Taking the Next Step

As I wrote in my last post, we have had an unusually crazy year, and in addition to what I had listed, just a few weeks ago it was also realized that I am now longer the only diabetic in the house, my husband now carries that tag as well. So in an effort to get him on track with a low sugar plan, we dove into to the task of what will he eat for breakfast, for snacks and lunch while he is away from home and in an environment that leaves much to be desired for those trying to take care of themselves.

With a chicken roasted off, I made a batch of curry chicken salad that he can take for lunch, I cooked off egg cups that he can warm up for breakfast when he gets to work (he leaves the house at 4am), and prepped up a piles of raw vegetables that we can take for snacks along with the mixed nuts that he had been taking before. 

Change will always come with growing pains, making good choices is difficult and if you attempt to wing it, you can find yourself in the weeds and back at square one. It is never perfect as we make different choices and have days we fall off the wagon and need to start again. As we look at the new year, think about little changes you can make that you can handle and will be able to continue for the long haul. Making healthy changes can improve our quality of life, and if we continue to make little changes toward your goals you will have a better chance of reaching them.

It's been a busy day with shopping, and all the food prep,but with a stocked frig I think we are ready to face the week and now I can get a bit of rest between loads of laundry and crawling off to bed.

Confetti Salad

This past year has been a doozy for us, we started off with four funerals between April and June, right into a joyous time with my oldest son's wedding, a camp out, emergency bypass surgery for my Dad,  an arrest and court appearances (a family member), another funeral (my step father), and several rounds of sickness. It has seemed to be just one thing after another and I can say I'm ready to see this year come to an end and looking forward to the year to come. Praying that the coming year is a bit more settled than this past one.

I'm not one to set my self up for failure with resolutions each year, and this year is no different, but I stumble across a new book that I have taken to heart the more I've read. I had started the process of removing gluten and other grains from my diet earlier this year, but this book (and her website, listed below) had given me a deeper look into why eating this way, with even more changes, is beneficial to my health, diabetes and my weight. I've been following the plan for the past three days and my blood sugars are in normal ranges and down several pounds. So you will be seeing lots recipes that are acceptable under the guidelines of this new style of eating.

I mentioned earlier that we had the privilege of participating in my son's wedding this summer, and I provided the meal for the rehearsal, which since this was going to be an outdoor wedding, we went with a picnic on the lawn after the wrapping up the rehearsal. So today I'm sharing one of the salads we provided for that meal which with minimal changes event fits my current food plan. I've had requests for this recipe since then and I'm now getting around to posting it here so it can be shared and enjoyed by others.

Confetti Salad
1/2 lb Bacon, cooked off  & crumbled
1 Head Cauliflower
2 Bunches Broccoli
2 Carrots - small dice or grated
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1/2 Red Onion
1 C. Cheese - Grated
1 C Slivered Almonds - toasted

Chop cauliflower and broccoli into bit sized pieces, mince onion. Toss vegetables in large mixing bowl, add almonds,cheese and bacon, toss with dressing (listed below) and chill before serving.

This is a recipe that you can modify to you own taste by omitting or adding anything you want. I've left out the cheese for my non-dairy people, or the bacon for the vegetarians, or certain veg for my picky eaters. I've been known to add any stray veg that I might have in the frig, cooked asparagus, love sliced up radishes, jicama, shredded cabbage,  pretty much what ever I was in the mood for including cubed up leftover chicken made a great dinner salad on a hot evening.

Dressing
1 C Mayonnaise
1/3 C. Rice Wine Vinegar
1/4 C. Sugar
Salt & Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a sealed container (I use a mason jar) and shake. Taste and adjust sugar and salt & pepper to taste. I have also substituted Stevia for the sugar and it works just fine.

With the changes in my diet this is now my salad dressing of choice, check out Maria's Super Salad Dressing. If you snoop around here site you will see what changes I have been making.
http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/super-salad-dressing-and-mct-oils/

  

Tonight's salad modifiers included a cheater bag of Broccoli Slaw that has pea pods and other veg in it that I added chopped cauliflower, cheese, bacon & nuts, and tossed with Maria's dressing and it was just a yummy as the batch made last summer!

Shepards Pie

After doing some time under the weather and dealing with a death in the family, I've found my system out of sorts and in dire need of some clean eating. So its time to get back on track with meal planning to set my system back on a normal keel and get back to sharing my recipes with you.

So with that in mind and frost on my windows I've opted for a long enjoyed favorite with just a few modifications to meet my dietary needs.

Shepard's Pie
4 cups mashed potatoes (left over work great, especially cheesy ones, heated)
2 med onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
4 med carrots, diced (about 2 cups)
4 stalks celery, (1 cup)
Olive Oil
1 lb Ground beef
3 Tbsp Sun Dried Tomato, chopped 
2+ c. Chicken stock
2-3 Tbsp Arrowroot
Salt & Pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a oven proof dutch oven (my favorite is an enameled cast iron one from Ikea), over medium heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook an additional 10 minutes. Add ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Add chopped tomatoes, and salt & pepper to taste.
Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Make a slurry out of the arrowroot and add to the simmering pot a little at  time until thickened into a nice gravy consistency.  
Spread potatoes evenly across the meat and gravy mixture and place in oven until lightly browned, 30 - 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and serve. No wheat, just lots of hot goodness.

See may alterations below.

Heading for the oven

Browned and bubbling up around the edges.

I used red potatoes with the skins on for my mashed potatoes, and they were mixed with sour cream, butter, milk and white cheddar w/horseradish. They were made fresh while the meat & gravy cooked.

Because everything was hot and cooked through, I was able to just put the final product under the broiler to brown off the potatoes and we were ready to eat from start to finish in about an hour, including making the mashed potatoes.

Digging in!

"Ham" & Beans - Using what you have around the house.

This week I was looking for something that used food I already had at home and I didn't have to spend much time thinking about. After flipping through the cupboard above my stove, , getting stuff out to make some muffins I spotted a jar of mixed beans that had gotten shoved to the back of the cabinet and forgotten about. This started the wheels turning on what I could do for my needs for the week.

 So with an onion from my basket and a smoked turkey leg I picked up my last trip through the grocery, I had a solid dish that would feed us for more than one meal and was easy to pull off.

Do to personal choice, we make a point to limit the amount pork products we consume, so for me using smoked turkey legs provide the same texture and flavor of a smoked ham and is just as easy to use. The turkey is my "Ham" in my "Ham" & Beans
  

"Ham" & Beans
 2 lbs dried bean
1 Onion - rough chopped
Bay leaf
Smoked Turkey Leg (or a chunk of ham)
Salt & pepper to taste

Prep beans with regular or quick method (use that following link if you need help with how to prep you beans)
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/food-guides/bean

Take your prepped beans, rinse well and place in 5-6 quart slow cooker (crockpot) with the onion & bay leaf, cover with water and cook on High for several hours until the bean are almost cooked completely though. Add meat, salt and pepper and allow to continue to cook until bean are completely cooked through. The turkey legs should be falling off the bone at that point. Remove the turkey, and pull the meat from the bones and skin. Cut up large pieces and and return to the pot, stir in and check for seasoning.

After all was said and done, we had rich bowl of the beans as a nice lunch and we have over a gallon left for dinners later this week, and if we are not in the mood, it can easily go in the freezer.

 This is one of those dishes that goes well with crusty bread or a batch of cornbread dripping with butter and honey.

Fall and winter are my favorites times of the year when it comes to food!

Cabbage Rolls

You may have thought I had dropped off the face of the earth this week, part of the time, that is what it felt like too. I'm sort of getting used to 9, 10 and 11 hour days, which is rather sad. 

So far this week, I've eaten leftover butternut squash soup my son made, leftover hummus and vegetables from the weekend, and the last of the chili made last week. In my minimal amount of down time, I've caught a bit to television and I saw a episode of The Chew, and Michael Simon was making cabbage rolls. Back in the day when we had a house full of kids, cabbage rolls was something I would take the time to make and enjoy.

As I dashed though the grocery store on Sunday, I grabbed the needed supplies and a batch of meaty stuffed rolls are in my future, it most likely will be later this week, but the supplies are ready when I am. Hope you enjoy these as much as I plan to!

http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Stuffed-Cabbage-Michael-Symon

Breakfast for Dinner part 2

Tonight was hash night, and I must say that this new recipe is a close second to the hash I enjoyed in Seattle. As usual I made alterations, but nothing that is far from the basic recipe. I switched out a green pepper for the red, and rather than used packaged taco seasoning I used cumin, chili powder and turmeric. My fried eggs are not as pretty and I added half a avocado but I think I came pretty close to what they intended.

  

When I eat hash, it is a bit unconventional, but I like to smoush up my eggs and mix them with the hash, so this time I smoushed my eggs with the avocado and the sour creme and mixed it all around.The rich yolks and avocado made a silkiness throughout the hash, which was wonderful. So get creative and get you hash on.

http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2013/10/21/beef-and-sweet-potato-hash-livewell-2013-in-chicago/

Breakfast for dinner

Well today is a true confession day. I must say I spent the bulk of my weekend on a starch and bread binge. Burgers with buns, french bread, french toast, french fries, you name it, I ate it. But now that has past and I must focus on the week ahead. so I'm starting the week with leftover Moussaka, and my second cooking night will be breakfast for dinner. 

I came across a restaurant in Seattle last March that was serving corned beef has made with sweet potatoes, and I determined I was in love at that moment. Sadly enough I have not taken the time to duplicate the meal, but this morning as I poured over the blogs I follow, I came across the attached recipe for a beef and sweet potato hash that looks pretty close. So in an attempt to cleanse myself from wheat and starch, I will be giving this recipe a go, and I will let you know how close it comes to my memory of that wonderful hash I enjoyed in Seattle.

http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2013/10/21/beef-and-sweet-potato-hash-livewell-2013-in-chicago/

Moussaka my way

Moussaka is traditionally a Mediterranean dish that is healthy, rich and hearty. It is similar to what you would think of lasagna, but my version is a bit easier to pull off.

Moussaka My Way

1 lb ground beef or lamb
Greek seasoning and salt & pepper
1 lg egg plant, peeled and cubed in 1/2" cubes
1 med Onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use garlic press)
2 Zucchini, quarter lengthwise and slice into 1/4" slices
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato paste
1 1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach - thawed
8 oz container of ricotta cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt diced eggplant and leave in colander for 30 min to 1 hour to sweet. 
Brown ground meat with seasoning, onion and garlic, in a dutch oven or oven proof stockpot. 
Rinse eggplant and pat dry, add to meat mixture with zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste and spinach. 
Allow to simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Mix the three cheeses together and spread over meat and vegetable mix, place under low broiler until the cheese starts to brown. Then dig in! It's also great reheated the second day, so it's a great make ahead meal that you can throw in the oven and warm until it is bubbly and hot.

Who needs take out

This week I've dug though my old recipe box that has recipes from my childhood, collected from my mom, grandmothers and aunts.  As I flip through the yellowed and stained cards I remembered many wonderful times gathering in the kitchen, making a wonderful meals that would be shared together. A regular was sweet and sour meatballs, so with that in mind I found the recipe for the meatballs and as I started thinking about the sauce I remember that mom would use a canned sweet and sour sauce she found in the Asian section of the grocery store.  So I did some hunting around in my other cookbooks and found an orange sauce that would fit the bill, so here it goes.

Turkey Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Combine thoroughly all ingredients. Using a teaspoon (I used a small scoop), roll into small balls. Either brown in a fry pan or place them on a baking tray and place in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 15 minutes, check for done-ness. Yield is 36 to 40 balls, freeze or use right away.
These meatballs are a staple that can be cooked off in batches and used as needed. You can add to anything from spaghetti sauce, or in my case, orange sauce and served over rice.

Orange Sauce
2 c. Orange juice
1 Tbsp Corn starch
1 Tbsp Water
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp Orange zest
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter

In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook orange juice uncovered until reduced to 1 cup.
Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl until dissolved, and pour entire mixture in to pan. Add sugar and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in zest, lemon juice and butter.

As usual I twisted things to work with what I had on hand, so I added a can of crushed pineapple to fill out the needed liquid, and added the supremes from the orange I grated the zest from, and omitted the sugar with the sweetness of the pineapple.

So with my meatballs cooked, I sauteed a chopped bell pepper and onion, and once it was softened I added meatballs to the pan and ladled the sauce over the top and served over rice.

  

Using what you've got

I've ended the week with 3.5 hours of overtime and I will be back at my office tomorrow to go at it some more. Three out of five nights I had places to be, and by tonight the last thing I wanted to do was spend allot of time in the kitchen.

So tonight I grabbed a couple of russet potatoes wrapped them in foil and tossed them in the oven. Curled up on the couch for thirty minutes with a my current novel, and then wandered back into the kitchen to cook off the pound of hamburger (the one thawed out for lasagna) with a chopped onion, Greek seasoning and a couple of tablespoons of the roasted tomatoes tomatoes I had in the frig. At that point I returned to the couch until the taters were done. So with a the  potato split and fluffed, we piled on the meat mixture, some butter, the leftover southwest salad dressing from couple of weeks ago mixed with some sour cream and topped with grated white cheddar cheese.

With a random selection of items we ended up with loaded baked potatoes that didn't take much to fix, and I've been able to relax the bulk of the evening, and now its time to get to bed so I can hopefully finish my current project at work in the morning. Good night everyone.

Weekly Recipes for week of Oct 7th - 13th

Good afternoon everyone. I'm sitting here on my couch looking out on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon with the doors hanging open relaxing and enjoying the waning smells and sounds of early fall. 

I spent Friday night and all day Saturday at a women's conference at the local sports arena, and sad to say the food choices were far from optimal, so this week I'm focusing on foods that are soothing to the system.


Menu #1
Tizza Soup
This soup recipe comes from a show I feel in love with some time again called French Food at Home, and she brings the history and lifestyle behind the food in the recipes. This recipe came from an episode she did on French dieting, which they don't actually believe in dieting. They believe in increasing movement in your life, and eating foods that are quality foods that are good for your body and everything in moderation. But when you over do it, and you need to drop a few pounds, or get your eating back in balance enjoy this simple soup for a day or two until your system returns to normal. They make little adjustments as needed to maintain the healthy lifestyle they embrace. So after a week of poor eating and indulgences, I'm having my Tizza Soup to start me week and set me up for a good week.
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/laura-calder/tizza-soup.html


Menu #2
Eggplant Lasagna
This is one that I have done for myself and family many times and is a bit time intensive to assemble, but is can be easily done the night before and reheated when you are ready to serve.
Grab a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, ground beef (or an assortment of ground meats of your choice) mozzarella cheese (grated), ricotta cheese, a large eggplant (two if you are feeding a larger family), and carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper (pulsed in a food processor to get a fine chop) . 
Peel and thin slice eggplant, spread out on cookie sheets, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper, and bake in oven for about 10 minutes to dry out some of the moisture but don't let them get too soft. While the eggplant cooks, start sauteing finely chopped carrot, onion, pepper and celery, and set aside once veg has softened. Brown ground beef, add softened veg and sauce in with the meat and heat through.  Mix grated mozzarella into ricotta and set aside.
To assemble, lightly grease baking dish (I'm using a loaf pan since I'm feeding only two and we will still have leftovers). Spoon a layer of sauce on bottom, add a layer of the eggplant, a layer of sauce, then a layer of the the cheese mixture (small glops, yes that is the technical term, spread across the sauce layer, and repeat, eggplant, sauce and cheese until your baking dish is full, ending with a cheese layer. Bake for about an hour in a 325 degree oven until cheese browns and the sauce is bubbling along the sides. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to allow it to set.
Serve with a fresh green salad and rich garlic bread.

If the need arises for an additional meal, I have a ham hock in the frig and a quart of split peas that can be tossed in the crockpot in the morning that allows me to come home to a ready made pot of soup. But I'm expecting to have enough leftovers this week, so I might get the split peas next weekend.

Flops and Failures

It would be great to say that everything I make was wonderful, and disappeared quickly by those who ate it, but that is truly not the case. This week I was faced with another leftover rotisserie chicken and a curry soup was what came to mind. So I purchased some veg and used some stock I had mad over the weekend, and well, much to my disappointment I ended up with a rather large pot of soup that that was just okay. So the next day I made a pot of rice to pour the soup over and spiced the pot up a bit more, which helped a little, but I'm thinking the last of that pot is bound for the garbage disposal. I keep looking at it in the frig and can't bring myself to mess around with it anymore. So in spite of the fact that I've been cooking for over 30 years, there is always another flop out there waiting to happen, a flavor profile that just won't come together (my soup), or a cake that won't rise, a texture that is just not right, it could be any issue, they all happen from time to time to the best of us.

This past weekend was dark and stormy and I found myself in much of a funk. Both my husband and myself slept allot of Saturday away and I had to deal with some chores on Sunday, but the desire to curl back up and the couch with a blanket and nap some more was there in the back of my mind. In turn I failed to get my menus under control, I looked at cookbooks, I watched some food shows, and just couldn't find my inspiration for the week. In turn, this has produced random eating when it comes to my primary meals, we even broke down and had a hot dog at Costco as we ran errands tonight, as I stated in my original post, Failing to plan is planning to fail. Yup, that was my week, but I'm not discouraged, I am already focusing on what to do this next week, so look out world, I'm back in the kitchen!

I have managed to crawl out of my funk mid week and I dove into doing a bit of baking which is something I haven't done much of in the last few years. I found a little something that I can eat for breakfast and not worry that its going to set my system off, as well as fill the need for something that is bready and sweet, and figured I would share it with you. Happy Baking

Zucchini Muffins

3 cups blanched almond flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp backing soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 med eggs, beaten

1/3 cup coconut oil or melted butter

1/4 honey

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 cups grated zucchini

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners

2. Mix almond, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt in mixing bowl.

3. Add beaten eggs, honey, lemon zest, and grated zucchini. Stir to blend.

4. Divide batter into muffin tins, but do not overfill. Works betting with smaller cups.

5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on wire racks.

Serves 12

On top of these yummy gems, I managed to make gingerbread cupcakes with a lemon glaze, which were not gluten or sugar free. There are yummy, but I'm paying for indulging. 

Time to focus on eating the right things again and having my plan in place this next week. Hope you are finding fun things to cook and enjoy!

Upside Down Tamale Pie

Well tonight wraps up a hectic week. We have a aggressive storm brewing outside, a fire in the wood stove inside and I wanted something that would be easy to put together, yet a stick to your ribs kind of meal. I knew I still had the package of hamburger in frig, so I began rummaging around in to cupboards and came across a package of gluten free polenta and an idea blossomed from there. I browned off the hamburger with a chopped onion and my favorite taco seasonings cumin, chili powder and turmeric (and of course salt & pepper). While that was cooking through, following the directions on the package I cooked off a batch of polenta, added a cup of grated cheddar and let it firm up. So with the polenta scooped on the plate, cover with a good portion of the taco meat, topped with additional grated cheese, sour cream and your favorite salsa and Voila! you have an Upside Down Tamale Pie. While I'm sitting here typing I here my husband and brother in the kitchen for seconds, so I must be edible!

Praying those of you in the Portland area that also are facing the weekend storm, that you enjoy your time inside and without any incident.

Weekly Recipes for week of Sept 22nd - 28th

Well I knew a few weeks ago that my schedule was ramping up for a busy fall/holiday season and its now in full swing. I've been in several meetings in the past couple of weeks that mapped out women's events, a bazaar, a food basket for a family, sponsoring a solder overseas, several holiday gatherings and a couple of other random events. Thankfully I'm not in charge of all of this, but I will be participating in much of it. So needless to say, my meals are going to reflect my time constraints.  With that in mind here we go.

Menu #1
Lentil Sausage Soup
This soup is a mainstay for me every winter, a hearty rich soup that warms the soul.  It is a soup that freezes really well, and lucky for me, I had a gallon of soup frozen in the freezer, so while I busily cranked out a large batch of dog food (yes I make my own dog food, I'll tell you more about that another time), I had my pot of soup warming on the stove. So always keep in mind when you can make a larger batch of something that you can freeze for later use.
 When it comes to serving this soup, I love it with a scoop of sour cream stired in. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lentil-sausage-soup-recipe/index.html

Menu #2
As for the rest of the week, tomorrow night we are joining friends for Happy Hour at my work, and Wednesday we have dinner being brought to us, so I just need to figure out a couple of quick items to finish off the week. When I went shopping on Saturday, I was thinking I needed eggs, so I bought a dozen, well, I had almost two dozen waiting in the frig when I got home, so I'm thinking breakfast for dinner. I have some bacon in the freezer that can be chopped and browned with onions. Pour scrambled egg over the top and toss it in the oven til eggs are set. This is a stand by to be served with toast or some fried potatoes.

Menu #3
For a final recipe to round out the week I'm thinking I need to put the last of the lettuce I have in the frig to use an pull together a taco salad. I've pulled out a pound of hamburger and it will be thawed in a few days and ready to go. 

For now I need to get myself off to bed and get some rest so I can keep moving this week.

Roasted Tomatoes

This past week I made the choice to purchased 20 pounds of Roma tomatoes with plans to slow roast them in the oven and pack them in 1/2 pint jars and freeze it for later use. With breakfast consumed on Saturday morning I jumped into this project.

This is a slow time consuming project but the end result is worth all the effort.

  

They all get a wash ,sliced in half, the cores trimmed and the bulk of the seeds and juicy stuff cleaned out.

 Toss the prepared tomatoes with olive oil and some freshly chopped herbs, salt & pepper (I had to divide the tomatoes into two bowls in order to have the room to toss them).

 

Once you've tossed all the tomatoes with the oil & herbs and they are evenly coated, spread them on baking sheets cut side up.

  

Then into a 400 degree oven for a long bake. 

Rotate every thirty minutes if you bake two trays at once, and they are done when the liquid that sweats off of them has cooked away.  Yes they will be flattened out lumps of yummyness.

By the time all for trays were cooked off, I removed them from the baking sheets to a air tight container and tossed them in the frig after pulling a few to add to dinner.

So what was dinner, well my cheat night roasted red pepper ravioli didn't get eaten during the week so we cooked it up, and then tossed it in Italian dressing with the roasted tomatoes skinned, chopped and mixed in. Add that to a simple salad we had a great dinner.

Today after returning from church and lunch, I peeled all the skins from the tomatoes, ran the skins though a food mill and after tossing the tomatoes, the goodies from the food mill and a bit more olive oil, and placed in jars for long term storage. After a session with the vacuum sealer, off into the freezer the go for later use!

The Ruben Salad & Mamma Leone's Chicken Soup

A couple of weeks ago I had thrown out the idea of making a salad with the main ingredients in a Ruben sandwich. Well this morning as I was digging around in the frig, I spotted the chuck of brisket I bought with the intent to make the salad and never got around to. Well, thankfully this was a piece of meat that was vacuum sealed, so it was still perfectly good to use, so before running off to the office, I tossed the brisket into the crock-pot with some water and the little seasoning packet, I came home to a wonderfully tender cut of meat that just needed to be sliced and shredded. So while it cooled off a bit, I quick chopped up some of my lettuce from my market trip, a half a bell pepper and cucumbers that was left over from something else, cubed up some Swiss cheese and plated it all together with some rich 1000 Island dress to finish it off.Its been some time since I've had a good batch of corned beef and needless to say, I could hard wait to get it plated, I was doing some serious picking at the warm meat as I worked. I would say it hit the spot tonight  and was everything I was hoping it would be!          

As for last night, I had a doctors appointment in the afternoon that granted me the luxury of being home early enough to have time to dive in and make a amazing pot of Mamma Leone's soup made from this week's recipes. As usual I did make a couple of alterations, I didn't have a can of diced tomatoes on hand, but I did have five tomatoes in my basket that we just about beyond use, so I quick dropped them in boiling water to remove the skins, chopped them and added to the pot with a small can of tomato past to round out the flavor. Then rather than buying spinach, I knew I still had half a head of kale in the frig that with the stems removed, chopped up and tossed in at the end would work just fine. My husband and I both had not trouble have seconds helping of that one!

So don't just sit here at the computer, put on your apron and have some fun with your food!

Weekly Recipes for Sept 16th - 22nd

Well I've been busy this weekend, and I still need to get my shopping done, which means I better get busy with my menus for the week. The weather around here is about to send my body into a tailspin, last week was 80, 90 and even one 100 degree day, and today our church picnic was chased inside by rain, thunder and lightening. So with the weather swinging back to colder dampness, I'm ready to crawl back to hearty warm meals that will stick to the ribs. 

A couple of weeks ago I ventured into a local deli here in Portland for a large bowl of Mama Leone's Chicken Soup. I posted on Facebook what I was eating and was greatly surprised to have a friend let me know that she had come across the recipe for this wonderful soup, and this week I'm going to share it with you.

Some of you may have seen that I had ventured to the farmers market yesterday and I will be including some of that yummy freshness to brighten up the heavy items I'm craving too. The afternoon is getting away from me and I need to crawl out from under this blanket I have snuggled under and get myself to the grocery store and get ready for the week. So here we go!

Menu #1
Mama Leone's Chicken Soup

from Elephant's Deli

makes about 15 cups

1/2 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or Tenders (I'm using thighs, better flavor)

2 teaspoons kosher salt plus extra for chicken breasts (divided)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus extra for chicken breast (divided)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons paprika

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

8 cups low sodium chicken broth 

1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

3/4 cup whipping cream 

2 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both side of the chicken breast and lightly sauté. When cool enough to handle, dice the meat and set aside until needed.

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Saute the onions and celery until the onions are translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, oregano, paprika and remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 or 4 minutes Add the flour and stir until well combined. Slowly whisk the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and cream. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the reserved chicken breast and simmer 10 minutes more. Just before serving, stir in the spinach.

This soup is great with cornbread or crusty french bread, or just on its own.

Menu #2
Sausages with Cabbage and Onions, with fresh heirloom tomato & lemon cucumber salad

Cabbage and Onions

1 sm head of cabbage

1 large yellow onion

3-4 tablespoons bacon grease or oil of choice

Salt & pepper

Cut the head of cabbage into quarters and remove the core from each section. Slice cabbage into thin ribbons and set aside, peal onion, cut in half and also slice in thin half rounds and break the layers apart.  Heat bacon grease in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage and onions, tossing to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste. The pan will be over flowing with vegetables but as it cooks down, it will be easier to continue to toss as it cooks. Sauté for about 10 minutes.

At this point your cabbage should start releasing some of its water.  If it doesn't, and your pan is mostly dry, drizzle with a little extra oil and toss to coat.  Cover skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking cabbage, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes, until it turns translucent and soft and starting to brown just a little.

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

While the cabbage is doing it's thing and I'm cooking off my favorite sausage links, I will chop up the heirloom tomatoes and the lemon cucumber I bought at the market, and toss them with some store bought Italian dressing and feta cheese.

Menu #3 

Meatless Cheat Night
We were wandering around Costco and found a sample table of roasted red pepper ravioli that was very yummy (yes it has wheat in it, but I'm going to indulge a little). So I broke down and bought the two pack they were offering and one pack went in the frig and one in the freezer for a different night. I figure I will pull together a Alfredo sauce to cover the ravioli, and use some of my market greens for a salad, with some bell peppers and radishes I have in the frig already. Time to head for the grocery store for the missing ingredients and I'm off and running for the week!

Taste the Rainbow

To coin an old Skittles ad, Taste the Rainbow or eat a rainbow of color in your diet, is something I've been told by nutritionists, doctors, read in books and heard on TV shows like Dr Oz. But I must say, how often do we live by that rule, or do we see a common thread of white, beige, brown and orange (which is usually artificial) on our plates.

To day I grabbed a friend, who's husband was off getting into trouble with my husband, and we girls headed for the farmers market. I don't have my recipes for the week fully decided on yet, but I hope having a variety of colorful vegetables on my counter will inspire me with some ideas. We have another market in the area tomorrow, so once I figure out what I'm eating, I may have to make stop to pick up an item or two more.

So with that said, here are a few  pictures from our adventure this morning. I hope some of these sights will encourage you to get out there and taste the rainbow this week, the produce is amazing at this time of year so it's hard to go wrong with anything you by.

Greens Glorious Greens

Red & Orange Carrots

Gad Zooks!

If you click on a picture you will get better look!

We didn't just look at food! 

   

And this was my bounty and inspiration for the day.

Southwest Chicken Salad - Finished product

I must say that having the seasoning, meat and dressing prepped up ahead made a world of difference. I thing from start to finish I had dinner ready to eat in around 20 minutes.

As for changes I threw in some green onion at the last minute otherwise I actually stayed pretty true to my original recipe. But now that I'm eaten it, I found that when given time the heat blooms in the seasoning and its a bit hotter than I typically care for (I may cut back on the cayenne pepper in the spice mix too), but all in all the flavor is good. So my thought as mentioned before, a bit less seasoning in the dressing, and definitely less coated on the meat. Even with the added heat, my plate is clean, tummy is full and now I'm ready for a bit of rest before heading off to bed to start it all over again.

Southwest Chicken Salad

A little note regarding the prep for the salad:

I made a double batch of the seasoning mix and with my 6 chicken tenders I only needed a tablespoon of the seasoning and drizzle of oil in my bag to heavily coat the chicken.

Also with the dressing I used two tablespoons of seasoning to flavor my dressing, and to me it tastes pretty fantastic, but if you are worried about it being to much, add one tablespoon, mix it in and taste, and add more until you are happy with it. I used a full bottle of ranch and now have a full pint of yummy goodness to use beyond this salad.

If you are new to the blog, just scroll down and you will find my recipe!