I made some soup to go with Leftover Extravaganza, so the soup isn't really filling enough by itself, but it is so yummy I make it for myself a lot. It is my favorite thing to eat on a rainy day.
I got this recipe from a newspaper article showing how you can change up soup ingredients and have a completely different dish. I tried all of them, and this one is by far the best. It is so simple I sometimes make it for lunch while the kids are eating.
1 quart chicken broth
1 onion, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 t thyme
couple handfuls of spinach
1/2 c pastina (or other type of small pasta, this time I used broken spaghetti)
Lemon wedges
Parmesan, grated
Saute the onion in olive oil about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add garlic and thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add spinach and pasta and cook for about 10 more minutes. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of parmesan.
(A comment about the garlic. Sometimes I mince it, because then you aren't surprised with a mouthful of garlic when you're eating the soup, but sometimes I look forward to that whole clove. Depending on my mood. It is soft and flavorful, but since it is simmered it doesn't knock you out. Although my breath after eating it might.)
Ratings:
Me: I left dinner ready for them and went to a meeting, when I got back it was ALL GONE! I was so disappointed.
Hubby: Normally a soup hater, he loved it. He said it was really good and asked me where I got it.
5YO: I once made some soup to use up vegetables in my fridge, and it ended up having potatoes, leeks, and spinach (among other things). I pureed it all together and told the kids it was Jolly Green Giant soup and if they ate it they would turn into a giant. 5YO liked this idea, so he ate the soup. He got over not turning into a giant, and ended up really liking the soup. He even took some to school in his lunch the next day. He was disappointed when it was gone. So now he always hopefully tastes my soups looking for a repeat. He gave it a good shot, ate most of his bowl, but alas it was not the same.
4YO: Nope.
1YO: He liked this soup. And in case you're wondering, it is possible to eat soup with your hands.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Orange Chicken and Rice
I used to mix everything together as the recipe directs, but this time I set out four different bowls to keep the ingredients separate. I think that helped keep people happy. I also steamed some fresh green beans from the farmers market and they were SO good, so much better than grocery store, even the KIDS enjoyed them.
1 c rice (I use brown and let it cook longer)
1 c chicken broth
1 c orange juice (I just spoon out some frozen concentrate and add water)
1/4 t nutmeg
4 cooked chicken breast halves, in bite-size pieces (I used one of those cans from Costco this time)
11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c chopped walnuts
Combine, rice, broth, juice, and nutmeg in a pot over medium heat (I used a rice cooker). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken to rice, cook another 5 to 7 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in oranges. Sprinkle individual serving with nuts. Makes 4 servings.
Ratings:
Me: I was in a super big hurry (because it was past bedtime...yikes!) and I didn't let the rice cook long enough. I should have just used white rice this time. It was still okay, just required too much chewing. I love the nuts in this recipe.
Hubby: Not a fan.
5YO: It is funny, but when I've served this in the past, he has turned up his nose. But today, since I served them separately, he ate everything (except the nuts). And the green beans!
4YO: She ate a little chicken and rice.
1YO: Loves the oranges, and ate some of the chicken and rice and green beans, too.
1 c rice (I use brown and let it cook longer)
1 c chicken broth
1 c orange juice (I just spoon out some frozen concentrate and add water)
1/4 t nutmeg
4 cooked chicken breast halves, in bite-size pieces (I used one of those cans from Costco this time)
11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1/4 c chopped walnuts
Combine, rice, broth, juice, and nutmeg in a pot over medium heat (I used a rice cooker). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken to rice, cook another 5 to 7 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in oranges. Sprinkle individual serving with nuts. Makes 4 servings.
Ratings:
Me: I was in a super big hurry (because it was past bedtime...yikes!) and I didn't let the rice cook long enough. I should have just used white rice this time. It was still okay, just required too much chewing. I love the nuts in this recipe.
Hubby: Not a fan.
5YO: It is funny, but when I've served this in the past, he has turned up his nose. But today, since I served them separately, he ate everything (except the nuts). And the green beans!
4YO: She ate a little chicken and rice.
1YO: Loves the oranges, and ate some of the chicken and rice and green beans, too.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Garlic Lemon Salmon
Fish is healthy, fast and easy to prepare, AND my kids like it, so why does it have to be expensive? Figures. They'll eat salmon, talapia, and mild fish like that, but they are more suspicious of shrimp or other-shaped/textured seafood. Me, I love seafood of any kind. There is a lot I haven't tasted, but I figure if I like octopus I can probably handle a lot of it.
This salmon, like a lot of things I make, is not really much of a recipe, just a simple way of getting it cooked. My family likes squeezing lemon wedges over it (and my MIL is constantly bring me fresh lemons from her tree), and it is easy to make rice and a salad to round out the meal. I think the key to getting it flavorful is the garlic, but a little bit goes a long way.
Salmon pieces
salt and pepper
olive oil
garlic, pressed (or minced)
lemons, juiced
parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Season both sides of salmon pieces and cook in a shallow baking dish for about 20 minutes. It doesn't change color when cooked like other meats, but it is done when it flakes easily with a fork. It tastes much better when you don't overcook it, so don't wait for it to brown.
Ratings:
Everyone but the 4YO had some and enjoyed it. I think it might be the first time the 1YO has eaten fish!
This salmon, like a lot of things I make, is not really much of a recipe, just a simple way of getting it cooked. My family likes squeezing lemon wedges over it (and my MIL is constantly bring me fresh lemons from her tree), and it is easy to make rice and a salad to round out the meal. I think the key to getting it flavorful is the garlic, but a little bit goes a long way.
Salmon pieces
salt and pepper
olive oil
garlic, pressed (or minced)
lemons, juiced
parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 350. Season both sides of salmon pieces and cook in a shallow baking dish for about 20 minutes. It doesn't change color when cooked like other meats, but it is done when it flakes easily with a fork. It tastes much better when you don't overcook it, so don't wait for it to brown.
Ratings:
Everyone but the 4YO had some and enjoyed it. I think it might be the first time the 1YO has eaten fish!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Turkey Sausage
First, I just have to say a little bit about the farmers market. I went to one down the street on Saturday, and of course there were some things that were ridiculously expensive, but there were also a lot of fruit and vegetables that were comparably priced to the grocery store, but they tasted SO SO GOOD. I bought some romaine lettuce and some mixed greens that were so fresh and flavorful you could eat them plain. (The previous week I had bought some at Costco. It is like they were completely different products.) I did splurge on a couple things, like the blueberries were almost $5 for a small little clamshell, but then I had a free sample. So worth it.
Tonight for dinner I made the sweet potato hash again, but this time I made the sausage from ground turkey. I'm not sure which way I prefer it, but it is nice to have options, so here is the recipe for turkey sausage.
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 t salt
1 1/2 t ground pepper
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 t orange zest (I used lemon only because I didn't have an orange. But orange tastes better.)
dash Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients well. Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Form into sausage links and cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned.
I have never formed them into links, I always just break it up and brown it. I've also used this recipe for pizza or a bread pudding recipe that I have. It doesn't taste exactly like regular sausage, but you'll notice when you cook it up you also don't have to drain off pools of grease, so I often opt for this instead.
Tonight for dinner I made the sweet potato hash again, but this time I made the sausage from ground turkey. I'm not sure which way I prefer it, but it is nice to have options, so here is the recipe for turkey sausage.
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 t salt
1 1/2 t ground pepper
1/2 t dried sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1 1/2 t orange zest (I used lemon only because I didn't have an orange. But orange tastes better.)
dash Worcestershire sauce
Combine all ingredients well. Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Form into sausage links and cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned.
I have never formed them into links, I always just break it up and brown it. I've also used this recipe for pizza or a bread pudding recipe that I have. It doesn't taste exactly like regular sausage, but you'll notice when you cook it up you also don't have to drain off pools of grease, so I often opt for this instead.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Pan-fried Pizza
*I posted this awhile ago, but I just tried this on the grill instead of the stove-top. I read some recipes online that said you need to brush the dough with olive oil before putting it on the grill, but that wasn't really necessary. It solved the heating-up-the-kitchen problem, besides the fact that you can cook two at a time and get dinner cooked twice as fast.
I didn't think I'd end up posting tonight since I've already posted a pizza recipe, but I got surprisingly good reactions from everyone. I made my pizza dough like I usually do (but I'll include the recipe here again), but cooked it on the stovetop. I thought it would help the heat in my kitchen to not turn on the oven (it has been in the 90's the last few days and we have no a/c). Unfortunately, it still got really warm, but everyone liked the pizza and it was fun to have a change. The crust turned out thin and crispy instead of thick and puffy, a little more authentic Italian I suppose. I doubled the recipe and then froze 3 (of the 8) balls--one recipe wasn't enough and two recipes was too much!
1/2 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 t. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. flour
Let the yeast dissolve in the warm (not hot) water. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead them for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and oil the outside with olive oil. Cover and let rise for one hour. Punch it down and divide into 4 balls. Let rest for a few minutes. Preheat a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. Roll one ball into a 12 inch circle. Cook in the skillet for about 5 minutes until slightly browned. Flip and add toppings. Cover (I just used a piece of aluminum foil loosely placed on top) and cook for a few more minutes, until cheese is melted. Repeat with other balls of dough. Makes 4 pizzas.
Ratings:
Me: Since we made individual pizzas, I got to make my veggie version. I put garlic, mozzarella, thinly sliced yellow squash, tomato slices, roasted peppers, spinach, and fresh basil. YUM. Everyone else had the usual boring plain sauce and cheese.
Hubby: He repeated about three times how good it was. And he is the hardest to please.
5YO: Ate an entire pizza on his own.
4YO: Ate about half a pizza and then went to town on carrots.
1YO: Ate about half a pizza.
I didn't think I'd end up posting tonight since I've already posted a pizza recipe, but I got surprisingly good reactions from everyone. I made my pizza dough like I usually do (but I'll include the recipe here again), but cooked it on the stovetop. I thought it would help the heat in my kitchen to not turn on the oven (it has been in the 90's the last few days and we have no a/c). Unfortunately, it still got really warm, but everyone liked the pizza and it was fun to have a change. The crust turned out thin and crispy instead of thick and puffy, a little more authentic Italian I suppose. I doubled the recipe and then froze 3 (of the 8) balls--one recipe wasn't enough and two recipes was too much!
1/2 T. yeast
1 1/4 c. warm water
1/2 t. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. flour
Let the yeast dissolve in the warm (not hot) water. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead them for a few minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and oil the outside with olive oil. Cover and let rise for one hour. Punch it down and divide into 4 balls. Let rest for a few minutes. Preheat a skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. Roll one ball into a 12 inch circle. Cook in the skillet for about 5 minutes until slightly browned. Flip and add toppings. Cover (I just used a piece of aluminum foil loosely placed on top) and cook for a few more minutes, until cheese is melted. Repeat with other balls of dough. Makes 4 pizzas.
Ratings:
Me: Since we made individual pizzas, I got to make my veggie version. I put garlic, mozzarella, thinly sliced yellow squash, tomato slices, roasted peppers, spinach, and fresh basil. YUM. Everyone else had the usual boring plain sauce and cheese.
Hubby: He repeated about three times how good it was. And he is the hardest to please.
5YO: Ate an entire pizza on his own.
4YO: Ate about half a pizza and then went to town on carrots.
1YO: Ate about half a pizza.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Artichokes
I didn't quite finish making dinner tonight. The kids asked for spaghetti, and I had some artichokes, but I never got to the sauce or anything else. (One of those days...) So we had plain spaghetti and artichokes. Pretty pathetic. Not really worth posting, except my kids ate SO much that I figured I wanted to remember this.
Artichokes are not difficult to cook or eat, but they are definitely unique to both cook and eat. To cook them, cut off the top half inch or so, and the bottom stem. Then snip off the top of each leaf. (You don't have to, but there is a little pokey barb on the tip of the leaf, so it is just a little friendlier to eat if they have been snipped.) Steam for about 30 minutes, until the leaves come off easily. (Once recipe I read said steam them stem side down, another said stem side up. I did it stem side down.) I put mine in the rice cooker with a steaming rack in the bottom and about an inch of water.
To eat, pull off each leaf, dip in melted butter, then scrape off the bottom "meaty" part of the leaf with your teeth. When all the leaves are gone, scrape out the middle "choke" part and discard--you'll recognize it when you see it, you won't want to eat it-- then eat the rest of the heart.
The artichokes came with a label that said "loaded with antioxidants." With a word so scientific and specific as "loaded," I don't really know how they measure up nutritionally, but they are a vegetable and my kids did eat them. If someone can school me about artichoke nutrition, let me know.
Ratings:
Me: So obviously major holes in this dinner, but I love artichokes so I just enjoyed them.
Hubby: He found something else for dinner, can I blame him? (I should also mention that he was late coming home from work so it was not in front of the kids. Thanks honey.)
5YO: He ate an artichoke and a half. Except for the heart, but I'm not complaining since he gave it to me. I had to remind him to chew while he ate his spaghetti he was inhaling it so fast.
4YO: She enjoyed the idea of dipping in butter, so she tried a few leaves, and then realized she preferred spaghetti dipped in butter. Lots of spaghetti dipped in butter. She ended up with butter all over her arms, face, and hair.
1YO: He ate some spaghetti, but this shape of pasta is a little challenging for him. Rotini or penne is much easier to pick up and keep from getting stuck in his throat. He also ate my artichoke heart, so good thing his brother shared his with me.
Artichokes are not difficult to cook or eat, but they are definitely unique to both cook and eat. To cook them, cut off the top half inch or so, and the bottom stem. Then snip off the top of each leaf. (You don't have to, but there is a little pokey barb on the tip of the leaf, so it is just a little friendlier to eat if they have been snipped.) Steam for about 30 minutes, until the leaves come off easily. (Once recipe I read said steam them stem side down, another said stem side up. I did it stem side down.) I put mine in the rice cooker with a steaming rack in the bottom and about an inch of water.
To eat, pull off each leaf, dip in melted butter, then scrape off the bottom "meaty" part of the leaf with your teeth. When all the leaves are gone, scrape out the middle "choke" part and discard--you'll recognize it when you see it, you won't want to eat it-- then eat the rest of the heart.
The artichokes came with a label that said "loaded with antioxidants." With a word so scientific and specific as "loaded," I don't really know how they measure up nutritionally, but they are a vegetable and my kids did eat them. If someone can school me about artichoke nutrition, let me know.
Ratings:
Me: So obviously major holes in this dinner, but I love artichokes so I just enjoyed them.
Hubby: He found something else for dinner, can I blame him? (I should also mention that he was late coming home from work so it was not in front of the kids. Thanks honey.)
5YO: He ate an artichoke and a half. Except for the heart, but I'm not complaining since he gave it to me. I had to remind him to chew while he ate his spaghetti he was inhaling it so fast.
4YO: She enjoyed the idea of dipping in butter, so she tried a few leaves, and then realized she preferred spaghetti dipped in butter. Lots of spaghetti dipped in butter. She ended up with butter all over her arms, face, and hair.
1YO: He ate some spaghetti, but this shape of pasta is a little challenging for him. Rotini or penne is much easier to pick up and keep from getting stuck in his throat. He also ate my artichoke heart, so good thing his brother shared his with me.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Chicken Soup With Lemon and Lentils
I needed something to make to go along with my husband's hamburgers, and I've been craving this soup. It is from a book I have called Quick Chicken by Rose Murray, but of course I don't follow the recipe exactly. Am I breaking copyright laws by putting it here? If I am, someone warn me.
First off, I didn't put chicken in tonight. I ran out of time. And the recipe calls for canned lentils added in the last five minutes, but I use dried and start them first. I also just realized the recipe calls for lemon zest, which I overlooked. Oops. I'll have to add it to the leftovers.
5 c chicken broth
2 c lentils
6 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t lemon zest
salt and pepper
1 c cilantro, chopped (original recipe calls for parsley, also good)
1/2 c lemon juice
2 t cumin
cooked brown rice
Rinse lentils. In a large stockpot, add lentils and broth, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 10-15 minutes (while you chop). Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lemon zest (and chicken if you want--4 breasts, once it is cooked, remove and dice and return to soup). Simmer 15 minutes more (adding water if it gets too dry) or until lentils are soft and vegetables are tender. Add cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Place a large spoonful of rice in each soup bowl and pour soup over top.
Ratings:
(I already mentioned in the hamburger post that only the baby and I ate it...)
Me: It was so delicious and refreshing. I'm a big fan of lentils, and the lemon in this makes it so flavorful. (Even though I forgot the zest!)
1YO: He left the carrots, but loved the rice. He always loves rice.
Li'l Sis: She stopped by after dinner and said it smelled good, so I sent her home with some to try. Comment with your (honest!) rating when you taste it.
First off, I didn't put chicken in tonight. I ran out of time. And the recipe calls for canned lentils added in the last five minutes, but I use dried and start them first. I also just realized the recipe calls for lemon zest, which I overlooked. Oops. I'll have to add it to the leftovers.
5 c chicken broth
2 c lentils
6 carrots, sliced
4 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t lemon zest
salt and pepper
1 c cilantro, chopped (original recipe calls for parsley, also good)
1/2 c lemon juice
2 t cumin
cooked brown rice
Rinse lentils. In a large stockpot, add lentils and broth, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer 10-15 minutes (while you chop). Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lemon zest (and chicken if you want--4 breasts, once it is cooked, remove and dice and return to soup). Simmer 15 minutes more (adding water if it gets too dry) or until lentils are soft and vegetables are tender. Add cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
Place a large spoonful of rice in each soup bowl and pour soup over top.
Ratings:
(I already mentioned in the hamburger post that only the baby and I ate it...)
Me: It was so delicious and refreshing. I'm a big fan of lentils, and the lemon in this makes it so flavorful. (Even though I forgot the zest!)
1YO: He left the carrots, but loved the rice. He always loves rice.
Li'l Sis: She stopped by after dinner and said it smelled good, so I sent her home with some to try. Comment with your (honest!) rating when you taste it.
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