A Bomb.

When I began the whole "let's stop eating processed foods" thing, I was smart about it (I thought).  We'd been eating packaged foods since my kids were babies so it was going to be a pretty big change.  I didn't grow up with processed foods (much) and neither did my spouse so the change wasn't going to be for us.  I went slow.  We had always had potatoes and rice and meats, but I only added one new dish at a time.  Last night, I added two and either my choices didn't match (could be) or it was just too much new stuff.

I saw a recipe for sage and parmesan breaded pork loin.  Sounds good!  However, I also wanted to try the tomato risotto and figured parmesan and tomatoes go well, so why not??  For starters, the tomato risotto did not taste good.  Likely my fault since I'm pretty sure that Gordon Ramsay charges a small fortune for his risotto dishes and the recipe came from his book.  I used some canned tomatoes because tomato risotto had not been on the menu list and I didn't buy enough tomatoes for the next two weeks.

One thing I have definitely noticed since we made this switch is that anything processed now tastes nasty to me.  I had picked up a couple boxes of KD because it's nice to have on hand for a quick and easy lunch.  It tasted awful to me (but the kids still ate it).   Apparently my taste buds have evolved.  The pork was good, if slightly under-seasoned.  Again, my fault.  I find that cutting up some pork loin is cheaper than buying pre-cut so that's why the pieces are so small.  Two loins for $11.00 and I only used one; we had about thirteen or fourteen pieces.  Add a caesar salad and I thought it would be great.

As I mentioned, the risotto tasted kind of weird (but edible) and the kids weren't fans.  I quickly heated up some minute rice we still have from the days when we ate that.  The pork went over well though.

Breading:
Dip pork in flour, then an egg white and prepared mustard dip.  Next place pork in a mix of breadcrumbs, grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese, salt, pepper, and sage (fresh minced would be best, I used dried).  Fast fry if they're small in a little olive oil.

Mix and Match

Last night I surprised myself - again - at how much I can complete in an hour.  Fried chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots, coleslaw, cornbread and sweet potato fries - in an hour.  I love cornbread and I'd tried it not long ago but the recipe wasn't quite right.  It might have worked better if I had been planning to make the exact recipe (with broccoli and cheddar) but I only wanted the plain cornbread recipe.  Anyhow, I found another (and wrote it down) and it was perfect in both taste and amount.

I tried a different coating method on the chicken and wasn't happy with it.  I soaked the chicken thighs in buttermilk and then dipped it in a flour concoction and fried it.  Normally I use bread crumbs after a quick dip in an egg and milk mix.  I've never had a problem with it and it's quick.  Perhaps I needed to change my method when I tried the different coating - that's the problem with this learning curve thing: I'm not sure until I try it again.

Hub came home with "spicy chipotle" salad dressing/dip the other day. I have been waiting for this to come out ever since sweet potato fries became a thing in restaurants.  I had planned on making sweet potato fries anyway but I finally had a dip!  It is a little spicier than what I would like, but I might make an effort to try and make some on my own some day.  We shall see.

Seriously beginning to dislike how small my meals look. 
I have an issue with my food touching and so I take less
at the beginning and only take more when there's space...

Cornbread:
2/3 cup of yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup of all purpose flour
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 TSP baking powder
mix together then add
2-3 TBSP buttermilk (you can probably substitute with 2% or whole milk also)
1 egg
5 TBSP melted butter
I've been baking it in a cast iron pan: 20-25 minutes at 350 - you can also add cheddar and stuff to this; I used to make a jalapeno and cheddar cornbread, topped with honey.  Loved it.

Homemade coleslaw dressing:
Normally I use the pre-bought dressing but I remembered that I can make it.
Salad size dependent here...
about 2 cups of Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise
approximately 2 TBSP apple cider or regular vinegar
3 TBSP sugar
salt and pepper
The nice thing about making it yourself is that you can play with the taste - if you prefer it tart, hold back on the sugar and vice versa if you like it sweet.  I'm still using the packaged coleslaw mix because it takes up less room than cabbage, red cabbage and carrots (small crisper drawers - or large family - one of the two).

Sweet potato fries (or regular)
Cut the fries to the size you want; don't over boil them or you will end up with mash (as I did on the weekend)
Drain.  Have a pan with hot oil ready (or place straight into the oven); remove from pot and fill, but don't overfill, the pan.  You have to watch this - the first few came out great then I was distracted by something or someone(s) and burned a panful - black, inedible.  I placed them in a dish in the oven where my chicken and cornbread were also finishing up. 

I'm not sure why the chicken wouldn't work right.  When I do the breadcrumbs, I fry them quickly in some olive oil and then place them into the oven to finish up and they've been perfect.  With this flour coating, I tried the same - fried in oil and then into the oven.  They were way too crispy and I dried them out.  Really not sure if I neglected them this time or if the coating didn't work for the cooking method I use.  Anyhow, if Hub picked up bacon yesterday I will be attempting to make something called "Supreme Baked Potato Soup" tonight.  I have no recipe... so ... yeah.  My best guess is the roux from my cauliflower soup, potatoes instead of cauliflower, cooked bacon pieces, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, fresh green onion and cheddar cheese.  And chicken stock?  I'll need some stock - I have chicken, veg and beef.  Probably going to use chicken and hope for the best.  Will let you know.

Cauliflower Ideas

 Cauliflower is cheap and in addition to the roasted cauliflower with garlic and parmesan, I've tried a couple more.  The other night we had a macaroni and cauliflower bake that I personally loved and the kids seemed to enjoy as well.  I wish I'd had another salad to add some colour!  It wasn't too bad on time - about an hour, but could be less with these easy tips.

1: I suggest using leftovers for the cauliflower.  I made a wonderful (and super easy) roasted cauliflower one night: cut out florets, place on a baking tray with large cut white onions and a couple of garlic cloves.  Add salt and pepper and bake for forty minutes; add some fresh parmesan before serving. 

Or 2: the cauliflower has to be boiled a bit before putting it in the oven.  There's no need to use different pots; once you only have about 4 or 5 minutes left for the pasta, add the cauliflower to the water as well. Simple.

Before you begin, heat the oven to 400F.  Put the water on for macaroni and cut out your florets.  I used 2 cups of cauliflower (less than half of a head) and 1 3/4 cups of dry macaroni.

For the roux (your white sauce); 2 Tbsp of butter, melted in a smaller pot, then add 1/4 cup of flour and stir - it should look like a pastry dough.  Slowly add two and a half cups of milk, you have to stir this as you add and ensure that it's not lumpy.  This will get thicker as it combines and then you add some more.  Keep it on the burner. 

Once you've mixed in all the milk and it has warmed up again, add about a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, 1/4 cup of shredded Monterey Jack and 1/4 cup of grated Swiss (I didn't have Swiss so I used parmesan - in retrospect I think I should have just used more cheddar).  Also, if your family goes for it, it's nice with chopped white onion and a small chopped clove of garlic (you might be able to leave out the garlic if you use the leftovers I mentioned above - something I will try). I was also thinking that a chopped red pepper would be nice as well.  Taste your sauce and add salt and pepper if needed.  Some Italian herbs might have also gone nicely with this.

Add the onion and/or chopped red pepper to the finished white sauce and put it all together in a casserole dish. Top it with breadcrumbs mixed with some additional cheese (I would not recommend the parmesan because if you broil it for a few minutes it smells like burnt hair... or I burnt my hair - I cannot be sure).   Put it in the oven for fifteen minutes and then switch it to broil for five more. 

We also topped ours with more cheddar because the sauce seemed to be missing something - oh right, because I forgot to add salt and pepper.. or Italian herb mix.  This would also make a nice side dish to pork or ham and I was also considering adding either cooked ham or pancetta to the actual baking time.  Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with it and it was within my hour.

Secondly, I used the last of the cauliflower in a soup. My Mom adds fresh mushrooms to this as well and it is delicious.  For mine the other night, I kept it just to cauliflower.

Roux: two to three tablespoons of butter, melted in a pot; add about 1/4 cup of flour (or enough to make it look like doughy crumbles).  I sautéed one onion in some butter in a pan on the side as well.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock - Mom used oxo and prepped it before she began making anything - you do need it available to add to the roux right away.  I've used Knorr's jelly packets but they are 1 packet to three cups of water and we need four; the other day I used Knorr blocks (one block per two cups of water) - these are salty but you can get reduced salt. Remember to add the stock slowly, ensuring the texture of the roux is smoothed via whisk before adding more. 

Once you have all the stock in, add onions and about one head (give or take) of cauliflower.  Heat to a boil and then reduce and simmer for about thirty minutes.  You can leave it longer as well.  Taste and season accordingly - I like the Italian herbs blend and some pepper (I use regular salt stock packets so I don't add more).  Add a medium sized box of heavy cream (Creamo/ Half and Half); warm and serve.  You can garnish with green onions or cheddar.  If you like it pureed, use a special hand thing (new on my list); the electric hand mixer with beaters is awful - you need one that has the blades like a blender (I've blended - it worked but super time consuming to move soup blend and find a place and blend the rest ... as you might imagine)

You can also use this recipe for cream of broccoli soup, broccoli and cheddar or carrot soup.  My husband wants me to try a potato and bacon next.

Quick and Easy

I forgot to take a picture last night - I have no idea what I was thinking.  I made spicy honey chicken thighs, potato wedges and salad.  The chicken was o-kay.. It wasn't very "honey" though and I had thought they would be stickier.  The honey sauce was just honey and some apple cider vinegar so maybe that took away from the stickiness.  For the potato wedges I pre-boiled them and let them sit until I needed them.  I drained them, tossed them in some olive oil and salt and pepper, with a sprinkling of the Italian herbs, then put them on a pan in the oven under the broiler for about 20 minutes. The chicken was just laid out in the spice mix which included cumin, paprika, nutmeg and salt and salt and pepper.  Broiled for about 10 minutes (thickness dependent); take them out and add the honey coating, turn, another 10 minutes and everything was done. I'd done the coleslaw the night before. 

Tonight I made an apple cobbler which took about an hour so probably not a weeknight dish.  I've screwed up two apple crumbles recently so I tried the cobbler. I wasn't overly impressed with the biscuit topping but I think the shortcake recipe I have, with a strawberry rhubarb filling would be to die for so I will try that next time.  This was not the quick and easy part.  Since I'm extremely challenged when it comes to time, I made this first and then started dinner.  I put the water on for broccoli at 6:00.  I had been thinking potatoes and pork chops but I was hoping to eat before 7:00.

I opted for the rice from my sausage and rice that we love so much; this is a really impressive dish because once you know how to make it, you can experiment - lucky rice dish number two.  The pork chops were a fast fry on the griddle.  I am so thankful for that thing.

Rice: 25 minutes
sauté chopped celery stalk and about half of a chopped red onion; add a chopped garlic clove when the other two are translucent. 
I added some kielbasa for the meat because we had a quarter of a ring left.  Chopped it up and threw it in there for a few minutes. 
Add a cup of uncooked rice (just finished the first two dollar bag of parboiled tonight) and allow it to soak up the moisture then slowly add two cups of chicken stock.  I guess this is like a rice-a-roni dish only fresh. 

Steamed broccoli

Pork chops: 15 minutes
salt and pepper and fry.  It only took 15 minutes because we could only cook four at a time. 

Dinner was on the table at 6:40.

And, yes, I only remembered to take the picture after my dinner was half eaten.  Sorry about that :-o

Squash Cookies Anyone?

The year I was pregnant with Miss. Me, I lived in Kansas City.  The Plaza was just over the bridge and there was a Williams Sonoma boutique store there.  I picked up a beautiful mini burlap sack of cookie mix and it was called "Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix".  It smelled heavenly. 

This looks like the delicious cookie; this is not a
picture of the horrible cookie.

Later that day, I followed the directions which were printed on the handy little sack and made the most wonderful, tasty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies I have ever enjoyed.  I went and bought some more.  Then the season changed and I anxiously awaited the arrival of the next fall so that I might partake in their pumpkin-y spiced goodness once again.

To my dismay, the little burlap packages did not return.  I left Kansas City the following January and I have never enjoyed a pumpkin spiced cookie again.  Today, I tried to make pumpkin cookies from a recipe I found in a book.  They were bad... oh so bad... have you ever had the urge to eat a cookie made of squash?  No?  Well, let me tell you - it tastes as absolutely awful as you might think.  They are utterly and completely nasty.  Ew.

So I am on the hunt for a delicious pumpkin spice-flavoured cookie that I can make in my own home whenever I have the desire to eat them.  And yes, this is the first time in twelve years that I have thought of using the internet to search for a good pumpkin spice cookie recipe.  I have no idea how ridiculous that must make me sound.

Planning Considerations; Roast Beef Dinner

Last night we had roast beef, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and Yorkshire puddings. Obviously NOT your typical Monday night meal but I had to use the roast because I had put it in the fridge to begin defrosting on Friday.  One thing I will say though - b.e.s.t. Monday night dinner ever.

My seven year old has begun to compliment my cooking. "Mom, everything on my plate, the beef, the potatoes and the carrots - it's the best ever." Do you know how many times he's complimented my food?  Only about three or four times; and only since I've started cooking with fresh stuff.

I am aware that people work and will not necessarily make a meal that takes an hour and forty-five minutes during the week.  As I'm making the switch from meals with processed/packaged items to fresh foods, I'm also keeping track of the time and energy each meal takes.  For me, it was a big reason why we didn't eat well before.  Obviously, unless you have a crock pot on timer, the two hour meal is not your ideal work day dinner.

I like to have potatoes during the week but rarely did because they took so long.  I'm ashamed to say that I have used the box of dried mashed or scalloped potatoes in the past. $1.89 for a box of dried potatoes for one meal vs. $3.99 for a five pound bag of potatoes that last for two weeks or so - seriously.. why??  Convenience.  However, one package won't feed my family of six; we would need two and it will only cover one meal so there's a huge savings to me for learning something new.

My mother-in-law makes the best fried potatoes; melt in your mouth amazing.  I had tried, but couldn't make them the same way and then I found out she was using leftovers.  When she was boiling potatoes, she just made more than she needed.  On another day she would take them out of the fridge, cut them into smaller pieces and fry them in a little butter or oil.  They're already cooked through and take only a few minutes in the frying pan.  Equally convenient without the monetary (and probably health) cost of eating powdered or creepy looking dried potato chip things.  And, of course, I do this now.

Roast Beef: 3 lbs
I put salt, pepper and some garlic powder on the meat and sear all sides before putting it in the oven - it keeps the meat from drying out while you don't pay any attention to it...
I left it in the oven longer than I needed to - almost two hours at 350 C but it was melt away tender.

Mashed Potato:
I add butter, a little milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of dry Italian herbs blend

Yorkshires:
My mother would be unimpressed but I use a package.  She can make them from scratch but I've never had any luck with the recipe she gave me - EVER.  I keep telling her there's got to be something wrong with it but she denies it.  Yet hers work every time and mine don't.  Seriously.  It is not just me... I don't think.

Feeling Lucky...

I'm not sure how the rest of you do dinners, but I'm discovering that my plans mean little more than good intentions in my household.  I had a wonderful dinner planned for Friday night, which I executed, but I had defrosted more steaks than I ended up needing due to an impromptu sleepover invitation for THREE of my four children.  So I left five medallions in the marinade, knowing I'd have to cook them soon.

On Saturday, Geoff had to meet someone at the airport so he asked if we wanted to come into the city as well.  We ended up doing that and had dinner there.  So tonight, I had to cook the steaks and the roast (that I took out on Friday - for yesterday) will have to be cooked tomorrow.

Anyhow.  So I had a second chance at the cooking time on steaks and I am super proud to say that I nailed it!! Perfect medium rare on ALL five of them!  I also took some liberties with this rice and it was delicious even though I accidentally added white wine vinegar when I meant to add only white wine.  It still worked!  I also tried a béarnaise sauce - from scratch - and it was heavenly.  The marinade recipe is posted on Friday Sept. 13.

Rice:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 red onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, diced
Sautee in pan
1 cup of parboiled or other non-instant rice; add this to the pan and let it soak up all moisture; then add
approximately 3 Tbsp of white wine vinegar
6 Tbsp (or a healthy pour) of white wine
Allow the rice to soak this up; then slowly add
2 cups chicken stock - add just enough for the rice to soak up the moisture before adding more - it will take all of it
When the rice is finished and removed from the heat, add your extras: I folded in about 5 chopped green onions but you could use those, tomatoes, celery and/or peppers for some fresh flavours

Béarnaise sauce:
This came from Epicurious.com; Bon Appetite 2000 (since it's free, I'm sure I can reprint it)
Have 1 cup of melted butter on hand.
Bring 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp water and 1/4 Tsp each of salt and pepper to a boil; remove from heat, and add 1 Tbsp of cold water. 
Whisk in three egg yolks, do not return to heat just yet as you do not want to cook the yolks.  Keep whisking and begin to drizzle butter into the mix.
I kept the saucepan near the burners that were on and did not return the pan to direct heat.  Keep whisking and drizzling until all of the butter has been mixed in - slowly and stop adding if it's not mixing; whisk more and then once it's mixed in resume butter drizzling.
Once this is complete, add lemon juice and salt to taste.  Fabulous.

I blanche the asparagus quickly; I like mine with a little crunch and it only takes a bare couple of minutes. 

Rice really does lighten a meal.  Being that it's still fairly warm out, I was happy to have a "lighter" meal.  The fresh green onion makes it look like a lighter meal too.  I'm experimenting with sauces but we usually just have the asparagus with a little salt and butter if you're not into the added sauce.  It was a little stressful because it's an unforgiving recipe but it turned out just fine. This meal was ready in about 45 minutes :)

PS. Looking at this photo, I think it looks like I portion control my meals - I don't mean to but I'll certainly bring it up if my weight changes.  Actually I don't own a scale, so probably not.  Happy Eating!!