How to get everyone to eat more fish

Like? I LOVE. It is so gloomy outside and the predictions are killin me. This is the one time it does NOT pay to work from home... no snow day likely for me :( Oh well. I like to think I am well-stocked enough to last through about a month here... you've seen my pantry. However, I get the idea of following the masses to the store. Fortunately I am already stocked for the week. Tonight we had salmon cakes. These are always a great way to include fish in your diet in a dish that kids will enjoy. I rounded out the meal with a big greek salad (my dressing recipe is below) and hummus with pita chips.

Dilled salmon cakes with tzatziki sauce:

4 cans salmon, drained (I use the small ones... for whatever reason the large ones have bones)
2/3 c. breadcrumbs
4 green onions, chopped
2 T. fresh dill, chopped
2 large eggs
1 carton Fage no-fat plain yogurt
lemon juice
olive oil
dried dill weed
1 clove garlic, minced
salt

Combine salmon, breadcrumbs, onions, dill and eggs. Form into cakes and put in the fridge for about an hour. While they chill, make the sauce. I don't actually measure the lemon juice, but I'd say it's about a cap-full and about the same for the olive oil. Salt it and add dill weed to taste. Heat about 2 t. canola oil in a skillet, and cook cakes, 4 minutes per side. Serve with the sauce.

Greek salad dressing:

3 parts red wine vinegar to 1 part evoo, oregano, salt & pepper to taste. Whisk together and add to any greek-inspired salad you can create. We love kalamata olives and feta on ours :)

You likey??

Because of our impending snow storm, blizzard of the century, or what ever you'd like to call it, I changed the layout of the blog to include blue skies....something we won't be seeing for a while! Like everyone else, I headed out to the store to make sure I had enough food, batteries, toliet paper, coffee, flares, water and booze to last for few days. Not that we live far from the stores... I mean, I could walk to Caputo's, but wanted to feel that sense of doom with all the other shoppers. Fun!! I decided this would be a great time to try some of Trish's recipes. Tonight I made the Italian Patty Melts and they were a huge hit with the fam. Meg said they were her favorite sandwich yet! Nice one Trish!! Tomorrow morning I will start the makings to Trish's BBQ Beef Sandwiches. She made these for us one night when we were all able to get together and they were super yum. I will post the recipe for her from me...does that even make sense? Anyway, it is her recipe and here it is:

BBQ beef sandwiches

1 3 lb boneless chuck roast
1 1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c BBQ sauce
2 T worcestershire sauce
2 T Dijon
1 t liquid smoke
1/2 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t pepper

Cut roast is half and place in crock pot.  Mix all sauce ingredients and pour over beef.  Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.  Shred beef and serve on buns.

Enjoy!

A whole weekend in one post

Hey, Les, welcome back!! I am excited to try your lasagne. Love the idea of burying spinach in a bunch of cheesy goodness. Gotta love it! I had some friends over on Friday night, so you'll see below what I made for them. Saturday we ate out because we went to see Toy Story 3 on Ice and didn't emerge from the Allstate Arena until dinnertime. Yesterday I spent several hours making an Asian feast that literally has my boys salivating all day. Hopefully you will make some of these as they are McGady family favorites. Enjoy!

Black bean and chicken Enchilada casserole:

28 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 c. salsa
1 T. cumin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can green chiles, undrained
3 c. cooked chopped chicken (see earlier post for quiche about how I cook "mexican" chicken)
12 corn tortillas
2 c. mexican cheese blend

Mix tomato sauce, salsa and cumin. Spread about 3/4 c. in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Mix together chicken, beans, chiles and 1/2 c. of the tomato mixture. Top tomato mixture with 6 tortillas. Top with 1/2 of chicken mixture and half of remaining tomato mix. I also put some cheese in this layer. Repeat and top with the cheese. Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, until cheese is brown and bubbly. I served this with Spanish rice and chips with guac and salsa.

Asian Sesame Noodles:

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti, cooked and rinsed in cold water
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/3 c. water
3 T. ketchup
2 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. rice vinegar
1 t. sesame oil

Heat peanut butter through sesame oil to boiling, stirring constantly. Let it cool for about 10 minutes and stir into pasta. I chill for about an hour and then serve at room temperature.

Chicken Pot Stickers:

1/2 lb. ground chicken
1/2 c. finely shredded Napa cabbage
1 green onion, minced
2 t. soy sauce
1 t. cornstarch dissolved in 2 t. water
1/4 t. dry mustard
20 wonton skins
4 t. peanut oil
1 c. chicken broth

Mix chicken through mustard. Put about 1 t. in each wrapper and secure (I use a press which I got at Cost Plus). Heat oil in a skillet until almost smoking. Add potstickers and let them brown, about 7 minutes. Add chicken broth and partially cover. They are done when the broth has evaporated.

For sauce: combine 3 parts rice vinegar to 1 part soy sauce and add a few drops sesame oil.

Baked egg rolls:

2/3 c. chopped celery
2/3 c. chopped carrot
2 c. shredded napa cabbage
1/2 t. vegetable oil
2/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 t. minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lb. ground turkcy
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
14 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg white

Puree carrots and celery in food processor until they're fine little bits. Microwave celery and carrot mix with the cabbage for about 5 minutes and drain. In a skillet, heat oil. Add onion for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic, then turkey and brown for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add veggie mix and soy sauce. Let it cool. Wrap in eggroll wrapper and secure with egg white. Place on a baking sheet and coat with canola spray. Bake at 425 for 18 minutes, turning halfway through.

Here I am....

No, really, I'm here. Sorry it's taken me so long to get on board, but I'm here now and will try and keep up. And Trish, we have doubled because Lindsay is following us! Woo hoo! I made a lasagna in the crockpot for our busy Sunday. I love this recipe simply because of its cheesy goodness and I can hide lots of spinach in it and the kid have no clue! I do keep out the red pepper flakes for the kids and add a few (6-8) mozzarella slices.  Here's the recipe...
 
Crock-Pot Lasagna Recipe

• 3 cans (14.4 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic , finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 containers (15 ounces each) fresh ricotta
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 12 lasagna noodles (about three-quarters of a 1-pound box)
• 5 ounces (about 6 cups) baby spinach

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and black pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

In the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, spread a thin layer of the sauce. Top with 3 of the noodles (breaking to fit as necessary). Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups of the spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture. Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

Cook on low, covered, until the noodles are tender—especially in the center of the lasagna—about 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

And a switch to Asian

I know, you're probably thinking we ARE Mexican over here. Sometimes I wonder myself, and then just to throw them off I pull out the Asian night :) Tonight was a quick and easy one that we all enjoyed. I added a saute of snow peas and mushrooms with some chow mein noodles for the veggie component. This is a very healthy one, gang. (I say gang as if you've multipled, Lesley... LOL)

Hoisin-Orange Pork Chops

3 T. hoisin sauce
zest of one orange
1 t. soy sauce
1/4 t. five spice powder
4 center cut boneless pork loin chops
1 t. sesame oil

Heat your broiler and line a pan with foil. Combine hoisin, zest, soy and powder. Brush the pork chops with the oil, then the mixture. Broil for about 5 minutes per side, basting after you turn them.

Coconut rice

1 package pre-cooked brown rice
1/4 c. coconut flakes
1 diced red pepper

While you microwave the rice, toast the coconut in your skillet. When it's brown, remove it to your serving bowl and cook up the pepper a bit. Add it to the bowl and mix in the rice.

This delish dish brought to you by my friends at Weight Watchers in their 15 minute cookbook. I can't say it was truly 15 minutes, but it was damn close.

Great make-ahead for the jet-setting Mom

Ok, or just for those of us who occasionally have to daytrip to Philadelphia in the midst of a major snowstorm! Anyone who thinks business travel is glamorous should walk a day in my worn-out Steve Maddens! What a day! The best part about this recipe is that it made two, so I put one in the fridge for tonight and froze the other one for a later date. (Perhaps when I have to go to Indianapolis on Friday... haha) This was very tasty. I modified it a bit to make it a little healthier. Served with refried beans and some chips & salsa and you're done. Would also be nice with a green salad since it is a quiche, afterall.

Chicken Taco Quiche:

2 pie shells (I used the Pillsbury refrigerated kind)
2 c. cooked chicken (I cooked some chicken tenders in stock with some garlic powder, cumin and chili powder to give it a little zip... simmer for about 12 minutes and then shred)
2 envelopes taco seasoning
2/3 c. salsa
2 c. shredded cheddar (I used mexican blend)
8 eggs (easy to sub in a few egg whites here if you'd like)
2 c. half and half (I used the fat free kind)
1 can chopped green chiles

Line two pie pans with the crusts and flute the edges. Mix together the chicken and one packet of taco seasoning. Top the crusts. Top with salsa and cheese. Mix together the eggs and half & half. Stir in the chiles. Pour over the top of each. Bake at 400 for approximately 35 minutes.

Adapted from tasteofhome.com

Italian Night X2

Tonight was another "italian" night in our house. I guess I must've been in that mood on Sunday when I planned this menu. Truth be told, I had planned something else for tonight but we are off kilter based on being invited last-minute to the Bears party on Sunday and then not having to cook. This soup was good and easy. Served it with some breadsticks and it is literally an express night. I even had enough left for one small bowl for lunch later in the week.

Italian Wedding Soup:

1 1/2 c. low-sodium beef broth
2 c. water
1/2 c. orzo
3 italian turkey sausage links (spicy)
1 can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and olive oil
6 oz. baby spinach
fresh parmesan

Boil the broth and water. Add orzo and cook 6 minutes. While that is happening, cut off the sausage casings and break them into meatballs. Fry them in a skillet while the orzo cooks, then add them, the tomatoes and some pepper to the soup. Let it simmer for a bit and then add the spinach until it wilts. Serve with parmesan on top.

*Adapted from 15 Minute Recipes by Weight Watchers

Boi

Monday Night is Italian Night

Back to the grind. Isn't Monday night Italian night? Or was that Wednesday? Anyhow, I decided it would be tonight in our house. These were quite good. Made sweet potato chips and an Italian salad to round out the meal. I made 5 out of this recipe instead of 4 for kid size portions and our sitter who eats with us on Monday nights.

Italian Patty Melts:

1 egg
1/2 c. spaghetti sauce (Newman's Sockarooni... every time)
a few T. seasoned breadcrumbs
1 lb. ground beef
a few T. butter, melted, mixed with some basil and garlic salt
sliced Italian bread
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella

Combine egg, half the sauce and breadcrumbs with the beef until desired burger consistency. Form it into 4 (I did 5) flat rectangle patties. Brush melted butter on each side of the bread. I used my grill pan to crisp it up a bit. Then put the patties in the hot grill pan for 4 minutes per side. Top burgers with remaining sauce and mozzarella, let it melt. Serve on the toasted bread. (I had mine open-faced and enjoyed it, the rest of the gang had it true patty-melt style)

Adapted from Taste of Home recipe card collection

Damn Those Bears!!

Well, I blame Jay Culter for my eating more of this dip than I originally intended :( So sad! I must say my Facebook friend list is somewhat equally split between Bears/Packers, so the posts today have been surprisingly funny. Anyhow, I digress. Tonight I didn't have to make dinner since my sister-in-law invited us over for the game and pulled pork, but these two appetizers (one of them a crock pot recipe) were simply awesome. So here goes:

Crock Pot pizza dip:

2 blocks cream cheese, cubed (I used light)
15 oz. pizza sauce (I used my leftover homemade... see recipe below)
1 package pepperoni, finely chopped
1 can drained sliced black olives (I used the little can)
2 c. shredded mozzarella

Put cream cheese in bottom of crock pot. Mix together sauce, pepperoni and olives. Pour over cream cheese and top with mozzarella. Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours and then stir. Serve with crusty baguette.


Trish's Homemade Pizza Sauce:
1 28 oz. can tomato puree (use Dei Fratelli... they'll never lead you astray)
a pinch of tomato paste (I use the tube kind and just do one squeeze worth)
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
Italian seasoning (I use Penzy's) about 2 T. (also to taste)
dried oregano and basil to taste
freshly grated parmesan (I'd say about 1/8 c. will do it)

Blend and keep tasting until it's to your liking. Usually more salt will make it taste better if it's too "tomatoey" tasting. This will make enough for leftovers and it freezes well.

Chocolate fruit dip:

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz. cool whip
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. rum

Melt chocolate in microwave. Stir in a little bit of the cool whip, cinnamon and rum. Let it cool for a few minutes, then fold into the rest of the cool whip. Serve with fresh fruit (I did orange slices, strawberries, grapes, kiwi and pineapple)

Enjoy!

Saturday Night Shrimp

Yes, it's been a day since my last post. That's because we took a night off and went for sushi last night. (the kids and sitter had some great pulled chicken I bought at Whole Foods and froze, so at least it wasn't another frozen pizza night) My best advice when you're craving spicy tuna is RUN to your nearest Sushi House and indulge. I've made sushi at home (once) and it simply wasn't worth it. Onto tonight's subject, getting some seafood into the family. I thought this recipe was great. Perfect for a cold night and quite healthy as well. I served it with some grilled La Brea cheese bread. Delish.

Shrimp and Black Bean Soup (modified from Tasteofhome Heartwarming Soups):

1 onion, chopped
1 T. evoo
28 oz. chicken broth
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can petite dice tomatoes
2 t. chili powder (I use Penzy's labeled "hot" and the soup had a zip)
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. shrimp
parsley

Saute onion in oil. Add all ingredients through shrimp. Bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes covered. Add shrimp and cook, 6 minutes or so. Add parsley and serve.

Success! A crock pot triumph

Night number two here at our house. This was another crock pot night. I found this recipe in a little supplement I picked up in line at the grocery store last month (see a theme here... Jewel could make a fortune on my impulse purchases... oh wait, they already do). Anyhow, these fajitas were great. Some of the ingredients sounded a bit odd, and of course I improvised a bit, but overall the results were excellent. Loved by all. I cooked them for 5 hours before shredding and then turned it to "warm" for the last hour. Rounded out the meal with refried beans and some chips and salsa. Ole!

Zippy Beef Fajitas:

1 flank steak, cut into 4 quarters
2 t. ground ginger
2 t. crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 for family purposes)
3/4 t. garlic powder (I used 1 cause I love garlic)
2 peppers, cut into strips
12 oz. cola (in fajitas?? really? but it was good... suggest beer would be a fine alternative here)
5 green onions, chopped
1/3 c. soy sauce
grated fresh ginger (I'd go light next time and I added some cumin cause I like that flavor in fajitas... recipe called for 2 T., maybe do a pinch along with a T. of cumin)
2 T. tomato paste

Combine the ginger, crushed pepper and garlic. Rub on steak. Place steak in bottom of crock pot. Top with peppers. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over beef. Let cook on low for 6-7 hours. Shred beef and return to sauce. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve on warm tortillas.

Night Number One!

Ok, so I admit it... I am a sucker for grocery store end caps featuring the latest and greatest food magazines that I don't already subscribe to. In my defense, I had a middle seat all the way from Chicago to San Francisco last week, so purchasing the egregiously overpriced Food Network magazine could possible be justified. Anyhow, here is what my family dined on tonight. I would mark it as a "not worth the effort" for future reference. They have a feature each month asking chefs to make something with a grocery store staple: in this case, hummus. My family LOVES hummus. I mean, if that's all I fed them they would all be insanely happy. Add in a little greek salad (which I did tonight) and you've got yourself a meal. The concept on these was cutsey: sliders. But the turkey was too sticky and ended up flavorless. Thankfully there was a little relish of cucumber and feta to perk them up. I am disappointed that I thought I could just paste a link to the recipe online, but I could not find it. (Guess that over-priced magazine was worth something) So here goes:

Turkey-Hummus Sliders:

1 english cucumber, diced (I used half... c'mon, a whole cucumber??)
1/2 c. crumbled feta
2 T. red wine vinegar (0r thereabouts)
1 t. dried oregano (called for mint... didn't have it)
EVOO
1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
1 c. hummus (used Trader Joe's roasted red pepper flavor)
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 t. ground coriander
mini whole wheat pita pockets

Make the cucumber topping with ingredients through oil. I put in about a teaspoon of oil. Blend turkey, 1/2 the hummus, parsley and coriander. Form into small patties. Split the mini pitas and I warmed them in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes. Take the remaining hummus and blend it with a little warm water. Spread on the inside of the pita. Then cook the patties in oil for 2 minutes per side (these were a sticky mess, btw... need a binder beyond just hummus if you ever try this one) and put them on the pita. Top with the yummy relish. Superbowl snack? I can think of others I'd rather try, but if you're so inclined hopefully my hints are helpful.

The start of something...

Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops from Cooks Illustrated 

This was tonight's dinner. A bit tedious to make considering it should be a one pot dinner. I cooked it on high but after 2 hours it looked done.   I turned it to low for the rest of the time. It was a bit dry. Good thing there was plenty of sauce to spoon on top. Would make again but I would cook on low for 7 hours. Made with egg noodles, baked potatoes, and broccoli.   

Editors’ Choice Cookbook Collection.  From The Best Slow and Easy Recipes.

Serves 6.  

The pork chops are so tender after cooking that it is best to use a spoon to remove them from the slow cooker to keep them from breaking apart.

Ingredients

4	ounces (about 4 slices) bacon , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3	medium onions , halved and sliced thin
4	teaspoons light brown sugar
3	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1	tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves , or 1 teaspoon dried
	Salt
3	cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4	cup soy sauce
2	tablespoons Minute Tapioca
2	bay leaves
6	bone-in blade-cut pork chops , about 3/4-inch thick
	Ground black pepper
1	tablespoon cider vinegar
1	tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. 1. Cook the bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the skillet, and refrigerate until serving time.
2. 2. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat left in the skillet and place over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar, garlic, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits.
3. 3. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker and stir in the remaining 2 cups broth, remaining tablespoon brown sugar, soy sauce, tapioca, and bay leaves until evenly combined. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and nestle them in the slow cooker. Cover and cook, either on low or high, until meat is tender, 7 to 8 hours on low or 4 to 5 hours on high.
4. 4. Transfer the pork chops to a serving platter with a large spoon, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then gently tilt the slow cooker and remove as much fat as possible from the surface using a large spoon. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the bacon in the microwave on high power until heated through and crisp, about 30 seconds. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the chops, sprinkle with the crisp bacon and parsley, and serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.