Pesto BLT Salad

I enjoy bacon. On its own it is amazing, but added to almost any savory dish it becomes amazing. A BLT sandwich is one of those ultimate comfort foods. My friend Elissa introduced me to a BLT Salad a few years ago and it was love at first bite. Chop salad - yes please. A club sandwich... yum. Wilted leaf lettuce salad (recipe coming soon) - childhood memories.

A few months ago my husband and I hit up a new bar and grill in town and I had their pesto chicken club sandwich. Until then, I had missed the amazing combination of pesto and bacon. Now I'm on a mission to pair the two wherever I can (within reason so I can keep my waistline in check).

This amazing salad came together today as I cleaned out the odds and ends in my fridge. If this is what I come up with, maybe I should clean it out more often.

6 c. Chopped Greens (I used spinach, but romaine would be good)
2 c. Orzo, cooked
2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
5 slices of Bacon, fried and chopped
4 T. Pesto
Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

Cook the orzo until al dente and drain. Rinse briefly with cold water to cool it off and keep pesto from soaking into the pasta too quickly. Toss the pasta with the pesto and set aside to cool while completing the salad. Chop your greens and then add the tomato and bacon. I opted to chop the bacon small to get a little bit in every bite.

Fold in the pesto pasta with the salad and stir to coat. Add additional pesto if necessary. Top with freshly shredded cheese. Served slightly warm, this salad was a great combination of crispy, smooth, salty, and a bit sweet. Definitely a summer salad worth repeating.

* Adding a bit of pine nuts or chicken would be a nice addition to the salad as well. I had a bit extra leftover and pit it a tortilla and it made a great filling for a wrap.

Pico De Gallo Pasta

What's a girl to do when you have all the makings for Pico De Gallo and no chips with which to eat them with? No Mexican main course with what to use it with? No means in which to eat it, except a spoon. Pico is a sauce, and topping, not to be eaten straight... well you can if you'd like, but I can't.

So what's a girl to do? Break out the pasta. Pasta is like the neutral color of food that goes well with just about everything.

This was a quick dinner that I'll be definitely repeating. It would also work well for leftover pasta or pico that might be hanging out in the fridge. You could easily add shredded chicken to the dish for a bit of protein.

1 lb Pasta, cooked al dente (wheat or gluten-free varieties work)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded & finely diced
1/4 c Cilantro, chopped
1/4 c Onion, chopped (optional)
2 t Minced Garlic
1 T Lime Juice
1 t Salt
3 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, Canola, etc)

Seed and chop 3 ripe tomatoes and 1 jalapeno. Add the chopped cilantro, onion, lime, and salt to the tomato and pepper and allow the flavors to marinade. Meanwhile, cook the pasta til al dente and set aside.

In a large skillet, add oil and garlic and slowly roast over medium-low heat. Watch carefully so that it doesn't scorch/burn. Add pasta and toss to coat. Remove from heat and toss with pico de gallo mixture. Serve warm or chilled.

Chicken Pot Pie

I grew up on the Banquet frozen chicken pot pies. I thought that is what a pot pie should taste like. I was wrong. I tried a pot pie at a homestyle restaurant a few years ago which was more like a bland chicken stew with a puff pastry on top. I was getting closer. Then I discovered this mixture... and I have arrived at total comfort food.

This again will fall into my category of "I made it by method rather than by measurement." I know this will drive some of you nuts, but it's just how I cook. I'll give you the best estimates of what I did, but please feel free to adapt this to fit your needs (*see below). This is a great meal for leftovers for a quick fix, or you can cook the ingredients from start to finish.

2 pie crusts (top & bottom)
2-3 c cooked chicken, diced
1-2 c cooked potato, diced*
1 c cooked carrots, diced*
2 c chicken gravy **
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t celery seeds

In a large pan, mix together all ingredients other than the pie crusts. Allow them to simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Meanwhile, lightly sprinkle a pie tin with flour and add the bottom crust. Pour the mixture into the crust and quickly add the top crust and pinch the edges together before the heat starts to soften the dough. If it doesn't seal well due to the softened dough, that's okay, but make sure there something under the pan while cooking to catch any drippings. Make small slits in the crust with a knife to allow the steam to vent. Brush the pie crust with a bit of melted butter (optional) and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil or a silicone ring for the first 30 minutes and remove to allow it to brown in the final minutes. I recommend placing the pie tin on a cookie sheet or put tin foil under the pan to catch any of the gravy that may drip out.

* Method - use 2 cups of veggies total - split them however you like. I like a lot of potato in mine because it makes for a hearty pie. I know peas are traditional, but I just don't care for them. Celery would be a good addition, but I didn't have any.

**Depending on what veggies you use, you may need more or less gravy. Start with less and add more as needed. The potatoes tend to absorb more.

Carne Asada Marinade

On our last freezer cooking adventure, we made a carne asada  marinade. We put the steak in a gallon freezer bag, put all the ingredients in a blender to mix it up, and poured the marinade over the steak.  Grill the meat to medium and allow the meat to rest/cool a bit before slicing. Be sure to cut the steak thinly, cross-grain to keep it as tender as possible.

When I pulled the steak out to make the tacos this week, it turned out tender and flavorful. My son couldn't get enough of it. This is a great way to use a less expensive cut of meat, and not a lot of it to feed the whole family. Serve with lots of veggies (peppers, onions, lettuce, tomatoes/salsa, etc) and a bit of sour cream.

3/4 c Oil (I used olive oil) - I'd use 1/2 c next time
1/4 c Lime Juice
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 t Cumin
1 t Salt
1/4 t Pepper
1/4 t Chili powder (optional)

Freezer Meal Ordeal - Summer

It was another round of freezer cooking with my girlfriends from our small group last weekend. It was a lot of fun and laughs (as usual), but a great time to really talk in depth about life and our experiences.

I love that cooking together allows us that uninterrupted time (thanks guys for handling the kids) to share life and our hearts. Working side-by-side with other generates a great environment for deepening relationships. Not only do we come out with lots of great food to save us cooking later, but a bit refreshed personally as well.

What was the menu?
Mini Ice Cream Pies (we did vanilla this time)
Belgian Waffles
Oatmeal pancakes
Sesame Garlic Chicken
Turkey Taco Meat (with pureed peppers) - recipe coming
Marinaded Meat - raw with marinade ready to grill
    - Carne Asada
    - Garlic Herb Chicken - recipe coming

I admit, we've already eaten several of the items. Need to pace myself to make these last.

Caprese Pinenut Pizza

This pizza is a seasonal sensation. I have fresh basil from my herb container garden. Real tomatoes are starting to appear in the store - you know the ripe kind. Put them together with freshly grated mozzarella, loaded tomato sauce, and pine nuts for a tasty and sophisticated pizza. 

There is something amazing about toasted pine nuts. They aren't cheap, but just a few add such great crunch and flavor. I keep them in the fridge for little splurges and to make pesto.

As a texture eater, crunch is one of the best things you can add to any dish. This pizza has the pine nuts for crunch along with toasted mozzarella and a crisp crust. Under that crisp surface is the stretching gooey cheese and a fresh sauce.

Spray the edge of the crust with a little oil and sprinkle with salt, sesame seeds, crushed herbs, or whatever you enjoy before baking.

The crust:
2 c Unbleached Flour
2 c Wheat Flour
1 1/2 c Water
2 T Olive Oil
1 t Italian Seasoning
1/2 t Sea Salt
1/4 t Garlic Powder
2 t Yeast

Throw it all the bread machine and let the paddles do the work for you. Spread out on parchment paper, add your choice of toppings and bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. I put a bit of basil on the flavors to bake in and sprinkled on fresh chopped basil after it came out for the fresh taste.

Time Crunch Method - add topping to your favorite frozen cheese pizza. Reserve some fresh basil to sprinkle on after it finishes baking.

Dairy-free Beef Stroganoff

I've posted a recipe before for Beef Stroganoff before. I still really like it, but I can't feed it to my son with a dairy allergy. It was a favorite, so I needed to find a way to make it safe.  What we came up with was really good.

In a crockpot add:

2-3 lbs of Steak, cubed (any inexpensive cut will work)
1 pkg Beef Stock concentrate + 2 c water or 1 can beef broth
2 t Onion Powder
1/2 t Celery Salt or powder
1 T Minced Onion
1/4 - 1/2 t Salt

Cook on high 3-4 hrs or low for 7-8 hrs. When meat is fork tender, drain off liquids into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Add 1/4 t pepper and wisk (if soy isn't an issue, add 1 T of Worcestershire). Make a slurry by mixing 1 T or cornstarch to 2 T of water. Slowly wisk into liquid until desired consistency is reached. Return sauce to meat.

Serve over rice or egg noodles. If you miss it, mix in 1 t of sour cream to non-allergen eaters portion. I really didn't miss it at all.

Gluten Free Chicken Coating

In our gluten-free world, I've been working on a thin (non-corn meal) coating to make chicken strips out of. I think we have reached success. My husband and kiddos devoured the chicken. This coating is lightweight so the chicken is the star, browns nicely, and develops a great crunch.

I used potato starch as the base for the coating. You'll find it in the baking isle near the flour and corn starch. However, it's much cheaper to find at an Asian or ethnic food market. I guess you could use corn starch as well, but I don't think the flavor would be quite the same.

1 c Potato Starch
1 t Salt
1 t Italian Seasoning
1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/2 t Onion Powder

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dip the chickens strips in milk (cow, rice, or almond) and then into the coating mixture. Shake off excess and then add to a frying pan of hot oil. Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes until coating is browned and then turn. Continue to fry until chicken is completely cooked through and all sides are browned. Serve warm on their own, with BBQ sauce, sweet & sour, marinara, etc.

This tasted great dipped in sweet and sour sauce and might have to make a meal of that soon.

Dilled Chicken Salad

I've never been a fan of chicken salad. More accurately, I've always hated chicken salad. I'm a texture eater and chicken salad usually falls in the slimy category. With a gallon of mayo and gobs of watery grapes, I've not been able to see past the texture to even get close enough to taste.

That was until my friend Sheila at FM Cheapskate introduced me to her version of chicken salad. This has it all - creamy + crunchy, salty + sweet, easy + stylish. This one will likely be finding it's way into my lunches for work. However, this likely won't fall into the kids category any time soon.

Now Sheila makes this like I would, all by eye and taste. There were no measuring utensils out, but I tried to eye ball the measurements. Tweak this to any amount that fits your fancy.

2 Chicken breasts, cooked & shredded
1/2 c Mayonnaise
3 T Craisins
2 T Sunflower seeds
1 t Dill weed (more if yours isn't very fresh)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients to taste. Serve on sandwiches or on its own.

Thanks Sheila.

Roasted Pheasant

There are two types of pheasant that I was familiar with... the fancy kind under glass and the rustic hunter kind. Well, I'm finding there is a few types in between.  My husband actually made the most amazing dinner for me a few weeks ago. It was a delightful and tasty welcome home.

Once again we learned the secret to good poultry is a good brine. No more dry and flavorless birds for us. I loved the subtle taste of the bay leaves that come out from the brine.

Take a peek at the recipe for roasted pheasant and test it for yourself. The brine my husband made omitted the juniper berries because we didn't have any. Don't think it really needed them.

The leftovers stayed moist and we used them to make soup and quesadillas.

Venison Stew

Sorry, no pictures from dinner, but it was eaten and enjoyed. Yes, I said I enjoyed venison. This is new. I've not been a fan until finding a few simple preparations that remove the wild game taste.

If you are not a fan of venison, you can replace it with beef.

1 lb Venison steak, cubed (or beef)
1 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, or Safflower)
4 large Carrots, peeled and chopped
4-5 large Potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 Bay leaves
2 t Sea Salt
2 t Pepper
1 1/2 c Beef broth
2 T Corn or potato starch


In a hot skillet add the oil and venison. Sear (brown) the meat and add it to a crockpot. Mix in the potatoes, carrots and bay leaves. Add the broth to the pan and use it deglaze (pick up the tidbits off the pan), and pour over the meat/veggies. Season with salt & pepper (and a bit of Worcestershire if you'd like). On low, cook for 8 hours, or 3-4 hours on high. 

When meat and potatoes are tender, drain the juices off into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Make a slurry (mixture) of the starch and 3-4 T of water and wisk into the juices. Bring to a boil to thicken. Season to taste. Pour over meat and veggies and serve. Be sure to remove the bay leaves before eating. The are NOT edible.

With a nice crusty bread to dip in the sauce, you've got a hearty meal for those cold winter nights.

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast has become a struggle in our world. Getting all of us ready and out the door in time to get the bus and to work on time AND eat a decent breakfast is a stretch. I manage to get the kids fed, but I've been surviving on granola bars. BUT NO LONGER.

I spent the night cooking breakfast for all of us for the next week. I have pumpkin pancakes, millet Belgian waffles (more like waffle shreds - but that's an epic failure story for later), chopped up ham bits, along with ham & cheese burritos in the fridge and freezer.

I've posted before about the breakfast burritos I made for my husband, but those were egg based. I am NOT a fan eggs. So I had to find another filling to keep me happy for breakfast. I had a whole bunch of leftovers and odds and ends around to use up so in they go. Think of it as a breakfast skillet in a tortilla. Eat it on your way (safely of course), for a quick snack, or just because.

4 med Potatoes, diced *
1/2 c Bell pepper, diced
1 c Ham, diced
1/3 c Cheese, shredded (omit if dairy free, but you might need to increase oil to 3 T)
2 T Oil (Olive, Sunflower, or Safflower)
1 t Salt
1/4 t Garlic powder
1/4 t Black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until slightly softened and browned. Add peppers and continue to cook 2-3 minutes. Add spices and ham and continue to saute for another 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat (if freezing allow to cool completely and then) and add cheese and portion out onto slightly warmed tortillas. Fold tortillas burrito style and wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bags for later use.

WARNING: if you add hot contents to the tortilla and wrap them up, the steam will cause your burrito to become very soggy in the storage process. Only fill with warm contents if eating immediately.

* You could substitute southern-style frozen hashbrowns (the square cut) for potatoes for a short cut. I prefer the larger potato chunks and organic potatoes are far less expensive than organic frozen hashbrowns.

Pizza Sticks & Bowling

My husband and I took our boys bowling today for the first time. They had the time of their life and made quite a few people around us smile and laugh. The sad part is my 4-year-old almost beat me. I pulled off a strike in the last frame just in time to save my pride. God bless whoever created bumper bowling.

I was looking for something pizza like to make for my son tonight since we were out of crust mix so I came up with a trick that we will definitely be trying out again. I took a few slices of bread (in his case it was a millet/flax), buttered it and sprinkled it with garlic salt like we would for making garlic toast. I took the pizza cutter and cut it into thin strips and then sprinkled on some cheese (Daiya shreds) and broiled it until nice and toasty. I served it with a side of our loaded spaghetti sauce that we use for pizza sauce. It was a huge hit and very easy to make. I'll be putting this one in the snack file for later too.

Not a bad day.

Sesame Garlic Chicken

I've been experimenting with new recipes again. I love the flavors of Chinese, but I can't use soy if my oldest is going to eat it... That posses a bit of a problem. So I'm working with the flavors I can use - garlic and sesame.

1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 t Garlic, minced
1-2 T Oil (sunflower, safflower, other)
1 T Sesame seeds
1/2 t Sea Salt
Pepper

I sliced the chicken into very thin slices and added it to the oil I had pre-heated in a large fry pan. I browned the chicken over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes and added the garlic, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to the chicken and finished cooking until the chicken was cooked through (being careful not to burn the garlic).

I served this over basmati rice (any type will do) and leftover chopped carrots. The oil from the sauce lightly coated the rice and it wasn't dry at all. I tried a bit with sweet and sour sauce and that worked well too.

We'll definitely be making this one again. It was super fast and easy.

Ham Glaze

We tried something different for Christmas dinner. Yes, we did ham as usual, but we made our own glaze. It really is very simple and tastes much like a ham that you would get from an expense ham store...


Besides, who isn't going to love using a blow torch in the kitchen. You could use a long handled lighter as well, but it isn't nearly as efficient. and more likely to burn the sugar.

3/4 c Brown Sugar
1/4 t Cinnamon
Dash of Ginger
Dash of Paprika
Dash of Nutmeg
Dash of Ground cloves

Place the ham cut side down on a glass or metal pan. Lightly rub the glaze mixture over the meat and pack it on to stick. You don't want large clumps of sugar because they are too hard to melt without burning. Quickly run the blowtorch over the sugar to melt/caramelize the sugars. It will darken slightly and smooth out. You can run over the sugar multiple times to get it to melt. If you leave the fire in one place too long, it will burn. Allow the sugar to cool and repeat the process.

You can then serve the ham cold or warm. I'm a fan of warm meat myself, and the glaze helped keep the ham really moist on the inside.

Thanksgiving - Turkey Brine

Thanksgiving is done. Turkey Day 2010 came and went and I got to try out my very first turkey brine. Let me tell you, once you taste a brined turkey - there is NO GOING BACK.

You might be asking by now, "What's a brine?" Think of it as a salt water marinade. The flavors and moisture is absorbed into the turkey. I found out that your brine base has three basic ingredients that you can build off - water, salt, and sugar. Here is what I came up with.


1 qt Weak Apple Juice (* see below)
1 gal. + Cold Water
1 1/2 c Salt
1/2 c Brown Sugar
2 T Peppercorns
1 t Onion Powder

Put your turnkey in a food safe container (bucket, brining bag, cooking bag, etc). You want a container large enough that the whole turkey can be covered with the liquid. mix seasoning and liquids and pour over meat. Keep in a cold place (refrigerator or garage if you life far enough north) for 12-15 hours (basically overnight).

When you are ready to roast it, drain the liquid and pat dry with paper towel. Rub a bit of oil over the skin and apply any desired herbs to skin. In the cavity I added an apple & onion (split in half and microwaved for 5 minutes in a bit of water to soften them up), and some fresh thyme and rosemary.

Bake at 450 for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 350 and roast until internal temp comes to 162 degrees. Allow to rest for 30 minutes to continue cooking and redistribute juices before carving. That's the perfect amount of time to cook a side dish - stuffing, casserole, veggies, etc.

I covered the turkey breast with foil after the first 30 minutes. After that, honestly I forgot to baste the turkey. It turned out completely moist all the way through with a mild apple flavor. My husband said it was the best turkey he's ever had.

As a side benefit - the drippings made the most amazing gravy. It was a hint of sweetness, a good balance of salt, and a bit of apple flavor. I only need to add a bit of pepper to season the gravy. A perfect match with my apple sausage stuffing.

We never got to do the kindness jar that I mentioned earlier in the week. My youngest got a case for the stomach flu. All of our plans went helter skelter. No volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House (thankful that our friends still could go and pick up my slack), no friends for Thanksgiving dinner, no lots of things. But surprisingly I was okay with all of it.

Far away from home and everything else, I had anticipated being homesick. God blessed me with a great level of contentment and peace. It was a wonderful day with my family. AMAZING food that we'll be eating for a while since it was just us, and lots of time with my boys.

I am so thankful for my family, our health, our friends, our church, a simpler life, and God's provision in our life. Oh yeah, and lots of great food. May the season and spirit of Thanksgiving last all year long.

* I actually didn't use apple juice. It was the juice produced by boiling my apple peels left over from making applesauce with a qt of water. If using regular apple juice I would use a watered down, weak version.

Thanksgiving - Thankful Turkeys

Okay, let's get down to turkey. It's one of my favorite meats. I cook it more than just Thanksgiving because I can't wait that long to eat it. Usually it's a hot week in the summer and I blast the air so I can handle cooking in the kitchen. Throw in a few turkey roasts in between and frozen leftovers, and I make it through the year.

I've tried several methods over the years to cook. I was brought up on the turkey bag method. It produces a moist turkey. From all I've been learning about health/food/allergies/safety I'm not really comfortable to cook things in plastic. I've become more adventuresome over the years and have basted turkeys, applied herb butter under and on top of the skin (yum), cooked it upside down (resulted in very flat and compressed white meat), and sliding bacon under the skin.

This year I'm soaking the turkey in a brine (salt water solution) ahead of time, stuffing it with apples and aromatics, and cooking it with foil tent (removing at the end to brown). My SIL brines her turkeys and they are AMAZING so I'm giving it a whirl. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tomorrow we kick off Thanksgiving week with a thankful jar. At each meal we'll put a note into the jar with something/someone we are thankful for. At the end of the week, we'll have a jar full to be grateful for. I've also planned out a theme to be thankful for each day - health/family, freedom, work, fun, faith/church, etc. I'm looking forward to the week ahead.

Chicken Fiesta Enchiladas

A bunch of leftovers was combines to make these amazing enchiladas. I used the base recipe from my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas and tried to make it a bit healthier and fresher. We've also been looking at cutting back our meat consumption to help control grocery costs and focus on eating more fruits and veggies. This meal does both. My husband likes these even better than the original.

10 - 12 Tortillas
1 c Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 c Sour cream
1 t Taco seasoning
1 sm can Green chilis, drained
8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded & divided
1 c White rice, cooked and cold
1 c Corn
1 c Bell pepper, chopped
1 can Green enchilada sauce

Mix together the soup, sour cream, taco seasoning, and green chilis. Add in the chicken, rice, corn, peppers, and 3/4 c of cheese and mix together. Spoon about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of the mixture into each tortilla and lay in a 9 X 13 baking pan*, seam side down.

Pour the enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 40 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with lettuce, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, or other garnishes of your choice.

* I usually split this into 2-3 meals for my husband and I since it isn't a favorite with my kids. It freezes well.

Apple Juice Oatmeal

Ever wanted to eat apple pie for breakfast. Okay, confession, I have eaten pie for breakfast a few times. So here's my solution for enjoying those flavors without the guilt or having to hide in the closet with last night's dessert leftovers to avoid being seen by your kiddos.

You want to use old fashioned oats rather than quick oats. The thicker texture makes it so much better.Instead of cooking the oats in water, use apple juice and 1 t of cinnamon to cook the oatmeal according to package instructions. Bob's Red Mill has g-free oats that I used to makes this. A-MAZ-ING.

Living on the wild side? Top with a dollop of whipped cream and call it a bit of dairy for your breakfast.

Toppings:
Milk
Maple Syrup
Whipped cream
Applesauce
Diced Apples
Blueberries
Jam
Chopped Nuts: Almonds/Peanuts/Walnuts/Pecans

Roasted Chicken

For some reason, the idea of roasting a whole chicken sounded intimidating to me. I'm not sure what that I was. I could roast a whole turkey and chicken pieces, but a whole chicken. Hadn't gone there.

About a year ago, I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com and I've changed my mind. I no longer am dependent on grocery store rotisserie chicken. My father-in-law couldn't stop eating it. It was incredibly moist with hints of the flavors it was stuffed with. **I tweaked it a little my tastes.

1 (3-4 pound) whole chicken, rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
1 sm onion, quartered
1/4 c chopped fresh rosemary (I just threw in a few sprigs)
**I also added 1 small chopped apple

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff with the onion and rosemary. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish or roasting dish.

Roast in the preheated oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on the size of the bird.

The Frugal part of this is that whole chickens go on awesome sales and can hang out in the freezer until you need them. Great with mashed potatoes and veggies.