Black Bean Frittata and Fingerling Potatoes with Truffle Oil

Before going in the oven:

The other night I was forced to "clean out the fridge" in hopes of coming out with a good meal for dinner. This is what I created and it was quite tasty. My kids ate it too... and didn't even realize there was swiss chard in it!

olive oil

5 eggs

1/2 orange pepper

1 garlic clove

1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 bunch swiss chard, chopped

fingerling potatoes

cheddar cheese

truffle oil

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350.In a medium sized oven-proof skillet, add 2 tbsp olive oil and turn to medium heat. Add garlic and orange pepper and saute for a couple minutes. Add swiss chard and cook until wilted. Add black beans. Meanwhile, beat together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add egg mixture and turn heat to medium low. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5-10 minutes or until the sides of the frittata start to get firm.

Transfer skillet to the oven. Bake for about 10-20 minutes, until the middle is no longer runny. Cut into wedges and serve.

For the potatoes: preheat oven to 400 (cook potatoes first, then put them back in the oven when you are cooking the frittata so they heat up). Cut potatoes in half and place on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in oven until tender and slightly browned, tossing at least once, about 20 minutes. For last 10 minutes of frittata cooking, add potatoes back to oven so they heat up. When you take them out, sprinkle with a dash of truffle oil and some freshly grated parmesan cheese and mix well.

Beef Pot Roast

On a snowy day there is nothing better than a nice hot meal! Luckily I planned ahead and bought a chuck roast to make this dinner. The vegetables are perfect for little kids because they are soft and easy to eat (I even gave them to my 8 month old daughter and she loved it!!). I got this recipe from "The Art of Simple Food" by Alice Waters.

3 lbs beef chuck roast

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

Part 1:

2 onions (or 1 onion and 1 leek), peeled and cut into large pieces

1 carrot, peeled and cut into large pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces

3 garlic cloves, halved

a couple thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine

water

Part 2:

5 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

3 celery stalks, cut into pieces

1/2 lb fingerling potatoes

Season, overnight or a couple hours in advance, the beef chuck roast, with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until an hour before cooking. Heat a Dutch oven and add olive oil. Place roast in pan and brown each side for 3-4 minutes per side. Add butter and sprinkle each side with flour, then brown for another 3 minutes per side. Then add "Part 1" to the pan. Add enough water to come almost to top of the meat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer. Cook about 2 1/2 hours until meat is tender. While pot roast is simmering, cook in a separate sauce pan of boiling, salted water the Part 2 veggies.

When the pot roast is cooked, take it out of the liquid and strain the cooking liquid, pressing down with the back of a spoon to extract all the juices from the veggies left in the strainer. Discard the veggies. Allow the liquid to settle and skim the fat off. Return the liquid to the pot, slice the roast and add it to the pot, then also add the Part 2 cooked veggies. Bring to a simmer and serve hot.

Sweet Potato and Spinach Risotto

I bought arborio rice (which is the type of rice you use when making a risotto) a while ago and totally forgot about it. I saw a recipe on another food blog for a risotto that looked really good so here is my version below. Most people think making risotto is very hard and time consuming, however, if I can do it with three kids running around my feet (and I was actually feeding the baby dinner in between running back and forth to the stove to stir it) then anyone can! Mine turned out great and I didn't have to stand at the stove stirring for a half an hour (you just can't forget about it!) The sweet potatoes make it a little sweet and it is a very filling main course or serve a small portion as a side dish. (I almost didn't have room for ice cream after eating it.... imagine that!!)

A couple risotto tips:

1) make sure you use arborio rice (can find in rice section of any supermarket)

2) make sure you heat the liquid (chicken or vegetable broth) before adding to risotto or it will take longer and will stop the rice from cooking if it is cold - I just put the broth in a sauce pan on another burner over low and added as I needed it to the risotto

3) again, you don't have to stand at the stove for 30 minutes but don't forget about it either!!

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

olive oil

kosher salt & pepper

6 cups chicken broth

5 tbsp unsalted butter

3 small shallots, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated if you have it)

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach , roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400. Place diced sweet potatoes on baking sheet and toss with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until slightly browned. Set aside.

To make the risotto, heat chicken broth in a sauce pan and simmer on low. In another sauce pan, melt butter and saute shallots and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until rice is coated with butter. Add white wine and cook for about 4 minutes. Add one cup of the broth and stir with a wooden spoon until the broth is absorbed. Continue to add broth, one cup at a time. Keep stirring and when mixture dries out, add more broth. It should take about 30 minutes for the rice to be fully cooked and to use up all the broth.

Remove risotto from heat and stir in parmesan cheese, spinach and sweet potatoes. Combine well. Season with a dash of salt and pepper and serve warm.

Bean and Sausage Stew...and Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

I don't know where you are but it is freezing here in PA! We needed something that would keep us warm (since my house is known to be cold on a regular day!!) so I came up with this hearty stew. If you like things spicy, use only hot turkey sausage, or if you want to feed this to your kids, use mild turkey sausage and add hot sauce to your final dish for that extra kick!

And, this dessert came from Martha Stewart (here is the link: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/skillet-baked-chocolate-chip-cookie?xsc=eml_cod_2011_01_15 ) it is amazing and so easy... no cookie pans to wash... can't beat that!!

1 lb turkey sausage (mild or hot)

olive oil or safflower oil

1/2 package of Trader Joe's 17 Bean and Barley Soup Mix- soak overnight or follow instructions on bag to quick soak (takes about 1 hour)

1 large or 2 small onions, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1- 28oz. can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 fresh thyme sprig or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a heavy, medium-sized sauce pan, add 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. When onions are translucent but not brown, add beans, tomatoes, thyme, salt, pepper and 1 cup water. Simmer for 1-2 hours until beans are tender. If seems too dry, add some more water.

Meanwhile, put sausage in baking dish with a little water (about 1/2 cup) and put in oven for approx. 30 minutes. (It doesn't have to be fully cooked. You want it to be cooked enough for you to cut it into slices without it falling apart). Take out of oven and cut into slices. Then take a large sauce pan and add 2 tbsp oil. Heat pan over medium high heat and add sliced sausage. Brown sausage then add to beans. Continue to cook over low heat until ready to serve. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and/or hot sauce.

Swiss Chard & Black Bean Quesadillas

Swiss Chard mixture:

Assembled in panini grill:

ready to come out of panini grill:

Ready to plate:

Final dinner served with roasted butternut squash and parsnips:

I bought some swiss chard at the grocery store earlier this week and still had it sitting in my fridge this afternoon. My plan for dinner was quesadillas but I needed to incorporate the swiss chard into my dinner and somehow it turned out really good. My kids ate plain cheese quesadillas with all the veggies (tomatoes, avocado, roasted squash) as a side dish while my husband and I ate our quesadillas with the swiss chard mixture in it. Using the panini grill, quesadillas take two minutes and you don't have to worry about trying to flip them and the toppings falling out! (And the burnt cheese that oozes out the sides is our favorite part!)

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped (stems included)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

tortillas

cheddar cheese

In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil or safflower oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until they begin to brown. Add garlic, saute another 3 minutes. Add swiss chard and black beans and mix. Cover and let cook until swiss chard is tender and wilted, taking the top off occasionally to stir mixture. (Can make this ahead of time because it will heat back up when cooking in panini).

Preheat panini grill. Put one tortilla in grill and top with a couple spoonfuls of swiss chard mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and then another tortilla on top. Lower panini grill and cook until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp (a couple minutes).

Remove from panini grill and cut into wedges. Serve with favorite toppings.

toppings: sour cream, avocado, salsa

Chili and Cornbread

Every year we have a family chili contest the day after Thanksgiving at my mother-in-law's house. Each family makes chili and we have neighbors come over and judge the contest. Winner gets their name on a plaque and bragging rights for the year. I have won twice, however, sadly, not this past year. I am making a comeback .. so watch out all you Hardy families... because I am on a mission to make some winning chili in 2011! Tonight we tested out a new recipe that I found on another blog. It was really good... I think it has some potential. It was a little spicy for my taste but that can be easily adjusted with less jalapenos.

As for the cornbread, I didn't have a box of Jiffy in my pantry so I had to make it from scratch. It was really good and didn't even need extra butter on top! (And I usually always put butter on it!)

Chili

3-1/2 pounds sirloin or blade steak or chuck-eye roast, fat trimmed, cut into 3/4" pieces ( I used sirloin)

2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 garlic cloves
2 medium onions, each cut into 8 pieces
2-3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 tablespoons canola oil or safflower oil
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons molasses
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (12-oz) bottle beer ( I used Bud Light)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In food processor, mince garlic; add onions and jalapenos and pulse until chopped. (Or, chop garlic, onions and jalapenos by hand.)

On stove top, heat 1 tablespoon oil in oven-safe Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onion/garlic/jalapeno mixture and saute until soft. Add chili powder, cornmeal, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and cocoa powder and stir; cook 1-2 minutes. Add chicken broth, molasses, tomatoes, beans, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Pat meat dry and add half to skillet. Cook until browned on all sides. Add cooked meat to Dutch oven. Pour half of beer into skillet, stir and scrape to remove browned bits. Pour beer mixture into Dutch oven. Repeat with remaining oil, meat, and beer.

Combine everything in Dutch oven and heat through. Cover and move to oven. Bake until meat and beans are tender, approx. 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Stir, taste, and add more salt, if needed. Serve with cornbread and garnishes.

Cornbread

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups milk
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm

Wheat Berry & Quinoa with Roasted Vegetables

This dish fulfills all the nutritional requirements that you would want in a meal (fiber, protein, vegetable, flavor) however, it would also be a great side dish to some kind of meat or roasted chicken. We ate this dish tonight as a main course, although my husband did eat some soup from last night along with it. I saved room for my nightly ice cream bowl :-) We both agreed it would be great with some fresh herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley) or hot sauce.

1/2 cup quinoa

1/2 cup wheat berries, cooked ( To cook wheat berries- 1 1/4 cup water and berries in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered for 15 minutes)

3 carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 beets, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400. Place the carrots and parsnips on one side of rimmed baking sheet and beets on the other side. Toss veggies with 2 tbsp of olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Bake about 20 minutes or until tender and slightly browned. Set aside.

Cook quinoa-Place 1 cup chicken broth and juice from 1 lemon in sauce pan, bring to boil add quinoa, simmer, covered and cook for about 10-12 minutes until quinoa is tender.

Mix quinoa and wheat berries then toss with roasted veggies. Add fresh herbs and more lemon juice.

Parmesan Pork Chops

I got this recipe from Giada on the Food Network... it is so easy and very delicious! My husband is not a big fan of pork chops but he loves these!

2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

6 boneless center cut pork chops

kosher salt and pepper

safflower oil or olive oil

Place eggs in one bowl. Place bread crumbs in another bowl. Place cheese in a third bowl. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat with cheese, patting to adhere. Dip into the eggs, then coat with bread crumbs.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add pork chops, cover, and cook about 6 minutes each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

I served with steamed broccoli and roasted sweet potato wedges.

Baked Flounder with vegetables served over lentils

My family and I are spending the first weekend of the new year in sunny Florida. Yesterday morning I actually got to watch something other than children's shows since my children were preoccupied with figuring out how they were going to go swimming at 8 am (thank goodness for my husband!!) And, I was watching Emeril on Good Morning America who had prepared a nice flounder dish that I thought sounded good. I looked up the recipe and went to the fish market to get some fresh fish.

Here is my version of Emeril's fish:

2 flounder filets (about 1.25 lbs)

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp honey

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

2 1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 freshly ground pepper

5 oz baby spinach

2 carrots, thinly sliced

1/3 cup mixed fresh parsley and cilantro

1 cup dried lentils

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 red pepper, diced

In a saucepan, combine lentils, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add red pepper to lentils and cook another 2 minutes or so. Then drain lentils and peppers. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium bow, combine olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, ginger, and garlic. Whisk well to combine. Season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

In a separate bowl, combine the spinach, carrots and herbs and drizzle with 6 tbsp of the vinaigrette, toss well to combine. Arrange salad in a 9X13 baking dish. Season flounder with remaining salt and pepper on both sides. Lay the fish over the salad and drizzle 1 tbsp of vinaigrette over each fillet. Place in oven and bake until vegatables are wilted and fish flakes easily when pierced with a fork, about 14 minutes. Meanwhile, add another handful of minced cilantro and remaining vinaigrette to lentils, mix well.

Remove fish from oven and serve over lentils.

Chicken with Bok Choy and Cabbage

Happy New Year! As we start off the first week of the new year we all try to be extra healthy.... so here is one of my first (and super easy) dinners to kick off 2011.

(And yes my kids eat most of these veggies... I think the more colorful the better... it is fun to eat purple cabbage (better than green!!))

1/2 red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil or safflower oil

1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced and roughly chopped

1 cup bok choy, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sesame oil

6 chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in... whatever you have!!)

1/2 cup Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki

In a large saute pan, add a splash of olive oil and heat to medium high heat. Add chicken thighs and pour soy vay sauce on top. Make sure there is enough sauce to cover all the chicken. Put lid on pan and let cook. Flip chicken a few times until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

In another saute pan, add olive oil or safflower oil and heat to medium heat. Add onions, garlic and red pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and bok choy. Cook until bok choy leaves have wilted, another couple minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp sesame oil.

Serve chicken over bed of sautéed vegetables. Spoon teriyaki sauce from chicken pan over chicken and veggies before serving.

Skillet Cabbage Rolls

Yes, my cabbage rolls are delicious.... but they take time (and we all know most of you are not thinking about dinner at breakfast, like me). So here is a way to make my cabbage rolls in a skillet and you don't have to start making them at lunch time. It takes about 30 minutes to make them and you could definitely make them whenever you have a chance during the day and then reheat them at dinner time.

1 lb ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 head cabbage, roughly chopped

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2- 8oz. cans of tomato sauce

1- 6oz. can of tomato paste

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)

1 bay leaf

In a large skillet, put 1 tbsp oil and brown meat, using a wooden spatula to break up the big pieces. Cook until no longer pink. If using ground beef, drain the fat. Add the onion and cook for a couple minutes. Then stir in the cabbage, rice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low heat until rice is cooked, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have made these about 5 times now this fall season... they are always a hit!!

1 can of pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 egg

2 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and then add to flour mixture. Add flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add the vanilla and chips. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet and bake 11-12 minutes or until firm.

Crockpot Sausage, Beans & Greens

Again I had collard greens in my fridge from my veggie share and I was looking on the internet for something to do with them. I came across a version of this recipe and decided to tweak it a bit and make it my own! It was delicious and definitely a great meal to make ahead of time for those of you with little kids!

1 can beans (I used pinto beans)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder (or minced onion)

1 lb turkey or pork sausage, casing removed

1 bunch collard greens, cut into ribbons and washed

1/2 cup water

1 tsp finely minced garlic

Parmesan cheese for serving

Brown sausage in a sauce pan in a tablespoon or two of olive oil, using a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into pieces. The crockpot removes the color from browned foods, so make sure you get them very brown. Remove the sausage from the pan and add 1/2 cup water and fresh garlic to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes to deglaze the pan.

Cut stems off collard greens, cut into ribbons crosswise, then cut the long ribbons into 2-3 pieces and rinse. Place collard greens in bottom of crockpot. Put beans along with garlic powder and onion powder in and top with sausage and then pour deglazing liquid in.

Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours or until collard greens are quite soft and flavors are combined. Serve hot with cheese.

Bean Barley Crock Pot Burritos

crock pot before cooking:

crock pot after 5 hours:

Healthy, easy make ahead dinner in the crock pot! What could be better than that! :-)

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained (mild...i used rotel)

3/4 cup frozen corn

1 cup dried barley

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 garlic cloved, minced

1/4 of a large red onion, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

tortillas

cheddar cheese

avocado

grape tomatoes

sour cream

Combine beans, canned tomatoes, barley, broth, corn, spices, garlic, and red onion in crock pot and mix well. Put crock pot on low and cook for 4-5 hours until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stir in cilantro.

Make burritos with a spoonful of bean barley mixture from the crock pot in the middle of a tortilla then top with toppings, roll up and enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken with Sage and Stuffing

My sister (who isn't much of a cook... no offense Case!) made this recipe she found on the Whole Foods iPhone App and said it was O.K. I immediately downloaded the app because it sounded like something I would love and instantly I found a handful of recipes that sounded delicious (including this recipe). I bought all the ingredients and made it the other day... it was absolutely delicious! The chicken fell right off the bone... it was so tender and juicy. Great make ahead meal and perfect for fall!!! I doubled the recipe because I made half for a friend who just had a baby so you could definitely cut this in half if you don't want this much... but is is great as leftover too! I made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (I'll post that recipe too!) to round out the meal... wonderful! Here is my adapted recipe below:

2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

5 carrots, chopped into pieces

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup dry white wine

2 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoon chopped sage

10 bone-in, skinned chicken thighs

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 (10-ounce) package stuffing mix with cranberries, prepared according to package directions (from Whole Foods)

Arrange onions in the bottom of a lightly greased 6-quart crock pot or slow cooker and top with carrots. Pour broth and wine over vegetables, then sprinkle garlic and sage over the top. Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper and arrange on top of vegetables. Cover and cook on the low heat setting until chicken and vegetable are very tender, about 8 hours. Serve alongside stuffing.

Beef Stir Fry

I prepped this dinner through the day as I had time.... cut the veggies, sliced and marinated the steak, made the rice... and when my husband came in the door I threw it all together and we enjoyed a hot meal in 10 minutes! It was delicious.... I love the Soy Vay Teriyaki Marinade with steak, definitely one of my favorite things!!!

1 Skirt Steak, sliced diagonally across grain into thin strips

Very Very Teriyaki Marinade (Soy Vay Brand)

1 red pepper, sliced into strips

1 green pepper, sliced into strips

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 baby bok choy, thinly sliced

2 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (soy sauce alternative)

sesame seeds, for garnish

Put meat in large plastic bag or glass bowl and cover with marinade. Toss to coat and put in fridge to marinate for a couple of hours. Heat large nonstick skillet and add meat. Cook 4 minutes. Add peppers and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add bok choy and cook one minute or until it wilts. Add Bragg Liquid Aminos and stir together. Serve over cooked rice and top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Bolognese Sauce

Tonight I made this meat sauce with pasta... easy Sunday night meal...

2 carrots, diced finely

1 small onion, diced finely

4 strips of bacon, diced

1 lb ground pork

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1 (28-oz) can tomato sauce

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bag leaf

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

cooked pasta

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add onion and carrot, cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Raise heat to medium high and add meat, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until meat is browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook another couple minutes. Add wine, reduce sauce by three-fourths. Add 1 cup milk and reduce by half. Add tomato sauce, bay leaf, thyme, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. Stir in 1/4 cup milk. Serve over cooked pasta and top with cheese.

Note: can use any type or combination of meat equally 2 pounds.

Sausage over Polenta with Roasted Butternut Squash

I made this dish mild since I was feeding it to my kids , but you could definitely use spicy sausage to kick the heat up a bit. The butternut squash was so sweet and delicious, my son thought it was carrots... since he loves cooked carrots I wasn't going to argue with him.

Roasted Squash:

1 pound turkey sausage

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into small cubes

sprinkle of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 tbsp safflower oil

1 handful fresh sage, chopped

1 cup corn grits/polenta

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. In a large jellyroll pan, place butternut squash, salt, pepper, oil and sage. Toss together and put in oven for about 35 minutes or until tender. In another baking dish, place turkey sausage and a little bit of water in the bottom of the dish. Also place in oven and cook for 30 minutes (you can bake these two at the same time).

Meanwhile, on stove top, place 3 cups of water and 1 tsp salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and slowly add corn grits. Stir with a wooden spoon and be careful because it will bubble and may pop out of pan. Should be done in 15-20 minutes. Add butter and cheese.

Take turkey sausage out of oven after about 30 minutes and cut into small pieces. Put 2 tbsp oil in large saute pan to finish cooking sausage and brown it.

To plate, put polenta in dish, top with sausage and sprinkle butternut squash around on top.

White Bean and Greens Soup

I adapted this recipe from one I found in Cooking Light. It was really tasty! Collard greens are my new favorite dark, leafy green. I really like their texture in the soup. This soup could definitely be made with a can or two of beans instead of using dried beans (which would also make it a super fast meal.) I served it with goat cheese spread on a crusty french bread.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup pinot grigio or other light white wine
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups finely shredded collard greens
• 2 cups finely shredded red swiss chard
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cup dried Great Northern beans ( not sure exactly how much I had but was somewhere between 1 and 2 cups)

Prepare the dried beans:

Put beans in a medium sized pot filled with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes then turn the heat off, cover the pot and allow them to remain in the water for 1 hour. Rinse and drain beans. Put back in pot with new water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour or so, until tender.

Soup:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add wine, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add greens, thyme, and broth. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until greens are tender. Add beans and serve.

Honey Cumin Chicken Thighs and Eggplant-Heirloom Tomato Gratin

Gratin before it went in the oven:

And right before serving:

The chicken was very flavorful and the gratin was awesome! This was all made ahead of time and then served room temperature.

Chicken

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp dry sherry

2 tbsp white wine

2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp garlic, minced

salt and pepper

8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

Combine all ingredients above in a bowl and marinate chicken for at least 4 hours. Remove chicken from marinade (and discard marinade) and saute chicken in nonstick grill pan for about 4 minutes each side or until done.

Tomato Eggplant Gratin (from Food & Wine)

1/4 cup olive oil

3 heirloom tomatoes (medium sized), sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds

1 small eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds

4 thyme sprigs

kosher salt and ground pepper

goat cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush a large oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Arrange the tomato and eggplant slices in a single layer of overlapping concentric circles. Scatter the thyme sprigs on top and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is barely tender and the tomatoes have exuded their juices.
2. Uncover the gratin and bake for about 25 minutes longer, or until the juices have evaporated and the vegetables are very tender. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Taco Stew

This dish could be considered chili or even used as a taco filling (if you use less liquid). You can also make it your own and add your own ingredients depending on what is in your pantry. If you have a can of diced tomatoes you can substitute the tomato sauce and chopped fresh tomato or if you don't have black beans, use whatever ones you do have or throw in an extra can for more variety, or if you have fresh or frozen corn, throw that in too! My point is, there is lots of room for creativity. Here is my creation....

1 pound ground beef

1 large tomato, diced

1 can tomato sauce

2 cups chicken broth

1 large garlic clove, minced

1/2 large onion, diced

1 (15 oz) can of black beans (not drained or rinsed)

1 zucchini, cut into cubes

2 tbsp taco seasoning ( ok I didn't have taco seasoning so i made my own.... here is what I threw in... 1 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion flakes, 1/4 sweet paprika, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin)

1 tbsp cornmeal (adds thickness to the stew.... not necessary if you don't have it but then maybe don't put a full 2 cups of broth in)

Brown meat in a large pot over medium high heat. Drain, remove and set aside. In the same pot, saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add meat back to the pan and sprinkle mixture with taco seasoning to blend. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 15- 20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle of cheddar cheese and tortilla chips or fritos. (We used a bag of fritos I got from Trader Joes that were perfect for scooping.)

** If you are not going to eat this right away, wait to add the zucchini because you don't want to overcook it...add it about 15 minutes before serving and don't forget it because it adds a nice texture. You don't want it to be mushy.

Sausage with Lentils and Swiss Chard

8 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage,casings removed
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/3 cups dried lentils
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 pound Swiss chard (about 1 large bunch), thick stems and ribs cut away and discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

Sauté sausage in large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from skillet. Add carrot, onion and garlic to skillet; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils, bay leaf, fennel seeds and rosemary. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 20 minutes.

Place Swiss chard atop lentils; cover and cook until lentils are tender and chard is wilted and tender, adding more water if mixture is dry, about 7 minutes. Stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.

Sprouted Grain Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes and Basil

Last night we tried a new type of pasta (see picture above). It is a sprouted grain pasta that is all whole grains, full of protein, organic and high in fiber. The ingredients are lentils, millet, spelt, soybeans, barley and whole grain wheat. It definitely doesn't taste like pasta but I still thought it had a really good texture and was very tasty. I found it at Wegman's in the organic section.

1 package Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Pasta

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tbsp butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 handful fresh basil, torn into pieces

Cook pasta according to directions and drain. Slice tomatoes in half and set aside. In a small saute pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and 3 tbsp butter with minced garlic over medium hight heat until garlic is golden. Once pasta is cooked, place in a large bowl and pour garlic mixture over the pasta. Stir in tomatoes and mix well. Top with basil and serve with parmesan cheese.

Homemade Pizza

My sister and I were talking yesterday about what we were going to have for dinner. My response was "I am making pizza." She said to me, "if I had three kids I would buy pizza... I have one kid and always buy pizza." It is sometimes just more fun to create your own pizza and that is exactly what we did! Here are two different kinds of pizza I have made recently (the second one is what we ate last night) and I did buy the dough, does that count???

Pizza with pesto and chicken

-Layer fresh pesto, diced, cooked chicken and cheese then bake about 15 minutes

Pizza with fresh tomatoes and caramelized sweet onions

-Layer mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and onions then bake about 15 minutes.

Flounder with tomatoes and onions

1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced

cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup white wine

2 fillets of flouder

Bosari seasoning (citrus)

2 tbsp olive oil or safflower oil

Put olive oil or safflower oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and white wine and cook until wine is evaporated, about 10 minutes over medium heat (tomatoes will start to pop). Remove from pan and keep warm.

Sprinkle fish with Bosari or salt and pepper. Add to same pan and cook about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve fish topped with tomato-onion mixture.

Tofu Stacks over Bok Choy

Today I got my fresh veggies from the CSA I joined and came up with the following dish for dinner. After celebrating many birthdays in our family (and some more coming up this month.. mine included) and eating lots of cake, I decided we needed a week of super healthy meals.

1 package of extra firm tofu, drained

1 bunch of bok choy, sliced into 1 inch pieces, separating stems and leaves

1 large tomato, sliced crosswise

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch rounds

1 garlic cloved, minced

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and drain in colander for 20 minutes. Pat dry then brush with olive oil and place on grill pan over medium high heat. Cook about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Slice tofu crosswise into 8 1/2 inch pieces. Place on grill pan (if it is not a nonstick pan add a little olive oil to the pan before adding tofu) and grill until grill marks appear on tofu. Meanwhile in a large saute pan, add sesame oil and sesame seeds over medium high heat. Add bok choy steams and garlic and saute until slightly softened. Add leaves and saute until they start to wilt, serve hot.

To serve, place boy choy in dish then layer on top eggplant, tomato and tofu. Drizzle lightly with soy sauce.

Ginger Ale Turkey - 2 meals in 1!

Dinner #1

Dinner #2

Sorry for the lack of blog entries the past couple of weeks... my newborn baby has been keeping me busy! But she is now sleeping through the night so hopefully I will be able to start posting some more dinners.

Here is a recipe I got from my grandmother... very simple and the turkey is so moist and delicious! I made a couple changes to the original recipe and it still turned out perfect so feel free to alter things as well and let me know how it turns out. We ate the turkey with quinoa and carrots the first night and the second night I cut up the turkey and put it in a pita with cheese, tomatoes and sprouts. So if you are going to make it.. might as well make enough for two dinners.

1 can of ginger ale ** I didn't have ginger ale so I used Sprite

7-8 lb turkey breast, bone in and with skin ** I bought turkey drumsticks instead of breasts

season salt

Begin with turkey at room temperature. Place turkey in baking dish and pour can of soda over the turkey. Let sit for one hour and turn once or twice. Pour off most of the soda, season with season salt or whatever seasoning you like. Put a little water in the pan. Bake in oven at 475 for 30 minutes then turn oven off and leave in for about one hour. IMPORTANT NOTE: do not open the oven once the oven is turned off... until the hour is up.