May 10 - 16

Once again I forgot to post my menu for last week. I don't remember trying any new meals, but I did try a new snack recipe - kale chips! They are so good and good for you! Here's what I do:

Wash and completely dry one bunch of kale. Tear the leaf part into chip-size pieces (do not use the thick stem part). Toss the pieces with about a tablespoon of olive oil (don't use too much oil) and some sea salt (or whatever seasoning your heart desires). Spread onto a cookie sheet spacing out the chips a bit and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until crispy, but not burned. So far I've over-seasoned one batch and under-seasoned another. It's kind of a trial and error thing. To me they taste like roasted pumpkin seeds and are super addictive!

This is a short menu week for us and we still have one last game of t-ball so easy meals are on the list.

• Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

• Fish Tacos

• Pizza

• Firecracker Enchiladas (left-overs in the freezer)

• Sub Sandwiches with Chips and Fruit

Nov 2 - 8

I guess I must be back in the swing of things because tonight's menu-making process was agonizing! It's supposed to be much cooler this week so I can finally pull out some soups/stews/chilies with more enjoyment. :)


Mexican-style Quinoa (see recipe below)

Creamy Baked Ziti

Chili and Cornbread

Roast Chicken and Veggies (again, for company)

Chicken Fajitas (using leftover chicken)

Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Sandwiches

Mexican-Style Quinoa

1tsp cumin

1T olive oil

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro

1/2tsp minced garlic

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup diced tomato

1 cup black beans

1 cup rinsed quinoa, cooked according to package

Sliced avocados

Chop veggies and combine all ingredients while quinoa cooks. Add quinoa to veggie mix and chill for 15 min. Serve with avocados.

Mini Taco Cups

I got this recipe from one of Keenan's cousins. Enjoy :)

24 wonton wrappers
1 lb ground beef or turkey
taco seasoning (I prefer to make my own as opposed to using the packets)
2 T salsa + more for serving
8 oz shredded cheese such as cheddar or montery jack
Your favorite taco toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, etc.

Brown and season your meat as you would for tacos. Stir in the 2 T salsa.

Preheat oven to 425. Seperate wrappers and place/fold into mini muffin cups. Fill cups with a few spoonfuls of taco meat. Top with shredded cheese. Bake about 8 min or until wontons are golden and crispy. Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings.

Makes 24 appetizers or 4 dinner servings :)

Tandoor-Style Chicken with Quick Masala Sauce and Naan

If you like Indian food, this is the post for you! I decided to try Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Tandoor-Style Chicken thanks to a food blog I check - Recipes from the Cookie Jar. I've tried making Indian food at home in the past with mixes and pre-made sauces, but the result was always way to salty. I found one recipe I liked, but this one is a ton easier and seems healthier too (especially since I made up the sauce using yogurt instead of heavy cream!). I also decided to try my hand at some homemade Naan. Eating Indian food just isn't the same without Naan! Everything came out great so I'm putting it all here for you to try :)

Tandoor-Style Chicken
(Click on the link for Jamie's recipe. Below are the amounts I used after a rough metric to US conversion.)

1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt (greek would work well too)
2 T Olive Oil
1/4 cup roasted garlic flavored tomato sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garam masala (or curry powder)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I really think the smoked version makes all the difference here)
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 garlic cloves finely chopped (I actually left this out since I was using the garlic tomato sauce. I think I may have put 1/4 tsp of garlic powder, though).
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used 2 good-sized chicken breasts), cut into 1" cubes

Combine all ingredients except the chicken. Mix well. Then add the chicken, salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Thread onto skewers and grill for about 12 min., turning often. Serve with Quick Masala Sauce and Naan and/or rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Sara's Quick, Cold Masala Sauce

1/4 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2-3 T roasted garlic flavored tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 T chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients, stir well, while waiting for the chicken to cook.

Homemade Naan

Be prepared - this recipe takes about 3 hours total to make, but is so worth it. Also, pay attention to the instruction to add just enough flour to make a soft dough as opposed to adding all the flour the recipe calls for. I only used about 3 cups vs. the 4.5 cups listed. Next time I plan to cut the salt in half. We were all dying of thirst the rest of the night and I know there wasn't much salt in the chicken or sauce.

We ate our dinner wrap-style - coated a piece of naan with sauce, then filled it with chicken. So tasty!!!

Jan 18 - 24

I have to toot my own horn for a minute here. I'm really getting the hang of roasting chicken/turkey! My father-in-law came up with a method for his holiday turkeys that leaves the meat - both white and dark - melting in your mouth. I decided to apply a similar technique to our chicken this last week and it was perfect!

Low and slow is the key. I prepped 2 whole chickens by stuffing each with 1/2 a head of garlic (sliced in half horizontally), 1/2 a lemon and a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary. The outsides were rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. I added about 1 can of chicken broth to the pan, but I later discovered this probably wasn't necessary. Cover the roaster and bake at 275 or 300 for about 4 or 5 hours. They're not "presentation worthy" (i.e. no dark crispy skin), but the flavor and juiciness more than make up for it. Making 2 at a time also allows for plenty of leftovers for another day - bonus! We love having roasted root veggies along side the chicken as well. With 2 chickens in the roaster and a small oven, I have to cook the veggies separately, but it's all worth the work and the wait.

On to this week...

Fish Tacos (see "C's" comment from last week for recipe)

Bacon and Kale Minestra

Uptown Down-Home Chili

Loaded Baked Potatoes

Chicken Pasta with Raisins, Pine Nuts and Rosemary (using leftover roast chicken)

Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry

Pizza

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Our new favorite breakfast! :)

4 eggs
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
½ cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the skillet

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lightly grease an ovenproof platter.
Beat eggs in a medium bowl; stir in cottage cheese. Add flour and mix until just blended but still lumpy. Add melted butter and stir gently to combine.

Melt a pat of butter in a large nonstick skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Pour batter by ¼ cupfuls onto the skillet, spacing the pancakes apart. Cook until edges are light golden brown and bubbles form on top. Turn pancakes over and cook until the bottoms are light golden brown. Pancakes should be crispy outside but creamy inside.

Place cooked pancakes on platter in oven to keep warm while you make the rest. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup or honey.

Makes 3 – 4 servings.

Creamy Green Chilie Chicken Enchiladas

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 cans green chilie enchilada sauce (either Old El Paso or Hatch brand)
8 oz block cream cheese (can use reduced fat)
flour tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cook over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season with salt and pepper or cajun seasoning after placing pieces in pan. Once the chicken is done, add cream cheese and 1 can sauce. Cook and stir until cheese is melted and combined with sauce. Fill tortillas with mixture and roll enchilada style. Place in lightly greased 9x13pan. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce mix and/or another can of enchilada sauce (depending how saucy you like them). Top with cheese. Bake at 425 for 10-15 min. or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Ham and Cheese Crepes

3 eggs
pinch of salt
1 cup low-fat milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 melted butter
1/2 cup low-fat diced ham (I use turkey-ham)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (optional)
1 cup swiss cheese (or your favorite)
oil for the pan as needed
mustard for dipping

Whisk eggs, salt, milk and flour. Stir in butter; let batter rest 10 min.
Spread 1/4 cup batter into a heated, oiled nonstick skillet. Tilt the pan as needed to spread the batter to make a very thin pancake (I have a 7 or 8" pan that's perfect for crepes). Cook for 2 min, until golden brown. Flip; cook other side. Continue until all the batter is used.

Preheat oven to 350. Fill crepes with ham, tomatoes and cheese and roll up. Bake in lightly greased pan for about 5 minutes until cheese melts. Serve with mustard to dip.

---From Parents magazine, July 2009, p.44