Tuna Melt Pie

I took Rachel Ray's Tuna Melt Pie recipe and modified it for our family's taste:

Ingredients:

1 tblsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

8 florets of broccoli, chopped (you can also use chopped stems)

Four 5-ounce cans of tuna, drained

2 tblsp mayonnaise

1.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs

1/4 cup flour

2 tblsp butter, melted

Directions:

First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Then, heat olive oil in a large skillet, add the onions and stir until they are translucent. Add the chopped up broccoli and cook another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the tuna and mayo and mix together.

Then combine the onion/broccoli mixture as well as 2/3rds of the cheese. Mix well.

Then, in a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, flour and butter. Stir that into the tuna mixture and transfer the entire thing to a 10 inch pie dish. Bake until browned - about 35 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and broil until the cheese has melted.

My kids really enjoyed this meal and asked for seconds and thirds. Whew!

Pretty Yummy Chili

I made this chili last month and it turned out rather yummy! The kids even liked it!

Ingredients:

1 lb of organic ground beef (we buy ours at Costco)

1 bottle of V8 juice

1 can of diced tomatoes (or several fresh ones cut up if you have them)

1 can of organic kidney beans

1 can of organic black beans

2-3 cups of frozen corn kernels

1 onion (I used medium yellow), chopped

1 teaspoon of chili powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown and break up the ground beef in a large chili pot until it's no longer pink inside (over medium-high heat). Add the chopped onion and cook until it's translucent. Add the chili powder, tomatoes, beans, V8 juice and corn and mix it all up. Continue to cook on medium heat until everything has heated through.

You can serve this with grated cheddar and fresh chopped onions if you desire.

Quinoa, Black Beans, Corn and Spice!

Tonight, I sauteed up some collard greens in olive oil, onions and garlic. It turned out yummy as always. This went really well with our main dish (all gluten-free). Here's how I made the Quinoa with black beans and corn:

Ingredients:

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

3/4 cup uncooked Quinoa

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (can use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian)

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1 can black beans

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne (or more or less to heighten or soften the flavor)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In large sauce pan (or deep skillet) heat oil, then add chopped onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add Quinoa, brother, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper and mix. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add corn and mix/cook for a few minutes. Finally, add black beans and cilantro and mix through to heat.

Serve hot with the collard greens.

Grilled Polenta with Tomatoes and Curry Vegetables

I got this recipe from The Six O'Clock Scramble and decided to post it here because it's so darn yummy. Definitely make the vegetables with the polenta because they go so well together (and the veggies are super easy to make).

Grilled Polenta Ingredients:

24 oz of plain prepared polenta (sold in a tube) or garlic basil polenta, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds

1/4 cup olive oil (I actually could have gotten away with 1/8 a cup for this)

1/2 tsp minced garlic (about 1-2 cloves)

5 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

This can be done on the grill or in the broiler. If doing the grill, preheat it, put the polenta on a vegetable tray and grill until it's lightly browned - about 3-4 minutes per side.

We did this perfectly in the oven on the broil setting (about 410 degrees for approx. 7 min per side - or just until lightly browned - be sure to flip). I put them about 4-5 inches from the top broiler.

It's a good time to get your sauce together and start cutting veggies and preparing the vegetable side.

For the polenta sauce, mix together the olive oil, garlic, basil, and salt. Once the polenta is done, drizzle the sauce over the slices, top with diced tomatoes and then sprinkle the cheese on top.

Curry Vegetables Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1/2 diced onion (I always use a whole one)

1 diced zucchini (I always use two)

2 cups frozen corn kernels (or 4 ears of corn with kernels cut off)

salt and pepper

1 tsp curry powder

Heat olive oil and butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the corn to the skillet and cook for another 3-5 minutes (if it starts to brown, turn down the heat). Season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp of curry powder (optional but so good!).

Beef Shells Supreme with Veggies

I made the Beef Noodle Supreme recipe from this site and of course I had to modify it (just because I wanted to use my veggies on hand and add a little spark). My mom used to make this recipe but instead of green onions, she'd use parsley.

I followed the recipe but added fresh spinach and asparagus to the sauce as well as fresh parsley to the cream cheese mixture. It turned out so well!! I like the canned tomato sauce rather than using a pre-made "Prego-type" sauce.

It wasn't a total kid pleaser, but honestly, what is these days? My kids don't like pizza, so don't bank on your kids not liking this (I loved it as a kid).

Ingredients I used:

1 lb ground beef

1 tblsp olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3 small (8oz) cans of tomato sauce

1 package of cream cheese (spreadable is easiest, but if you get regular, let it sit out for an hour before making this meal)

1 small jar of sour cream (about 1 cup)

8-10 green onions (whites and greens, chopped)

handful of chopped fresh parsley (or about 1 tblsp of dry parsley)

handful of fresh spinach* (optional)

5 stalks of asparagus (cut into about 1/2 inch pieces) * (optional)

12-16 oz noodles (I've used egg noodles as well as medium shells)

2 cups of shredded cheese (cheddar or colby/jack)

First start the noodles in boiling water. While the water is boiling, brown the ground beef with the garlic and olive oil (if needed). Cook until it's no longer pink, then add the pasta sauce, salt and sugar. Let this simmer for a few minutes. Add the spinach and asparagus * (optional) and cook until the spinach has shrunken down.

While the pasta is simmering, mix together the softened cream cheese with the sour cream until smooth. Fold in the onions and fresh parsley. Set aside.

Once the pasta has cooked to al dente, drain, then layer on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Add the cream cheese mixture to the pasta and spread it out in an even layer on top.

Top with the meat sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 (or 340 for convection oven) for about 30 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn't burn or dry out.

Serve with salad and a nice Malbec or Chianti wine.

This is a great meal to double up on and freeze some for later. Just cook about 1 hr - 1.5 hours from a thawed state. With the recipe above, this made dinner for 4, lunch for 2 adults the next day, and a meal for 4 in the freezer. A pound of ground beef goes a long way.

Vegetable (not) Fried Rice

We had the Vegetable (not) Fried Rice tonight from Budget Bytes website. Of course, I have to change it up, so we didn't add the bell peppers (yuck - too much burping for me thank you!), but instead doubled up the carrots and added some edamame and two eggs (instead of just one). We need lots of protein in this house of growing boys!!

Also, here is what I'm serving up for tomorrow's lunch for the boys. I think they'll dig it. It's basically celery with ranch dressing (we'll see if they actually use the ranch), some Whole Foods turkey in tortillas with mayo and grated carrots, some homemade carrot bread with cream cheese (yum!), Annie's bunny choco chip cookies, and a Stoneyfield Farms YoKids Yogurt. I'm pretty sure these boxes will be cleaned out (as long as my 4 year old's teacher lets him eat the cookies - they usually let them keep those around for after school snack).




Oh- and I'm so mad that my husband's iPhone 4 takes such better pictures than my mere year old iPhone model. Can you tell which picture he took and which one I took? Yea, me too.

Grits 'N Greens

Oh my goooooodnesssss!!!

Why have I not found this awesome recipe before in my 21 years of life (haha)!!???!!!
This Grits 'N Greens was so yummy tonight!! I did a few variations (didn't have instant grits- cooked them from scratch the first time ever!!! and I had to cook the collard greens on the stove top) but overall, this recipe was really easy, very satisfying and super tasty!! I'm definitely adding this one to my rotation and to my top 50 list!! Thank you Budget Bytes! You never fail to make my family happy!!

First - the trick is in the stirring of the grits (it feels like it's constantly for 20 minutes). I used one cup of grits to 3 cups water, a pinch of salt, and boiling/stirring for about 20 minutes.


Second - I didn't have collard greens already wilted, so I poured myself a glass of white wine (a big one), cleaned the greens, and wilted them in olive oil (about a tablespoon), salt and a hot pan.


Third - the greens are wilted! And oh-so yummy!!


Finally - throw them all together with some butter, salt and pepper, and you've got yourself a super winner!!


Disclaimer : these eggs are from Whole Foods (Texas) and have not been added to the eggs salmonella list yet!! Yay!

Farmer's Market Beer Can Chicken

Okay, so I made my first beer can chicken last week. It was great because it was from the farmer's market. It was also horrible because it was from the farmer's market. Well, not really. I just had to write that because this farmer's chicken made me learn some new techniques (like actually cutting off the neck, trimming the skin, and removing the oil gland - at least I didn't have to kill it, bleed it or pluck it!!).

Defrost time: 5 days
Weight: 4.5 lbs
Cost: $14.50
Cooking Method: With beer can
First: Mom twisting off it's neck (and the beer can thing).

So, I got this Beer Can Chicken recipe from one of my tried and true sources - Simply Recipes. I love this site!

I also sliced up a farmer's market heirloom- type squash, tossed it with some olive oil, and threw it in the roasting pan during the last 20 minutes of cooking. Yummy!

I also feel like I'm getting lazy on my posts. I'm basically just referring you to the websites I find these recipes at. Nothing is original for me anymore these days. Oh well... on to working and playing with the kids instead!!

Ramon Bowl Saturday

Boys had plain Ramon (oh mom! you're so healthy!!) and hubby and I made the Quick Ramon Bowl from Budget Bytes. Definitely was much better than just plain Ramon. Now if I could get the boys to eat their vegetables!!

Thanksgiving Day Sides

I did get these off the minimalist list by Mark Bittman.



These beans were my absolute favorite. I purchased 3 cans large butter beans and 1 large can of regular black olives (my kids won't eat the yummy kalamata ones). I cooked the beans, drained and rinsed them, then added them to chopped black olives, about 8 scallions (I used both the white and the green parts), and a mixture of olive oil and white wine vinegar (just enough to coat- about 1/2 cup). I used some fresh oregano (about a tablespoon) from our garden. This was definitely a favorite and I'll be making this for lunch/sides even on non-Thanksgiving Days. I'm adding this to my easy breezy meals. This also tasted better the second day (I made it the night before).



This sweet potato recipe is very different. I didn't even know you could eat sweet potatoes raw, but they were good and had a carrot texture. I absolutely loved the blender dressing made for this (jalapeno, olive oil, lime juice, and red onion). This was added to the shredded sweet potatoes and diced bell pepper. I ended up making this the night before. I suggest making it the day of because it tastes better to me that way. Or, I might suggest mixing the dressing with the potatoes the day of (even if you make them separately the night before). Also, I love spicy dishes so next time, I'll probably add another jalapeno or two.

I also tried two more of the minimalist recipes that I wasn't as thrilled about, but they were easy, different, and good:

Onion-Rosemary Skillet Bread and the Sauteed garlic/pine nuts with broccoli bake.

Penne Pesto with Sliced Peaches

Pesto, garlic, tomatoes, onions, cooked penne. Wahlah.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I was a bit skeptical about this menu item because there really wasn't any sort of "sauce" used on the pasta. I think it helped that the eggs were mixed with Parmesan cheese, that I put bacon pieces in the pasta, and the fact that there was garlic and olive oil, I think this turned out nicely. The boys inhaled it. That always tells me I should make it again!!

Greek Rice Bowl with Spinach, Feta and Pine Nuts

This was pretty good! The title pretty much says it all. I can say, if the feta cheese wasn't added, this would have been quite bland. The cheese really added the flavor this dish needed. There was also a clove or two of garlic sauteed in with the wilted spinach. The boys even ate this one (well, one of the boys).

Thursday Quesadillas

These were really good. I found the recipe on Whole Food's website (that was the theme this week). I changed up the cooking method, but all the ingredients really worked well together (sauteed onion, yellow bell pepper, and olive oil mixed with black beans and shredded cheese). I put the buttered tortillas onto a cookie sheet, filled each one with the ingredients, then topped them with another buttered tortilla. I put the oven on broil and cooked them for about 4 minutes per side (be sure to watch so you don't burn them!! All ovens are different... mine even has multiple personalities depending on the day of the week/year). These are super tasty with some guacamole (secret- add some garlic salt and a half teaspoon of mayonnaise-- makes for a great consistency and taste).

Tortilla Casserole Thursday

This was such a simple recipe and it turned out pretty good (for a cheap and easy meal). I got the recipe from The Scramble and it's basically just 6 tortillas cut in 1" squares, some black beans (a can full, I used some pre-cooked ones I had frozen), an 11oz can of tomato soup, a cup of salsa, a can of corn (I used about a cup and a half of frozen corn), and a cup of shredded cheese. It's basically all thrown together and then cooked at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Spread half the cheese on the top after it's cooked and let it melt. Cheap and easy!

Japanese Vegetable Noodle Soup Monday

I got this recipe from the Six O'Clock Scramble. It was super yummy (especially when I added hot garlic chili sauce to mine at the end) but it wasn't perfect for a hot spring's day in Austin. I will definitely try to remember this soup again this fall. It was actually very easy and didn't take long at all (once the vegetables were chopped).

It basically consists of mushrooms, cabbage (or bok choy), carrots, ginger, vegetable broth, tofu, soy sauce, noodles (recipe called for Ramen, I used soba), scallions, and a little rice wine (I used rice vinegar). My kids loved the carrots and the noodles and broth. I loved it all!

Not Your Mom's Sloppy Joes Tuesday Din Din

These were not my mom's sloppy joes... she would have never added anything remotely related to tears to it. I loved her for that. However, I love me some Tejas Tears now! Luckily, I won't subject my kids to tears unless they ask for it! My kids weren't thrilled about the carrots and red bell pepper I added. They did mention the sweetness though (I allowed myself to put a teaspoon of brown sugar in the mix).

Every time I think of or eat sloppy joes, I can't help but sing the Adam Sandler song from SNL... Lunch Lady singing Sloppy Joes... Sloppy Sloppy Joes.... ahhh... the good days of SNL.

Honey Dijon Shrimp and Pasta Monday

Well, the boys had cereal and Mac and Cheese before soccer practice, and dad made this Honey Dijon Shrimp (From The Six O'Clock Scramble). Instead of putting it on rice, he put it on pasta. It turned out really nicely and we had pretty much all the ingredients at the house. We paired this with some garlic bread and fruit.

Shells with Homemade Super Veggie Pasta Sauce Thursday

I had made these shells a couple of weeks ago and froze them (they contain cottage cheese, Borsin cheese, spinach, parsley, and probably a few other things). For the sauce, I brewed a big pot almost all day (at least 4 hours). I threw in so many vegetables that I had ground up in the food processor- onion, garlic, red bell pepper, 3 whole squashes (not yellow and not zucchini.. starts with a C and I can't even remember the name of it!), lots of carrots. I sauteed these in olive oil for a few minutes, then threw in two cans of diced tomatoes and a small can of sauce. I also put about a cup of red wine, a bay leaf, lots of spices (red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, fennel, onion powder, salt and pepper). It turned out really nicely and I hope some of the good stuff from the veggies stayed in the sauce after the long day of cooking!!

Tuesday's Tostadas

Boy, these turn out so much better when you have some nice ingredients to throw on top (we usually just have beans and cheese!!). This time, I cut up an avocado, some cherry tomatoes, and fresh onion. We topped it with Whole Food's 365 brand hot sauce. YUM! Warning, if you eat 3 of these, you will not be able to move off the couch afterward!! The boys had their tostadas plain and dipped them in a bowl of beans and cheese... that's how they like it!