We went to the farmer's market in town last week. I found a giant "flat head" cabbage. Tonight I made the best cabbage rolls ever!
First, I boiled the cabbage leaves to soften them up a bit.
In a bowl, I combined 1 pound of ground beef (or turkey!), 1 egg, 1 cup of quick cook rice, and some seasoning. (I used the usual - onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and salt). To this, I added 1/3 of a can of tomato soup (condensed).
In a separate bowl, I mixed the remaining tomato soup, about 3/4 cup of water, two tablespoons of brown sugar, about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, two to three shakes of worcester sauce, and a teaspoon of beef bouillon powder.
Then I assembled. I put about 2 large tablespoons of the meat mixture into the cabbage leaf, rolled it up, and placed it in a foil lined cake pan. When all of the mixture was used up, I poured the well-mixed sauce over the top. Then I sprinkled the top of the rolls with a little more salt and pepper, covered with foil, and put them in the oven for about 1 hour.
They were really good! I have some leftover cabbage and plan to use that with a pot roast I am going to make later this week. (Unless I think of something better!)
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Day 18 - Red Beans and Rice with Kielbasa
For this one, I simply use a box mix. At some point, I'll make it from scratch. We needed a quick meal - and this one is really good.
Heat and Eat. Done.
Heat and Eat. Done.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Day 17 - MN State Fair
Ok. Tonight won't count. We went to the fair. Yep - we ate our way through. It was a great night with my sister.
Day 16 - Fabulous Fajitas with Friends!
Tonight we joined our friends for chicken fajitas. We brought corn salsa and tomato salsa. Our friends made the chicken, onions and peppers. Together, we had a fun night of food and conversation. It was great to hang out this evening. We planned to make s'mores as well, but ran out of energy to get a fire going. So....we made them in the microwave. It was a good evening.
Day 15 - Snack Night
Tonight we had a mixture of snacks. Cream cheese, blackberry pepper jelly and homemade pita chips, pepperoni, ham, crackers, cheddar cheese, grapes, salsa, chips, and anything else that sounded good made up our dinner tonight.
This is actually one of our favorite things to have for dinner. Everyone has the chance to make a great combo of whatever sounds good. It's fun to have h'orderves for dinner!
This is actually one of our favorite things to have for dinner. Everyone has the chance to make a great combo of whatever sounds good. It's fun to have h'orderves for dinner!
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Day 14 - Ham and Cheesy Potoatoes
Tonight was a dinner classic. Baked ham and homemade cheesy potatoes. I also made my favorite creamy cucumber salad. It was a great meal for a long, busy day!
Ham - just added a little brown sugar and leftover pineapple! Covered with foil and baked at 350 for 30 minutes.
Cheesy potatoes -
1. I sliced 4 good sized, peeled potatoes into thin pieces with the mandolin
2. I put them in the microwave for 5 minutes to get them softer so they would bake faster.
3. Chopped 2 large green onions and sauteed in butter for a few minutes to soften them up.
4. Put the potatoes and onions in a butter-greased baking dish, and spread evenly in the dish.
5. Heated 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Added 3 tablespoons of flour and about 1/2 cup of water, stirring with a wisk until well blended. Added about 1/4 cup of milk and stirred constantly. Added in about 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used cheddar). Stirred with wisk, then poured over potatoes/onions. Made sure to cover entire top of potatoes. I put that in the oven for 30 minutes also.
Then I made the cucumber salad. I used about 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar and about 1/2 cup of sour cream. I mixed it with a lot of dried dill, then added in 3 thinly sliced cucumbers and about 1/4 sliced purple onion. Mixed it all up and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. The potatoes and ham were done, but my family was not back yet. So it stayed in the oven an extra 10 minutes, which didn't hurt at all. Dinner was really good tonight.
Ham - just added a little brown sugar and leftover pineapple! Covered with foil and baked at 350 for 30 minutes.
Cheesy potatoes -
1. I sliced 4 good sized, peeled potatoes into thin pieces with the mandolin
2. I put them in the microwave for 5 minutes to get them softer so they would bake faster.
3. Chopped 2 large green onions and sauteed in butter for a few minutes to soften them up.
4. Put the potatoes and onions in a butter-greased baking dish, and spread evenly in the dish.
5. Heated 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Added 3 tablespoons of flour and about 1/2 cup of water, stirring with a wisk until well blended. Added about 1/4 cup of milk and stirred constantly. Added in about 1 cup of shredded cheese (I used cheddar). Stirred with wisk, then poured over potatoes/onions. Made sure to cover entire top of potatoes. I put that in the oven for 30 minutes also.
Then I made the cucumber salad. I used about 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1/4 cup of sugar and about 1/2 cup of sour cream. I mixed it with a lot of dried dill, then added in 3 thinly sliced cucumbers and about 1/4 sliced purple onion. Mixed it all up and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. The potatoes and ham were done, but my family was not back yet. So it stayed in the oven an extra 10 minutes, which didn't hurt at all. Dinner was really good tonight.
Day 13 - Make Your Own Pizzas
Tonight was a fun night. And it helped me use up some more leftovers! Make your own pizza consisted of:
flatbread
Pasta Sauce (leftover #1)
Pepperoni
Pineapple (for the others but not for me!)
tomatoes
mushrooms
cheese
The family was able to add whatever they wanted. There were other veggies available but this is what we ended up using. It was really yummy! I baked them for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees.
During and after pics:
flatbread
Pasta Sauce (leftover #1)
Pepperoni
Pineapple (for the others but not for me!)
tomatoes
mushrooms
cheese
The family was able to add whatever they wanted. There were other veggies available but this is what we ended up using. It was really yummy! I baked them for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees.
During and after pics:
Day 12 - Tuna Patties and Creamed Peas
We were looking for some easy, quick comfort food tonight. Tuna patties and creamed peas it is.
To make the tuna patties, I simply mix 1 large family pack of tuna with about 2 cups of crushed cheese crackers. I used Goldfish tonight. Seemed appropriate. Then I stir in 2 eggs. I mix all together, form into patties, and pan fry in a little bit of butter. Seasoning is simply salt and pepper, onion salt and a little garlic powder if desired. You can also add a little cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning if you feel so inclined. They are so good and crispy!
To make the creamed peas, I simply use 1 can of peas, about 3 cups of milk, and a little butter. I bring that all to a boil, adding in salt and pepper as I stir. Then I add a little cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken it up a bit. Takes me about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Maybe a little more.
To serve, I baked some bread rolls. This is also really good served on toast. :) I also made some tartar sauce. My hubby likes to add the sauce to the patties for a sweet taste.
That's it for one of our favorite comfort foods!
To make the tuna patties, I simply mix 1 large family pack of tuna with about 2 cups of crushed cheese crackers. I used Goldfish tonight. Seemed appropriate. Then I stir in 2 eggs. I mix all together, form into patties, and pan fry in a little bit of butter. Seasoning is simply salt and pepper, onion salt and a little garlic powder if desired. You can also add a little cayenne pepper or cajun seasoning if you feel so inclined. They are so good and crispy!
To make the creamed peas, I simply use 1 can of peas, about 3 cups of milk, and a little butter. I bring that all to a boil, adding in salt and pepper as I stir. Then I add a little cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken it up a bit. Takes me about 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Maybe a little more.
To serve, I baked some bread rolls. This is also really good served on toast. :) I also made some tartar sauce. My hubby likes to add the sauce to the patties for a sweet taste.
That's it for one of our favorite comfort foods!
Day 11 - Leftovers day
Everyone was wiped out today. And my refrigerator was overflowing with delicious leftovers. So, everyone just grabbed a dish out of the fridge and made their own meal. I choose some leftover pasta. Perhaps it was better than the first day anyway.
That's it for today. Sorry - no new ideas. :)
That's it for today. Sorry - no new ideas. :)
Day 10 - Chow Mein
Tonight I made Chow Mein, Garlic Soy Green Beans, and Oyster Wings - or rather Oyster Legs.
The Chow Mein was simply ground beef, water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic and some seasonings to make it great! The recipe that guided me is found here. I served with white rice and chow mein noodles. It was a nice change of pace for us!
The chicken legs I made in the wok. I only have an electric wok, but they turned out really good too! Recipe that I used as a guide is here.
For the green beans, I tried a new recipe with honey and soy sauce. It was not very good. Next time I am just going to coat the beans in a soy/garlic marinade the night before, and then dump it on the baking sheet and cook in the oven. I have done that before and they turn out great. Or I might try a different recipe...like this one.
The Chow Mein was simply ground beef, water chestnuts, mushrooms, celery, onion, garlic and some seasonings to make it great! The recipe that guided me is found here. I served with white rice and chow mein noodles. It was a nice change of pace for us!
The chicken legs I made in the wok. I only have an electric wok, but they turned out really good too! Recipe that I used as a guide is here.
For the green beans, I tried a new recipe with honey and soy sauce. It was not very good. Next time I am just going to coat the beans in a soy/garlic marinade the night before, and then dump it on the baking sheet and cook in the oven. I have done that before and they turn out great. Or I might try a different recipe...like this one.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Day 9 - Salsa Sampler
Tonight was a different type of meal. Nobody was very hungry and there are a ton of leftovers in the fridge. I had some fruits and veggies to use up as well. Tonight we had a salsa bar! I made a pico and a mango salsa, and some corn on the cob as well. Protein source was leftover meats and cheeses.
The pico was chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, and avocado, with cilantro, salt, and a little lemon juice (I had no limes).
The mango was chopped mango, roasted red pepper, garlic, onion and jalapeno. I also added a little cilantro, salt and lemon juice to keep it fresh longer.
Finally, the corn was boiled and today, I will take the leftover and make a corn salsa. That is simply corn, onion and jalapeno. We just ate the corn on the cob last night. I have some left over pork and will shred that today to make carnitas for lunch.
These salsas were filling for us last night, and they will make a great snack throughout the rest of the weekend. The bowls usually come out of the fridge 3+ times a day.
For a little sweet before bed, I made some warm caramelized peaches with cream. I sliced up the peaches, and put them in a foil lined pan. I added some brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Sealed it up and put it in the oven at about 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. When served, I drizzled a couple of tablespoons of cream over the warm peaches. Ice cream is also really good with them!
The pico was chopped tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, garlic, and avocado, with cilantro, salt, and a little lemon juice (I had no limes).
The mango was chopped mango, roasted red pepper, garlic, onion and jalapeno. I also added a little cilantro, salt and lemon juice to keep it fresh longer.
Finally, the corn was boiled and today, I will take the leftover and make a corn salsa. That is simply corn, onion and jalapeno. We just ate the corn on the cob last night. I have some left over pork and will shred that today to make carnitas for lunch.
These salsas were filling for us last night, and they will make a great snack throughout the rest of the weekend. The bowls usually come out of the fridge 3+ times a day.
For a little sweet before bed, I made some warm caramelized peaches with cream. I sliced up the peaches, and put them in a foil lined pan. I added some brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Sealed it up and put it in the oven at about 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. When served, I drizzled a couple of tablespoons of cream over the warm peaches. Ice cream is also really good with them!
Friday, August 21, 2015
Day 8 - Pasta!
K1 leaves for college tomorrow morning. Tonight's dinner was a favorite of his and designed to give us all energy for the 'move' tomorrow!
Homemade pasta and more deep fried eggplant was on the menu.
The eggplant was delicious. My sister has a garden that is producing a lot of eggplant. I decided to use up what I was given before saying goodbye to my biggest eater.
The pasta sauce was homemade. It had lots of veggies in it and it turned out really good!
Pasta sauce recipe:
1 lb ground turkey
1 green pepper - chopped
1 small onion - chopped
2 peeled carrots - chopped
5 fresh mushrooms - chopped
4 cloves garlic - chopped
salt
pepper
1-2 teaspoons ground oregano
1-2 teaspoons thyme
1-2 teaspoons dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
tomato paste if needed - I like my sauce a little runnier
1 cup sherry
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Cook turkey until no longer pink. Add in veggies and saute until tender-crisp.
Add in all other ingredients. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours (or longer if possible), stirring occasionally. Be sure to taste it and add/adjust as needed based on your likes. We like a little 'tang' in our sauce.
Homemade pasta and more deep fried eggplant was on the menu.
The eggplant was delicious. My sister has a garden that is producing a lot of eggplant. I decided to use up what I was given before saying goodbye to my biggest eater.
The pasta sauce was homemade. It had lots of veggies in it and it turned out really good!
Pasta sauce recipe:
1 lb ground turkey
1 green pepper - chopped
1 small onion - chopped
2 peeled carrots - chopped
5 fresh mushrooms - chopped
4 cloves garlic - chopped
salt
pepper
1-2 teaspoons ground oregano
1-2 teaspoons thyme
1-2 teaspoons dried basil (or fresh if you have it!)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
tomato paste if needed - I like my sauce a little runnier
1 cup sherry
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Cook turkey until no longer pink. Add in veggies and saute until tender-crisp.
Add in all other ingredients. Bring to boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours (or longer if possible), stirring occasionally. Be sure to taste it and add/adjust as needed based on your likes. We like a little 'tang' in our sauce.
Day 7 - Cabbage and Ham Soup
Today was the second day in a row that was rainy and 60 degrees. It was chilly and we needed something to warm us up. Simple soup recipe.
6 cups of chicken broth (water with chicken bouillon)
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 head of cabbage - roughly chopped
10 thick slices of ham - cubed
1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 stick of butter - drop in just before serving and stir to melt.
You can add in any other veggies that you like. For us - we just liked the simple recipe.
If you want to add potatoes, I recommend cooking them separately and adding them in after they are cooked and chopped. Otherwise the cabbage won't cook.
Serve with a little sour cream for a creamy taste! Its really good!
6 cups of chicken broth (water with chicken bouillon)
1/2 onion chopped
1/4 head of cabbage - roughly chopped
10 thick slices of ham - cubed
1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes or diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 stick of butter - drop in just before serving and stir to melt.
You can add in any other veggies that you like. For us - we just liked the simple recipe.
If you want to add potatoes, I recommend cooking them separately and adding them in after they are cooked and chopped. Otherwise the cabbage won't cook.
Serve with a little sour cream for a creamy taste! Its really good!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Day 6 - Piccata Chicken and Fried Eggplant
Today's dinner was really fabulous - and a different taste than we have had before! It was piccata chicken - which is basically just chicken breast that I pounded thin, coated with flour, fried up, and served with a yummy sauce. The sauce was interesting and very tasty! It consisted of chicken broth, marjoram, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice! I served it with some spaghetti noodles. Delicious!
K2 said less lemon juice. The rest of the family said no changes. Easy enough.
I also tried a new recipe for eggplant. Deep Fried Eggplant. Recipe was from Emeril - online. It was the best eggplant I have ever tried! And it went great with our meal. What a great way to get kids to eat eggplant. Yes, it was deep fried. But it was totally worth it!
Pic shows it all on one plate - because I forgot to snap a picture until after I was done! :)
Monday, August 17, 2015
Day 5 - Pizza and Salad
Today was boring. Frozen pizza and left over salad. It was good - but not much to write about. I have good reasons.
First, the kids were gone this evening. My daughter saw the recipe book out with the meal I was planning to make. She begged me to wait until tomorrow when she could be home to have some too. That's a score in my book! Then, I got really busy organizing my craft room. By the time I surfaced, it was after 6 pm. Ok. Pizza it is.
Tomorrow I am going to try the new recipe. Its chicken...stay tuned!
First, the kids were gone this evening. My daughter saw the recipe book out with the meal I was planning to make. She begged me to wait until tomorrow when she could be home to have some too. That's a score in my book! Then, I got really busy organizing my craft room. By the time I surfaced, it was after 6 pm. Ok. Pizza it is.
Tomorrow I am going to try the new recipe. Its chicken...stay tuned!
Day 4 - Spanish Rice!
Tonight we had a family favorite for dinner - Spanish Rice. Its something my mom used to make and we loved it as kids too!
Simple to make and on the table in about 20 minutes. Recipe is below. We had salad with a choice of dressings to accompany this tasty, one pan meal.
Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce (14 oz)
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
about 1/2 cup of ketchup
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons onion salt
A shake or two of red cayenne pepper
Pepper (to taste)
about 1/2 cup of sherry cooking wine
2 cups of instant rice
1 lb of fried bacon - all diced up
about 2 tablespoons of butter
Mix all of the ingredients (except the bacon) into a large fry pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove from heat, add bacon and butter, stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes with cover on to let butter melt in. Stir and serve!
My family has a tradition - just like when we were kids. We load up our plate with the rice, and then spread it out to cover the surface area of the plate. The original reason is simple - it cools faster. Plus, my kids can add a little more butter if they want, and its just the thing to do!
Simple to make and on the table in about 20 minutes. Recipe is below. We had salad with a choice of dressings to accompany this tasty, one pan meal.
Spanish Rice
Ingredients:
1 large can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce (14 oz)
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chilies
about 1/2 cup of ketchup
2 teaspoons garlic salt
2 teaspoons onion salt
A shake or two of red cayenne pepper
Pepper (to taste)
about 1/2 cup of sherry cooking wine
2 cups of instant rice
1 lb of fried bacon - all diced up
about 2 tablespoons of butter
Mix all of the ingredients (except the bacon) into a large fry pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir, and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes or until rice is cooked. Remove from heat, add bacon and butter, stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes with cover on to let butter melt in. Stir and serve!
My family has a tradition - just like when we were kids. We load up our plate with the rice, and then spread it out to cover the surface area of the plate. The original reason is simple - it cools faster. Plus, my kids can add a little more butter if they want, and its just the thing to do!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Day 3 - Pork Roast with Pineapple Salsa
Today's dinner was really nummy! I do love NEO.
Pork Roast (marinated in a pineapple juice, garlic, salt and brown sugar overnight) on the grill with a special roasted pineapple salsa. The salsa was simply grilled pineapple, red pepper and a jalapeno. All chopped up and mixed together just before serving. The pineapple was hot from grilling and really brought out the flavors of the salsa!
We also had homemade sweet potato fries and steamed green beans from the garden. What a colorful meal! We had mom over for dinner but there is still quite a bit of leftovers for lunches.
Because I had a lot of egg yolks left over from an angel food cake I made, I also made a special treat for dessert...creme brulee! It turned out great! With that crusty candy coating from the sugar on top, it was a great way to end the meal. I admit I was very stuffed and satisfied. Definitely topped restaurant quality and it was easy to make!
Hey - bonus! I remembered to take pictures... though I had already started eating. :)
Pork Roast (marinated in a pineapple juice, garlic, salt and brown sugar overnight) on the grill with a special roasted pineapple salsa. The salsa was simply grilled pineapple, red pepper and a jalapeno. All chopped up and mixed together just before serving. The pineapple was hot from grilling and really brought out the flavors of the salsa!
We also had homemade sweet potato fries and steamed green beans from the garden. What a colorful meal! We had mom over for dinner but there is still quite a bit of leftovers for lunches.
Because I had a lot of egg yolks left over from an angel food cake I made, I also made a special treat for dessert...creme brulee! It turned out great! With that crusty candy coating from the sugar on top, it was a great way to end the meal. I admit I was very stuffed and satisfied. Definitely topped restaurant quality and it was easy to make!
Hey - bonus! I remembered to take pictures... though I had already started eating. :)
Friday, August 14, 2015
Day 2...Turkey Taco Salads
Today's meal was really easy to put together. Below is the simple recipe. It was ready in less than 20 minutes which was great because I was gone most of the day. Taco salads made with ground turkey!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion chopped
seasoning (garlic salt, onion salt, a little cumin, pepper, paprika, and whatever else you like!)
1 can corn
1 can seasoned black beans
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
chips/tortillas or taco shells
lettuce
cheese
sour cream
avocado
green onion
salsa
any other toppings you want
Process:
Fry turkey and onion until browned. Add seasonings.
When turkey is completely cooked, add corn, black beans and tomatoes. Cook on low for another 5- 10 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with toppings!
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 onion chopped
seasoning (garlic salt, onion salt, a little cumin, pepper, paprika, and whatever else you like!)
1 can corn
1 can seasoned black beans
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
chips/tortillas or taco shells
lettuce
cheese
sour cream
avocado
green onion
salsa
any other toppings you want
Process:
Fry turkey and onion until browned. Add seasonings.
When turkey is completely cooked, add corn, black beans and tomatoes. Cook on low for another 5- 10 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with toppings!
Day 1...Simple Steak
Tonight was a simple start. Steak. On the grill.
I seasoned it with garlic salt, steak seasoning, and some beautiful black pepper. Tossed it on the grill (which needs to be replaced...soon!).
Because we were in the mood for something lighter, we opted for a salad with a Good Seasonings dressing, and a piece of toast with a little garlic salt. That was it. Day 1 - DONE!
I seasoned it with garlic salt, steak seasoning, and some beautiful black pepper. Tossed it on the grill (which needs to be replaced...soon!).
Because we were in the mood for something lighter, we opted for a salad with a Good Seasonings dressing, and a piece of toast with a little garlic salt. That was it. Day 1 - DONE!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)