A Man Needs Meat & Potatoes - Part 2

Let's be honest.. it is not very often that I, the woman, get a craving for a potato.  It's also not very often that I don't cook a meal with my husband's potato-loving tummy in mind.  So here is another one-pot meal that is similar to the first Meat & Potato post.

Due to the chaos of the Christmas season, the busyness that comes from working at a church, and the every day tasks.... I am almost embarrassed to say that I have not done a thorough grocery trip in over 3 weeks (I'm talking the kind of shopping that you hit every area of the store).  Shocking, I know.

My husband's job is seasonal and allows him to have off in the winter.  This means that our refrigerator primarily consists of manly substances - such as bacon and beer.  Yes, I am due for a large overhaul of my refrigerator.  I must take back my territory and fill it with heart-healthy non-bacon foods.. like lettuce, soy, and turkey.

Well until I have the opportunity to get to the grocery store, I was forced to tap into my food creativity yet again this week.  I looked through my slim-pickings and came up with this....

Country Chicken & Potato Bake

- 3 or 4 Chicken breast.. cut into chunks

- 4 potatoes thinly sliced (any kind of potato is fine.. no red potato though)

- 1 medium onion diced (If you don't like onion.. substitute this with celery or broccoli)

- 1 can Cream of Chicken

- 2 cups of white or brown rice

- 2 TBSP of basil

- 1 TBSP of 4/S Special Seasoning Salt (or just use regular seasoning salt and paprika) 

- Pepper to taste (do not add more salt until after baking - if needed.. the seasoning salt provides enough)

In a skillet, brown the chicken breast pieces and sprinkle with the seasoning salt.  In a medium sauce pan, cook 2 cups of rice.  Read the directions on the package or box of rice but it's typically twice the amount of water to the rice.  Once the chicken and rice is done cooking.. combine ingredients in a separate baking dish.  Add the rice, chicken, onion, and cream of chicken... mix thoroughly.  Add the potatoes, basil, and pepper to the top.  Bake covered at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.  Uncover and add the cheese.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

It is hearty meal that your man will love.  My husband had about 3 servings.  It's simple and probably includes ingredients that you already have.  Try this recipe tonight if you find yourself in a similar refrigerator crisis.  Enjoy!  

Casserole Creativity 101

Have you ever had one of those days that you know the refrigerator stock is running low and what ever is in the pantry is not appealing?  Well this happens to me every so often - which forces me to become really creative with dinner that night.

If you ever find yourself in this situation... DO NOT PANIC!  Sometimes getting creative is much better for your pocket book and waste line because, often times we would rather have someone else make us dinner (i.e. pizza, freaky-fast sub sandwiches, etc).  So open up the pantry and get the creative juices flowing.

There was one particular week that I had made the Enchilada Casserole and had a leftover bag of hash browns.  The next day I was in desperate need of a trip to the grocery store but running on very little sleep and energy.  SO, I got creative.

I do not have the exact recipe written down for this dish but, I'd like to suggest trying something like this for a casserole dinner some night.

Crunchy Southwest Chicken Casserole
- 1/2 bag of diced hashbrowns
- 1-2 lbs. of chopped chicken breast or tenderloin (feel free to use shredded chicken if you have that)
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cup of crushed tortilla chips
- 1 can of green chili's
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 chopped green pepper
- 1 cup of shredded marble jack cheese
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes (or use fresh if you have it)
- 3 to 4 slices of cubed cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 TBSP of Arizona Dreaming (or use Smoked Paprika)
- Salt & pepper to taste

Brown the chopped chicken breast in a pan.  Combine all ingredients into a pan.  Tuck the cubed cheddar cheese in various places of the dish and then cover with a thin layer of more cheese. Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Uncover and bake 10 minutes.

If you feel that it's too dry.. I would suggest adding salsa to it or creating a type of "gravy" from the pan drippings left over by the chicken.  If you want it to be SPICY.. I would recommend adding some chipotle seasoning OR perhaps a little Adobo sauce if you have any canned chipotle's on hand.  I love adobo sauce.  Do not use too much.. maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of a tablespoon.  A little goes a long way.

Enjoy!!

The Art of Pasta Salad's

When invited to a party or planning a party.. you know of specific people with specific food specialities.  Do you have a speciality?  I have a few party favorites but, my over all favorite is definitely... pasta salads.  And when I say pasta salad, I am not talking about your traditional multi-colored noodle salad.

One of my main ambitions in life is to put a book of pasta salads together.  Everyone has there thing and this is just one of mine.  I truly see a bowl of pasta like a painter sees a blank canvas.  It is one of favorite kinds of art.. because you can eat it too.  :)

This weekend, we were invited to a Christmas party for church and the theme was "Italian Christmas".  We were asked to bring some type of salad.  PERFECT, I thought.  Immediately I thought of mini-pepperoni's and some type of oil dressing.  That's about as far as my mind went.  While walking through the grocery store.. the ideas began to flow.  I guess an artist just needs to be in their artistic environment in order to flourish.

Prep time = 10 minutes
Cook time = 10 minutes

Pizza Topping Pasta Salad
- 1 box of Rotelle pasta (or any type of pasta that is not flat)
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 5 to 6 scallions, chopped
- 1 container of halved grape tomatoes
- 3/4 cup of chopped or torn Arugula
- 1/2 to 3/4 of Italian dressing
- 1 TBSP of sea salt
- 2 TBSP of Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup of mini or regular size pepperoni
- 1/2 cup of Asiago & Parmesan cheese

In a large pot.. add water, sea salt, and 1 TBSP of Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil and add the pasta.  When the pasta is tender, drain and shock with ice or cold water.  This will cool off the pasta quickly.  In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients.. including an additional TBSP of Italian seasoning and the Italian dressing.  Feel free to add salt or pepper to taste.  The arugula already adds a nice peppery taste and the pasta should be boiled with salt so adding additional salt of pepper won't be too necessary.

Everything combined.

Close up of the salad.

I hope that you enjoy this pasta salad.  There are many more to come.  

Beefy Soup Gone Right!

Beef stew feels like winter in a bowl to me.  Although I haven't always been a fan of beef.. I do enjoy this hearty meal.  My husband is an enthusiast of beef stew so, I bought the ingredients to fix him a healthy, filling stew.

After all that excitement and preparation, I ended up skipping a major step.  I forgot to add flour to the meat after it was browned.  Our stew was more of a super delicious SOUP.... and we were actually okay with it.  So I'm rolling with my not-so-unfortunate mistake and calling this "Rosey's Beef and Vegetable Soup".

The great thing about home-made soup in the winter is that you can make 3 or 4 meals out of it.  You can also freeze it for a later date too.  Simple sides, such as dinner rolls or biscuits, add to a complete dinner.

Rosey's Beef and Veggie Soup
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. of stew meat (I buy it pre-cut because I am spoiled)
- 5 or 6 large, peeled carrots (chop into bite size pieces)
- 5 or 6 large celery stalks (don't be afraid to use the celery leaves - chop all into bite size pieces)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 or 6 chopped potatoes (doesn't matter what kind of potato you use, as long as the pieces are the same size)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 container of cherry tomatoes, whole
- 2 cups of beef stock
- 1 cup of chicken stock
- 1 cup of water
- 1 can of stewed tomatoes
- 2 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 TBSP of dry Basil
- 2 TBSP of dry Tarragon
- 1 TBSP of Sea Salt
- Cracked pepper to taste

Brown the meat in a separate skillet or in a large pot with EVOO.  Once the meat is browned combine all the ingredients in the large pot and bring to a boil.  After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.  Let the soup simmer for 35-40 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Before boiling

Check out those colors! This was after simmering for 40 minutes.

The fork didn't work so well after I realized this was a soup.

You may notice from the pictures that the vegetable pieces are larger in size and probably the size you would see in a stew.  When I make this again, I will cut the vegetables smaller for the soup.  I may even add some type of bean or lentil.  Yum!

A Delicious Medley - Every Time!

It never fails... any time I combine spinach, tomato, and garlic on ANYTHING... the flavors will explode. My husband and I had some left over jars of Bloody Mary ingredients and I wanted to use up what was left of the artichoke hearts.  So I decided to combine the artichoke with shrimp and the delicious medley. Wow!

I still need to spend some time perfecting this recipe before I can give it out but, I'm definitely on the right track with something.  I'll give you a few tips as I continue to work on this one though.

- Butter, garlic and chardonnay make a great sauce when combined. It's so light and pairs well with a seafood pasta dish.
- I tried whole wheat linguine in this shrimp dish and... not a fan. I'm not sure that I believe anyone that actually enjoys eating it. "It's healthier".. yes, I know. But I want my food to taste GOOD, not like cardboard. Use the good noodles.. I insist.
- Do not use to many artichokes from a jar or can. Chop them finely if you choose not to use fresh artichoke. The flavor will compliment the medley but too much of anything canned can leave a bad taste.
- Try Asiago cheese on a pasta dish. I recommend it.

Giving Thanks Where Thanks Is Due

Do you ever feel like no matter how many times you say.. "Thank You" it just isn't enough?  This is what I love about Thanksgiving.  For me.. it is more than grubbing on juicy turkey and starchy side dishes.  It's a day to reflect on the blessings from God over the last year.  This is something that we should do every day but, Thanksgiving is a chance to really take a look at all we have been given and say "Wow, God has been so good to me. I am so undeserving but, thank you!"

Thanksgiving is the ultimate comfort holiday.  It's a chance for some of us to grab a pair of slippers, put on fat pants, pig out on pie, watch Christmas movies, unplug the phone and play games with family.  Is there anything better?  It was the first time in a long time that I felt disconnected from the world and connected to the people that mean the most to me - my incredible family.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of watching my mother develop the fine art of orchestrating Thanksgiving dinner for a constantly growing family.  I can quite honestly say that the 1 turkey, 7 side dishes, 2 bread options, 2 cranberry options, and condiments are ALWAYS packed with flavor.  I am so thankful for my Mom's ever-growing patience and kitchen skills on this holiday.  She is such a blessing to our family.

This year, I filled my plate with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, turkey with gravy, and stuffing that will make your mouth do cartwheels.  With the combination of love, fellowship and great food... what is better than Thanksgiving?  There is such a feeling of warmth and comfort when you look at your plate of Thanksgiving dinner.....

... immediately followed by a loosened belt and an afternoon turkey coma.  Shortly followed by pie, coffee, and perhaps some wine.  Seriously.. I LOVE this holiday.  :)

Lasagna Inspired - Husband Tested

As mentioned in my earlier blog, Inspiration in a Bowl of Meat, I decided that I was going to create a dish that was inspired by my Mom's lasagna.  I really wasn't sure how this was going to turn out or if it was even going to cook correctly but.. I was going to give it a go.

Earlier this week, I gathered all my typical lasagna ingredients and replaced the noodles with......... pizza dough. :) My ultimate goal in this dish was to make it taste like lasagna AND also taste like pizza.  I knew that it would be a challenge to keep it from being soggy and watery.  So, I have a theory on how to fix my error...

Lasagna Pizza

- 1/2 or 1 lb of ground meat (I used turkey meat but, sirloin or pork would be good too)

- Half of a medium size onion

- 1 clove garlic

- 1 jar of pizza sauce

- 1 1/2 TBSP of fennel seed

- 2 TBSP of dried Parsley

- 1 lemon - squeezed (or you could use 1 TBSP of lemon juice)

- 1 container of ricotta cheese (sorry, I didn't write down the size but I'd guess that it was 2 cups)

- 1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

- 1 roll of pizza dough (I used store bought Pillsbury but, you are welcome to make your own if you prefer)

- Salt and pepper

So, I started by laying out the pizza crust on a baking sheet.  To avoid a watery pizza.. I would suggest baking the pizza dough alone before applying the toppings.  Follow the directions.. or just bake at 425 until golden brown - which would take 8 to 10 minutes.  While the crust is baking, brown the ground meat in a separate pan - add the fennel seeds at this point (the fennel will give it that pizza taste).  In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, lemon, parsley and garlic.  Once the crust is done baking and the meat is browned.....

.... Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the top of the crust.  You might notice that I did not bake the crust first.. my pizza was a little watery.  On top of the ricotta mixture... spread a layer of the pizza sauce.  The point of lasagna is to see the distinguished layers and that was something I was trying to keep in this dish as well.

Over the pizza sauce, add a layer of ground meat.  If you don't like too much meat on your pizza.. I would recommend only getting a 1/2 pound.  Over the top of the meat, add a layer of cheese. 

Bake at 425 for 10 to 12 minutes. 

Serve and enjoy! 

The taste is pretty incredible.  It really does taste like lasagna and pizza had a baby.  The spices and flavors blend perfectly and you do get the 2 separate tastes.  Very delicious.  I hope you like it.