MacGyver Night: Let Him Eat Quiche

When I plan the monthly menu not only do I account for when we have activities that will have us out of the house, or nights we pre-determine for dinner out, I also factor in nights my husband will not be home for dinner. Usually it’s only 2 nights month, the nights he volunteers for the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad and is on duty from 6PM to 6AM. This month he had an out of town trip for work so I planned for two nights of meals for just me and my son. I will be honest in that nine times out of ten I take advantage of the opportunity just to take my little guy to a local fast food chain because we do it rarely and sees it as a special treat when Daddy isn’t home. Every once in a while I have the ability to leave work a little early and do something fun like make pizzas:

Now back to the nights I thought my husband was out of town. Turns out the second night he was coming home and with traffic and such he’d be home by 7PM and was not stopping for dinner. I realize this at4:00PM. I am home. I am not going back out to store. He is not going to be happy with the meal of cheese and crackers I had planned for myself. Sounds like a MacGyver night right?

I look in my fridge and realize I have 8 cans of Reduced Fat Pillsbury Crescent rolls. Let me explain the crescent roll surplus by adding the only thing that I like more than couponing is getting bonus Box Tops…crazy obsession I know but I find it fun! Anyway, crescent rolls in hand I decide using them to make a crust would be quick and easy…and make a great base for a quiche! I cannot explain how my brain leapt to quiche other than to say that next to 6 said cans of crescents were a dozen eggs and a half of block of Gruyere cheese. I also knew there was prosciutto and scallions in the house….sounds like everything I needed for a quiche to me!

Being I never made quiche with crescent rolls I looked for some quick tips and found 2 ideas from cooks.com : Zucchini Crescent Quiche and Chicken Quiche. I didn’t have heavy cream or even half and half on hand but I did have reduced fat buttermilk on hand. I did use fresh ground pepper and dried mustard. I also prebaked the crescent rolls like one of the recipes suggested. I will say I had a little more difficulty rolling it into one piece of dough than I thought I would but I was finally able to get it into dish like I liked it.

My mixture for the filling:
2 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
6 ounces of freshly shredded Gruyere cheese
½ cup of green onion tops and bottoms
2 teaspoons of dried mustard
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 ounces of sliced prosciutto (I cut into bits using kitchen shears)

I poured it into the prepared crust and baked for 20 minutes.

 

It as extremely flavorful! The cheese, prosciutto and onion went very well together and the crust had a nice lightness to it. I think it will be easy to experiment with different combinations of ingredients. I mean, I DO have 7 more cans of crescent rolls after all!

And yes, real men DO in fact eat quiche!

As American as Apple Pie..that I didn't bake

When I read via AltDaily Food that another local food blogger had this inspired idea to host an Occupy event in the blog universe I was intrigued. When I visited her blog, Backstage Baking I was even more interested when I read that she wanted other food bloggers to post about apple pie along with the various Occupy and 99% movements. In her words: “Apple Pie: As American as Revolution”

Inspired I eagerly posted on her blog  about how I had this new pie crust recipe to try (courtesy of  my newly arrived and first issue of Fine Cooking) and how I was so excited because now it's cold, and it's fall and I should be baking...and...and

We had a loved family member visiting from out of town, the oldest had soccer, the littlest was tired and cranky, and hubby and his sister were at a race and I was out of all-purpose flour (wait, how am I out of flour?) Life happens. And that is sort of how I feel about the Occupy movements and the idea of the 99%. I don't think the politicians and Wall Street sat in a room and said let's figure out how to screw people...they made policies they thought would make them money, sure. They made assumptions about how markets and Global economies would operate...and then life happens. There are people who don't have good intentions. There are those who make bad decisions who make things hard on the rest of us. There are those who stand on the sidelines and wait for change to happen and there are those who decide to try and make a difference.

I will probably never pay off my student loan debt. My kids will probably have to take a few loans themselves. I made some bad financial choices when I was younger that I am paying for today..I don't blame anyone directly but I also think things need to change. We need to help one another. Be neighbors again. Be good stewards of our Earth and cloud parent all of the world's children so no one is neglected, unloved or unfed. And sometimes we just need to follow-through with what we said we would do, no excuses.

Now if you excuse me, I have a pie to bake.

Friday Night Bites: Recipe Re-Do - Turkey Burgers

It takes me a while to "finish" a recipe. Even when I find something I (and the family) really like, I still tweak it a bit each time I make it until it either becomes second nature or the recipe is at the best place possible with no other substitutions or changes needed. Take the turkey burgers I made with the kids for instance. They were delicious but I knew I could make a few changes here and there. Rachel Ray's recipe calls for red peppers but this time I used green and I upped the cumin and chili powder quotient a bit since no one shies away from spicy. I also changed how I cooked them:

For me, the grill pan made a huge difference versus the non-stick skillet Rachel suggests. I used some super thick cut bacon this time around (baked in the oven of course!) and I made sure to use the family's favorite cheese. We added grapes and some sweet potato fries:

Eaten in a flash. My step-daughter prefers turkey burgers to regular burgers now and the flavor and moistness of these burgers make them a good choice for even the current non-turkey burger lover.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope your weekend is full of yummy food!

Wordless Wednesday: What Every Wine Wednesday Should Look Like

Quick Meal: Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Pasta

Remember my Steal of the Week on an Easy Alfredo? I decided to try something different with the same basic sauce. I had left over rotisserie chicken from the chicken and herb white pizza and wanted to use it in something other than my usual Mexican ventures and this unusually warm Fall weather is not calling for chicken soup. I thought why not add it to the Alfredo sauce but better yet get a little green in there too and we always have frozen spinach on hand!

I started by adding the spinach and fresh garlic to the melted butter used to make the sauce. Once the spinach was heated through I added the cream cheese:

Next the milk, black pepper and I used the last of our parmigiano reggiano:

While the sauce heated and thickened, I cooked a bag of our favorite Wacky Mac pasta and added the hot cooked pasta to the sauce:

The finished meal was quick, simple and tasty and made leftovers to freeze for work lunches:

This has really become my go-to way to make Alfredo and by using light butter, reduced fat cream cheese and 2% milk...it is even better for you than the light Alfredo sold in the store!

Sunday Supper: Chili-Corn Chip Pie

Continuing with cooking new recipes out of Cooking Light I next attempted a recipe I really wanted to try: Chili-Corn Chip Pie. If you have never had the full fat version of this, with handfuls of corn chips (of course I love Fritos) in layers topped with beef chili and gobs of cheddar cheese, it IS delicious but of course not good for you. This recipe sounded like a good compromise since it still had the meatiness but just the flavor and crunch of the chips instead of handfuls of them.

The recipe starts with making just a simple skillet chili. I used ground beef instead of sirloin and while I understand the reasoning of using the sirloin, I had no issues with the ground beef.

Once you add the tomato paste, broth, water and tomatoes and chilies, it's a lot like making taco meat: waiting for the liquid to reduce down:

I found I had to add another tablespoon of tomato paste to get it to thicken to my liking. Once the chili is done, the assembly is a snap!

My step-daughter had two helpings as did I! We all enjoyed the quick chili so much we are already dreaming up other ways to use it. It could have also used a little more heat too but I think that also depends how we use it.

Wordless Wednesday: Number One Tool for This Fall and Winter

Steal of the Week: Chicken and Herb White Pizza

This month I tried something a little different when I planned for the month...I decided to concentrate on one source for my new recipes. I thought this might be a fun way of trying new things but also help me get through my pile of magazines! The recipe I stole this week is from by now what most of you should know is one of my favorite magazines: Cooking Light. The husband was especially interested in their Chicken and Herb White Pizza so I added it to the menu and went to work!

First of all, I always scoop up the pizza dough balls from my local Harris Teeter whenever they go on sale for 99 cents AND on Sunday's they usually mark down their rotisserie chickens $2 off. And since I also plan my menus based on ingredients...I already had the grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese too! The sauce was very easy and took no time to make. The only change I had to make was one of my own doing...how on earth was I out of fresh garlic? So in went garlic powder instead!

I will admit I am still having some difficulty with making a round of pizza dough! But the sauce still looked pretty yummy on it even if it was misshapen:

I followed the instructions to the letter, even ensuring I cooked it on the bottom rack. Anyone with a pizza stone know if that would make a difference? This picture in hindsight makes me laugh...looks like my tasty pizza is in jail!

Topped with parsley and chives from my very own herb garden (I didn't have fresh oregano and decided it didn't really need it) and the result was very good. Hubby suggested adding some crushed red pepper to the sauce (shocker) and the fresh garlic will definitely make a difference.

I think it will make a great appetizer pizza and I plan to try it with my own homemade dough...sometime soon!

RECIPE: Chicken and Herb White Pizza courtesy of Cooking Light

Travel Spot: Hubert Keller's Burger Bar - Las Vegas

Sorting through digital photographs after we returned from our weekend away, I discovered not only do I take pictures of EVERYTHING but I also sometimes forget what I photograph. case in point, our recent trip to Las Vegas and my personal goal to hit as many Top Chef Masters restaurants as possible. This beauty drew us in to the restaurant before we even knew that Hubert Keller was behind it.

This is the Nutella Shake at Hubert Keller's Burger Bar. You read it right a NUTELLA SHAKE and those nuggets on top are hazelnuts. Nutella, chocolate ice cream chocolate sauce and chocolate whipped cream... dessert perfection and delicious.

However, this dessert wasn't enough when I saw these pictured in the menu:

These are the flower pot sundaes and in order from left to right: chocolate coffee, strawberry graham and chocolate marshmallow. Yep, also delicious.

I'd like to add, this was the last place we ate our last day in Vegas but not the first time we ended up at Burger Bar. We had talked about that Nutella shake the first time we walked by the menu and kept putting off our visit. Than the Saturday night of our friend's wedding and after a wine tasting event...we were starved  and stumbled in to eat. We ordered the Hubert Keller burger: buffalo meat, caramelized onions, baby spinach, blue cheese on a ciabatta bun with a red wine shallot sauce...there is no photo because there was no time. As my friend Kandice would say: Freakin' Fantastic!

Friday Night Bites: Fall Pork Roast

I am still kicking myself that I didn't take a picture of the finished product but here is the before of my little 2.5 pound boneless pork roast nestled in the crock-pot of goodness.

You can see the freshly pitted dates and onions and the fresh rosemary. What you can't see is the cored, peeled and sliced yellow delicious apples. To this I also added 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of cloves, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of allspice. It just sounded good together so in it went.

At the end of the work day I came home to a house smelling of Fall! The pork was tender and flavorful and the other ingredients made a delicious warm compote. At the end of dinner, I strained the remaining solids in the pot and stored the liquid for later use...I am thinking it will snazz up my ever faithful crock-pot pork barbecue!

Wordless Wednesday:Zesty Sausage Cheese Balls

http://jimmydean.com/recipes/zesty-sausage-cheese-balls.aspx

Meatless Monday: Creamy Light Macaroni and Cheese

Every once in a while I try a recipe just because I am curious. Maybe it’s something I have never prepared before (like short ribs) or maybe it’s something that has a unique ingredient. Thumbing through my Cooking Light magazines and cookbooks in preparation of creating the monthly menus, I revisited their September cover recipe: creamy light macaroni and cheese.  I had some real interest in this because my hubby bless his heart loves the stuff but he has high cholesterol so I very rarely if ever make it. What makes it light? Well, here is where the unique ingredient comes in: butternut squash! Yep, Cooking Light shared a recipe that calls for a butternut squash béchamel and since they are in season I said, why not?

Frankly the hardest part of preparation was pealing that damn squash!! Perhaps this would be the point that I should mention this is the second time in my life I have dealt with this particular gourd in its original form (I usually cheat and buy the pre-peeled and cubed they sell in the produce section). I spent Saturday at our local Farmer’s Market with my family and some friends and picked up just-from-the-farm butternut squash and promptly struggled to peel it and seed it. If only I had seen this first: How to Peel and Cut a Butternut Squash.

RECIPE: Creamy Light Macaroni and Cheese:

I varied a little from the instructions, choosing to use my stick blender rather than attempt to pour hot squash and chicken broth from my pot...and it still came out wonderfully creamy:

The sauce was in fact absolutely delicious! I was so impressed that it didn't taste like squash at all. The high quality cheese is certainly a little pricey but it makes all the difference. Once it's added to the pasta it already looks delicious, and I used whole wheat penne:

The topping was super easy and it takes only a few minutes to brown the panko which when combined with the Parmigiano-Reggiano surprisingly made enough to sprinkled over the top as indicated.

The moment of truth was the taste test after it's 25 minutes in the oven. It was more than a success as hubby almost went for thirds! The 4 year-old ate it too and it made a ton so we had plenty to freeze for another time. Definitely a keeper!!

Sunday Supper: Cabernet Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta

When I received this month's issue of Cooking Light magazine I was super excited about the section on cooking in a Dutch oven. I recently acquired a very nice seasoned cast iron one and have been waiting for the opportunity to break it in! The first recipe that caught my eye was the one for Cabernet Short Ribs with Parmesan Polenta. I love short ribs, but frankly have never cooked them so this was going to prove to be an adventure...luckily my Harris Teeter had these already on hand:

NOTE: I halved the recipe since it was just for me and hubby!

The recipe has several parts so I actually prepared my mise en place:

I could have eaten the short ribs after they were just browned in the pan:

Here is another case for smell-o-vision...I think I tweeted the night I was cooking this about how heavenly the house smelled. Just the ingredients through the rosemary smelled delicious, but the addition of the wine made everyone's mouth water:

Once the short ribs went into the oven, it was time to start the polenta. This is also something I have never attempted. The recipe called for "quick cooking polenta" and I bought this:

Once I read the package I realized I may have erred, but it turned out to be a simple fix. While the recipe called for 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of water, since the package said the contents could be reconstituted with 1-2 cups of liquid, I just used 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of water.

When the short ribs came out of the oven, I had to refrain myself from tearing into them right there:

After I strained the cooking liquid and used my fat separator, I returned the liquid to the pan as the recipe indicated...here is where I made another error: I let it reduce too much. the flavor was still fantastic but I didn't get the sauciness I expected or the recipe promised. But the dish was in fact beautiful and every step was worth it:

Turns out hubby is not quite the short rib lover (he has this thing about "fatty" meat) but I am using the leftover ribs (two per person was more than filling) to make a shredded beef BBQ I will be serving over the reused polenta, fried into cakes. If I ever have someone over for dinner I want to impress, these will make an appearance again.

Steal of the Week: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I have been making a conscious effort to shop seasonally more and more so much of this month's menu features produce that is plentiful (and thus cheaper!) this time of year. One of the fall's most popular produce items is a personal favorite of mine: sweet potatoes. I can rock a mean puree (if you are local and been able to watch Cooking with Passion on Cox 11 you saw that in Round 1 --or look for my hands and a stick blender in the promo here) or I always go the standard cook-like-a-baked-potato and dress in butter and cinnamon and sugar. This time I had cream cheese on hand and thought I'd give that a whirl in creating a simple mashed sweet potato side to go along with these beautiful marinated strips (the marinade was fresh squeezed lemon, fresh ginger, Worcestershire, ketchup and soy sauce) :

I ended up stumbling upon a super easy recipe for Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes courtesy of Kraft Recipes.    

And really it doesn't get any easier then peeled and cut sweet potatoes, chicken broth (I used the organic free range I had on hand), cream cheese (I as usual used neufchatel) and nutmeg (I saw no need for the almonds). The great thing about a stick blender is one pot cooking! The finished meal came together with the steaks beautiful grilled by my hubby:

Hubby was such a fan of the sweet potatoes he had to restrain himself from a THIRD helping! They were delicious and I am already thinking of making them for Thanksgiving in lieu of regular potatoes.

Link to Love: What the F@#k should I make for dinner?

My good friend Amy passed along a site to me today that made me angry. Not because it's horribly controversial or is extreme plagiarism or pontificates on the merit of beets (Have I ever mentioned my HATRED of beets? Seriously it's the ONLY food I don't eat!) but because it's brilliant and I am mad I didn't think of it first:


http://www.whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com

Yep, you read that right. AND he has a book that goes with it! My pal Ames knows me well and I laughed hysterically as I clicked through the site...hey food can be funny!

Wordless Wednesday: Spaghetti and Meatballs!

October Meal Planning

Better late than never right? Here is this month's calendar:

If you have not picked up this month's issue of Cooking Light several of the recipes I am trying out this month are from that issue (even the chili corn chip pie, I swear!). I also recently became the owner of a cast iron Dutch oven and cannot wait to braise some meats and make chilis and stews!!

Please share with me your meal planning...big or small we all learn from each other! And don't forget, continue to send me your recipes and results, I may feature your experience and/or test your recipe!

Steal of the Week + Meatless Monday: Apple and Blueberry Crumble

My dear friend Zack recently took a trip to the Shenandoah Valley and asked if I would be interested in having some apples from his adventure in apple picking. Actually, I am not sure if I allowed him to finish asking the question, instead interrupting enthusiastically to shout "Apples! I love apples, yes, please!". Once the apples arrived I immediately cut and ate one and quickly remembered why store bought apples are lame (well, okay to be fair store bought apples are fine but compared ot picked off the tree to table...not even close!)

The next question was, now with a bounty of apples, what to make with them? My favorite dessert next to pecan pie is apple pie but anyone who regularly follows this blog knows I am a novice (see also "not good experiences") at baking and while I am working on getting better at it, not sure if I am ready for a scratch pie. However, baking or no baking, I am pretty good using mixes to make practically anything so when BettyCrocker.com coincidentally sent me an e-mail with recommended recipes for apples, I found the recipe for Southern Apple Crumble. Of course, as is always the case I made my own substitutions and instead of oatmeal cookie mix I used sugar cookie mix and I decided to add a cup of blueberries that I had on hand.

The recipe was very easy...I rough chopped 3 of the largest apples I had and mixed those with the sugars, butter and cinnamon right in the dish I used and sprayed with cooking spray.

The next step is adding the cookie mix which was mixed with the stick of melted butter (I used unsalted reduced fat butter).

After 40 minutes at 300 degrees, you had the chopped pecans and then I baked it for another 15 minutes:

Admittedly I cut into it too soon after taking it out of the oven so it was a little liquidy at first but it smelled so fantastic and I was so excited to top it with ice cream:

DELICIOUS! My co-workers were the beneficiaries the next day since I don't like keeping something like this around the house for just me and the little boy (Hubby not a big cobbler fan) and it lasted about 45 minutes in our break room. I love oatmeal cookies and I can totally see how that was good in the original recipe but something about the sugar cookie topping just made it for me! Happy #MeatlessMonday !