until the liquid is mostly evaporated.  Start ladling in the warm chicken stock 1-2 ladlefuls at a time.  Once you've added 1 or 2 ladlefuls, stir the rice and squash vigorously to release the starches.  Then let it sit for a while until the liquid evaporates.  Once it evaporates, add more liquid and repeat the process until the rice is cooked through.  Add the parmesan cheese at the end and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Asparagus
Wash the trim the asparagus.  Lay out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Sprinkle on either garlic powder or 1 clove of finely minced garlic.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and roast in a 400* oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked to desired texture.

Days 267-268: Mexican Stuffed Peppers, Roasted Vegetable Tostadas, and Blackberry Margaritas

Good morning!  Are you wide awake, energetic, enthusiastic, and ready to go?!  If so, I'll have what you're having.  I'm sitting here with my coffee, doing major blog catch-up (and am actually excited about it because the recipes for the next few weeks are going to be awesome) but I'd still rather crawl back into my warm bed.  I love the house this quiet, and I love being the first one up, but this morning, my coffee just seems to be taking extra long to kick in! 

This past week has been a total blur.  I can hardly distinguish one day from another.  So I guess it's a good thing I have this blog, separating the days by meals--otherwise I'd be totally confused!  I wrote about last weekend's catering job in my previous post.  So let's continue on the daily journey and talk about Monday, Columbus Day.

Columbus Day I spent all day shopping with my mother and aunts--a tradition, like many, in our family.  I read in a book one time, "Some people are happiest when they're saving money, others are happiest when they're spending it."  (or something along those lines)  I'm the latter.  I think it's how I was raised... wink wink, Mom!  I don't think I spend carelessly, nor do I consider myself a "shopaholic", though I suppose those things are pretty subjective.  To the person who rarely buys anything, it may look like I shop a lot, but to the person who loves to shop, I don't shop nearly enough. The truth is, I really DON'T like to shop.  That's why I can only spend 2 full days a year shopping: Columbus Day and Black Friday.  And on Black Friday, I'm up early and generally done by lunch.  Other than that, I'll go out and get a few things here and there that I or someone in my family needs, and I do love to buy presents for people, but I'm certainly not a "browser."  I know what I want and if I don't see it, I don't buy anything.  This is why I can't shop with my husband--he could spend all day "deciding" on what to get and wanting to look here or there for things.  That's the kind of shopping I can't stand.  When I'm at a store or mall, I'm mission-minded!

Collecting fall leaves--this is the kind of browsing I can get into!

Columbus Day, for me, sort of "rings in" the shopping holiday season.  I get into the spirit of buying Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, and a few fall/winter clothing items for myself, husband, and kids.  You know I love this time of year, and Columbus Day at Wrentham Outlets is just another fall tradition that makes this my favorite season!  Anyway, I suppose I explain all of that to say that Monday's dinner was Velveeta Mac & Cheese, again.  Didn't feel much like cooking, but more like showing off a few key items and carefully hiding the rest.  Randy graciously stayed home with the kids that day, making it a true "holiday" for me, and he even grouted our kitchen's backsplash!  The kitchen is almost done, and I promise I'll have before and after pictures soon!

Tuesday is Mexican night, generally, according to my weekly meal menu.  So for Day 268, I made Mexican Stuffed Peppers, Spicy Roasted Vegetable Tostadas, and Blackberry Margaritas.

Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Usually I use green bell peppers to stuff, but since the peppers I wanted to serve were going alongside another "main" dish, I decided to use smaller peppers.  Also, since I wanted more of a "Mexican" or "Southwestern" flavor, using poblanos seemed to make the most sense.

4 poblano peppers

3/4 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 lb breakfast sausage
cumin
paprika
cayenne chili powder
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 a red pepper, small diced
salt, pepper

Slice the tops off of the poblano peppers and then dice the tops (minus the stem) to add to the cooked rice.  Crumble the breakfast sausage into a small skillet and season with cumin, paprika, and chili powder to taste while browning.  Once the sausage is browned, add it to the rice along with the diced pepper and the frozen corn.  Stir in some salt and pepper to taste.  Use the filling to stuff the 4 poblanos and place them in pan filled 1/3 of the way with water.  Bake them at 400* for about 20-25 minutes.

Spicy Roasted Vegetable Tostadas
Because it's fall, I wanted to use vegetables that resembled this season.  You can certainly use any kinds of vegetables you'd like, though.

small, round, corn tortillas
1 cup of butternut squash, small diced
1 Italian eggplant, small diced
1 red pepper, small diced
1 medium zucchini, small diced
olive oil
cumin
paprika
cayenne chili powder
red pepper flakes
salt, pepper
hot sauce (if desired)
Mexican cheese
sour cream

On a rimmed baking sheet, place all of the diced vegetables.  Drizzle liberally with olive oil.  Season to taste with the cumin, paprika, chili powder, and just a few red pepper flakes.  Stir to combine.  Roast in the oven at 400* for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and fragrant.  Meanwhile, toast each tortilla over the flame of a gas stove, or on a dry skillet, both sides, until brown and crispy.  When the vegetables are done, place a generous spoonful of vegetables on each cooked tortilla, top with Mexican cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce (if desired).

Blackberry Margarita
I've had a pint of blackberries in my fridge for sometime.  I meant to use them to make a jam of sorts with strawberries, but little by little, the blackberries started disappearing for simple snacks.  With only a small amount left, I wondered what to do with them.  Then it hit me--drinks!

This recipe is similar to a blackjack margarita, which contains chambord raspberry liqueur (or in our case, sometimes blackberry brandy).  For this recipe, though, I made my classic margaritas.  But before I poured the drinks into the glasses, I muddled 3 blackberries in the bottom of each glass.  It added a great fruitiness to the margarita!  Yum!

Notice the backsplash?!?! :)

Day 219: Grilled Zucchini Paninis

I love using fresh summer vegetables!!!  And fresh off the grill, they taste even better!  For this recipe, I didn't rely solely on the grill.  I used a grill pan on the stove to cook the paninis.  This is because the cheese melts and you don't want that getting all over the grill--better to catch it in a grill pan on the stove.  But I did have Randy grill the zucchini outside and the chicken that I'll use in tomorrow night's dinner.

For 4 Grilled Zucchini Paninis:

Cut the ends off a zucchini and cut it in half.  Slice both halves lengthwise to make strips.  Brush the zucchini strips with olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper.  Grill for about 2 minutes on each side.  Meanwhile, mix 8 oz ricotta cheese, the juice from 1 lemon, 2-4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, and a little salt and pepper.  Spread the mixture on 4 slices of hearty white or sourdough bread.  Layer on 2 strips of the grilled zucchini and top with another slice of bread.  Drizzle olive oil on a hot grill pan or panini press and grill the sandwiches, pressing down gently with a spatula.  Flip when ready.  Serve warm.

Day 218: Grilled Vegetable Tostadas (Meatless Monday)

In keeping with my meal calendar that I prepared a few weeks ago, one of my goals is to have a continual "Meatless Monday."  My reasons are because 1) it adds variety to the week's meals; 2) I can save a little on the grocery bill by not having to buy meat for every night of the week; and 3) it pushes my creativity in the kitchen.  This week we're having every meal prepared on the grill--Randy's early Christmas present.  So I came up with this grilled vegetable tostada idea.  I love it because you can really use whatever vegetables you like and you can make it in the winter too, if you roast the veggies in the oven rather than grilling them. 

I had Randy grill up some zucchini, summer squash, red pepper, and eggplant.  He also grilled the corn tortillas, as well.  He drizzled the veggies with olive oil as he grilled and then I seasoned everything with salt, pepper, and a few other southwestern seasonings when they were cooked and I could cut them into smaller pieces. 

We then took the tortillas and piled them high with the grilled vegetables, some cheddar jack cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.  They were so yummy!!!  Serve along with chips and salsa if desired.

Day 185: Steak w/ Fontina, Garlic Broccoli, & Mustard Roasted Potatoes

Alright, don't get mad, but this is not a humid-weather-friendly cooking experience.  That's my disclosure.  I know some people hate to have the oven on at all during the summer, or use the stove for that matter, and this dinner requires both. :/  I know, I know.  I have a small air conditioner in the living room, but it certainly doesn't feel like it reaches the kitchen (unless, of course, I walk outside and then come back in).  But I also have one in our bedroom and I keep our bedroom door closed so it gets nice and cold in there.  On nights like this, I often take "bedroom breaks" while cooking so I can cool off! :)  Anyway, I hate to sacrifice all delicious dishes during the summer months, so I grin and bear it occasionally and cook up a nice meal like this one.
Yesterday was Day 184 and we ended up having leftover pizza for dinner.  But I also made my classic margaritas which are always a huge hit on hot evenings!




Steak w/ Fontina Sauce
Fontina cheese is a soft Italian cheese that melts beautifully!  It makes a great fondue and a great cheese sauce.  If you've never had a cheese sauce on a steak, you don't know what you're missing!  (Plus, it's a great way to get the kids to eat their meat.)  I choose a London Broil because it's nice and thick and makes great-looking slices.  We like our steak cooked medium-rare.  And let me also say that I photographed the steak with the sauce "elegantly" drizzled on top, Randy and I both added an extra few spoonfuls of the sauce to our steak--it's that good!

1 London Broil steak
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil (or extra virgin)
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt, pepper
steak seasoning of choice
4 oz fontina cheese, grated or shredded
3 TB butter
3 TB flour
1/2 cup whole milk
salt & pepper for the sauce

In the morning, marinate the steak in the soy sauce, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and steak seasoning.  Don't use too much salt, or you might cause the meat to seize--about 1 tsp for the whole steak is good.  Keep the steak in the refrigerator for the day but take it out about 30 minutes before you want to start cooking so it can come to room temperature.  Grill the steak on a grill pan to get good grill marks on each side and finish in the oven for desired doneness.  For information about cooking steak and cuts of meat, read here.
For the cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan.  Add the flour and whisk.  Cook 1 minute.  Add the milk and bring up to a boil, stirring constantly.  Once it bubbles, reduce the heat to low and add the cheese.  Stir in a figure-eight pattern until the cheese is melted.  You should have a nice, thick sauce at this point.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When the steak is done cooking, give it time to rest and let the juices absorb back into the meat.  Slice the steak on a diagonal in thin slices.  Drizzle the cheese sauce over the top.

Garlic Broccoli
This is a great and flavorful vegetable dish.  Even if you don't love garlic, try it!  The garlic infuses the oil that the broccoli cooks in and gives a subtle flavor, not too strong.  You add the garlic back into the pan, but they are large pieces so they are easy to "pick off" if you're not a garlic person.

2 bunches of broccoli
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/3 cup olive oil
juice of half a lemon
salt, pepper
sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Pour the oil into a pan and cook the garlic over medium heat.  When the garlic turns brown, remove it with a slotted spoon.  Add the broccoli to the pan and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.  Cook for about 8 minutes or until desired softness.  Turn off the heat.  Add the garlic back to the pan and squeeze half a lemon over the broccoli and garlic.  Stir, serve hot.
With the steak and broccoli, I also served mustard-roasted potatoes and paired it with a petite sirah red wine.  Bon apetit!

Days 145, 146, 147: A Father's Day Post

Here's our weekend in meals!  Real quick, I'll recap that on Friday night I went out with a girlfriend and Randy and the kids finished up the chicken and broccoli alfredo lasagna.  Saturday night (Day 146) we had my classic burgers--always so delicious and both kids gobble 'em right up!  So that brings us to today, Sunday, Father's Day, AND... my mother's birthday.  Oh yeah, it was also Abby's first gymnastics "performance."  Phew!  Lots of goings-on for our family today.

I don't consider my dad a very picky eater (I don't really consider my mom "picky", either, but I'd say that she'd be more likely to have a meal preference most often) so I planned a noon-time dinner with my mother in mind.  I wanted something fresh, summery, and flavorful!  She's also getting into Mediterranean flavors, so I made a tomato-feta "bruschetta" for an appetizer.  On the menu: roasted chicken, French potato salad, crisp-lemon vegetables, and strawberry pie with ice cream for dessert.  (*Note: my mom is allergic to chocolate and said she didn't want a birthday cake--hence the "birthday" pie for dessert.)

Tomato-Feta Bruschetta
Randy bought me a Mediterranean Cooking cookbook some time ago and I bought the same book for my mom's birthday.  The idea for this appetizer came from that book.

French bread
olive oil
1-2 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1-2 minced garlic cloves (I used garlic powder since neither of my parents love garlic like Randy and I do!)
4 oz feta cheese
2-4 TB fresh oregano (roughly chopped)
salt, pepper--to taste

Thickly slice the French bread on a diagonal and then halve the slices.  You want about 8-10 halves in the end.  Drizzle them with olive oil and bake at 400* for about 15 minutes.  Or, you can just put them under the broiler for a few minutes, just keep a good eye on them!  Sprinkle with minced garlic or garlic powder.  Evenly distribute the tomato pieces, crumbled feta, and chopped oregano onto the baguette slices.  Season with salt and pepper if desired.

You can find my recipe for a perfect roasted chicken here.  Today I left out the parsley and rosemary and went heavier on the lemon and thyme flavors in an attempt to achieve a more lemony chicken.

French Potato Salad
I feel like there's a lot to this salad.  More than a classic potato salad, that is.  But it's much lighter than the traditional mayonnaise-coated potato salad and I figured my mom would prefer it.  I believe it was Julia Child who introduced this recipe to her fans, and I've also seen it in Ina Garten's cookbooks.  Mine is only slightly different, but the same idea.  

2-3 lbs of potatoes (I used a combination of red and white)

2 TB white wine
2 TB chicken stock
3-4 TB champagne vinegar
1/2 -1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
2 scallions, finely chopped
2 TB fresh dill, finely chopped
2 TB fresh parsley, chopped
salt, pepper

Wash the potatoes and boil them in salted water for about 20-30 minutes, or until just cooked through.  Then drain them and place the colander back over the pot and cover them with a towel to steam for another 10 minutes.
Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and toss them with the white wine and chicken stock. Let the warm potatoes soak up the flavor of the liquid while you prepare the rest of the dressing.  Mix the dijon mustard, champagne vinegar, and olive oil.  Pour over the potatoes and sprinkle in the scallions, dill, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Crisp-Lemon Vegetables
I call these vegetables "crisp" because they're raw (mostly).  I think this is a fun, summer salad with vegetables you can easily cook, but also serve raw.  I make a very basic lemon vinaigrette as a dressing.  Sorry for not having exact measurements on the green beans or snowpeas--when I'm at the grocery store, I just grab, so I'm making my best guesses...

2 handfuls of green beans, washed and trimmed (1/2 lb?)
2 handfuls of snow peas, washed and trimmed (1/3 lb?)
1 yellow pepper, cut into thin strips
1 red pepper, cut into thin strips
juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper

Blanch the green beans in boiling water for a few minutes, then drop them into ice water to stop the cooking.  Combine the green beans, snow peas, and peppers.  Mix the lemon juice and olive oil and pour over the vegetables.  Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.  Garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Happy Father's Day!

I love my dad!  He is probably one of the wisest men I know.  He's very good at analyzing a situation and determining the best course of action.  OR, at reflecting on a situation and quickly saying what he would've done different and why.  My father would probably say that right now he's going through some spiritual and character alterations and growth, but I've always seen him as incredibly spiritually mature, founded, and wise.  He is very good at defending his beliefs but is always gentle and respectful about it. (1 Peter 3:15)  These are things I've quietly noticed while having the privilege of being his daughter.  Besides this, here are a few other things I've learned from my father:
1) How to explain things.  I consider myself pretty well-spoken and articulate.  People tell me this about myself often.  I attribute it to my dad.  Perhaps I didn't so much learn it from him as inherit it, but either way, it's a trait he passed on to me.

Dad singing a song he wrote for my brother at my Noah's dedication

2) How to drive.  My mom and I were subject to the near-fatal mother-daughter driving tension when I was a teenager.  Hence, my father taught me how to drive.  I also have somewhat of a "lead foot".  So does he... ;)
3) How to appreciate music--real music, good music.  I am definitely not as much of a music "snob" as he is, but most of my opinions about music come from my father.  He's a musician and I (used to) play the piano.  Unfortunately, I can't sing a note, unlike him.  But, oh well.  By the way, Dad, I'm pretty sure I still have some of your CDs...
4) That it's OK to goof around in the house as long as Mom's not home.  (Isn't that what all the best dads do?)
5) How to admit when I'm wrong or have made a mistake.  This goes back to the whole wisdom-thing, I think.  I wouldn't say that he's been wrong often, but I can recall plenty of times when he has "swallowed his pride" and nodded in agreement with something he originally thought was wrong.

Grampy and Abby (2012)

6) How to make and launch a model rocket (though I couldn't do it by myself now).  And how to be brave on a roller coaster.  That's right, I still remember how he sat with my little brother instead of me because he was crying or something.  My first time on a roller coaster and I had to sit by myself!  I still love 'em (and him) though...
7) How to appreciate good, in-season fruit.  My dad loves fruit, especially berries.  I tried plums because of him, peaches because of him, and raspberries, and blackberries, too.  So as much as the strawberry pie I made today was for my mom, it was also for my dad.  Happy Father's Day dad, I love you!

Strawberry Pie
Strawberries came late this season, and the strawberry-rhubarb peaks did not coincide.  I looked around for rhubarb, but had to decide to make a plain strawberry pie.  I wasn't sure of it and didn't look at a recipe, so I was a little nervous.  Besides the fact that it turned out juicy (which I suppose I could've added more cornstarch or even strawberry gelatin to fix), it was pretty yummy!  I did end up draining the juices before slicing into it.  I'll share the recipe when I've perfected it a little more. ;)  I have a basic crust recipe that is fool-proof, but it's the filling I will be experimenting with.  For now, I'll enjoy the trial-and-error process!

By the way, there's another man in my life who is a father and deserves some recognition today.  My husband, Randy, is an incredible father.  I am certain that one day our children will all say the same about him.  He is currently playing "hide-and-seek" with Abby while I write this blog.  He wouldn't say that being a dad came all that naturally to him when Abby was an infant.  But he's had 2 1/2 years of experience at this point, and he couldn't look more natural in the role!  Randy is a phenomenal husband and a wonderful father.  I love our family and I love him with all my heart! 

 

Days 125 & 129: Cook-Out Favorites & Beer-Marinated Chicken w/ Summer Vegetables

We finally had a nice sit-down dinner as a family at home tonight!  It feels like it's been forever!  I no longer sell Tastefully Simple products, but before I "de-activated" I "stocked up" on some seasonings.  Yes, they are relatively easy to make on your own if you use the right combination of spices and herbs, but when they're all perfectly pre-mixed for you right in your pantry, who can resist?  And these seasonings have added plenty of "kick" to my meals recently.  Tonight, I enlisted the help of their new summer beer-marinade, and their Seasoned Salt for my potatoes and vegetables.  Dinner was so easy!  Last night I pulled out my chicken to defrost and this morning Randy got it marinating for me.  Simply mix 1 packet of the powder "marinade" with a 1/2 cup of beer and marinate the chicken for however long you have.  Tonight I grilled it and finished it in the oven.  It was super flavorful!  Here's how I like to do summer vegetables:

Seasoned Summer Vegetables
1 zucchini, thickly "chunked"
1 summer squash, thickly "chunked"
1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 of a red onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
olive oil
"Seasoned Salt" (Tastefully Simple)
onion flakes (or Tastefully Simple's "Onion Onion")
paprika
cumin

Layer the vegetables on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil.  Sprinkle the seasonings on liberally and cook in a 400* oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through and fragrant.

Let's bounce back to Day 125 (Saturday), when we had Noah's birthday cook-out.  When I invite people over for a birthday party, I'm more inclined to do most of the cooking because people coming are already bringing gifts.  If someone asks to bring something, I let them, but I usually assume I'll do most of the cooking.  When I'm having a regular barbecue or get-together for no reason, I don't have a problem saying "I'm providing the meat, you bring a dish to share" or something like that.  For Noah's party, I did have some voluntary help, but I provided the majority of the meal.

Normally we like our burgers medium-rare.  I was not in charge of the grill...

Here's my basic burger recipe:

1 lb hamburg
1/4-1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 garlic clove, minced
1 TB onion flakes
oregano, parsley
salt, pepper

Mix well and form into 4 patties.  Cook on the grill or under the broiler.

To go along with the burgers, I made orzo salad, classic potato salad, broccoli salad, fruit skewers, and some Tastefully Simple dips with chips.  I also had a garden salad brought by my mother and my sister-in-law made deviled eggs.

Broccoli Salad
I've seen this made different ways before--all of them so delicious!  At Whole Foods, they call it "Broccoli Crunch" and sell it from the deli.  This salad is incredible... try it!

1-2 bunches broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup of mayonnaise
scant (just under) 1/2 cup of sugar
2 TB red wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup walnuts
10 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped

Mix the broccoli, bacon, raisins, walnuts, and red onions together.  Whisk the mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar.  Pour the dressing over the salad and serve immediately.  (If you want to make it up ahead of time, keep the dressing separate and pour it on right before serving.)

 For dessert, we had Noah's chocolate chip "snowball" cookies, cake pops, and a flag cake.  The idea for the flag cake came from and Ina Garten cookbook, but I didn't use her recipe at all.  I wrote my own cake recipe, and made a raspberry filling to go inside.  The frosting was a whipped cream frosting and I used blueberries and raspberries to decorate the "flag."  I'm not ready to share my recipe yet because 1) I'm not 100% satisfied with it and 2) I think every cook needs a secret recipe, so I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to divulge the recipe. ;)

Happy birthday, my sweet man... hope you enjoyed the party you'll never remember!  (Your Momma sure did!)