Leftovers 101

Once a week we do leftovers night.  It's that night where everything that you've got in your fridge gets cleaned out and dumped.  Otherwise known as clean-out-your-fridge night.  I tell my kids the goal is to clean out as many of the containers as possible, it's like a game to them.

This was our leftover offerings last week.

#1 - Steamed butternut squash served with a little bit of butter, salt and pepper.

#2 - Beef roast, cooked in the crockpot for 4 hours with a packet of dry onion soup mix on the top.

#3 - Brown rice pilaf (recipe below), this was found while cooking a diabetic meal for a friend.

#4 - Mandarin-cranberry pork chops (recipe below), I made this one up to see how it worked.  It turned out to be easy and delicious!

#5 - Potatoes and onions, my kids favorite "fries".  Cut up some potatoes and onions, cook with a little bit of olive oil and salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  Like fries, my kids eat this with ketchup.

#6 - Fresh cut mango.  I have never been good at cutting mangoes, I pretty well massacre them.  Then I asked my babysitter to teach me, because she's the master.  It's really easy, if you follow the directions.  Here is a tutorial, if you're interested.  It's not the way I learned, but it's a workable way as well.

#7 - Fajitas - Sauteed chicken breast, onions, green bell pepper and jalapeños...my kids loved it and it included everything they hate, ie: peppers and onions.  Sometimes it's just how you cook it!

Brown Rice Pilaf

2 cups water
1 cup brown rice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup frozen vegetables
1/2 tsp. cumin

If you have a rice cooker, throw it all together, and cook.  If you don't have a rice cooker, in a saucepan mix the water, rice, olive oil and salt and bring to a boil.  Mix in the vegetables and cumin.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 45-60 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed.


Mandarin-Cranberry Pork Chops

4 pork chops, or as many as you need to feed your family
1 can, whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large can, mandarin oranges, juice drained
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. curry powder

Preheat oven to 350°.  Brown pork chops in pan, season with a little salt and pepper, then place in baking dish.  In a separate bowl, combine all other ingredients and pour over chops in bowl.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour or until your pork chops are cooked through.  Serve over rice.

**This would also work really well in a slow cooker, just adjust cooking times as needed.**

My Momma Says...

I learned pretty much everything I know about cooking from my Mom. Namely, how not to follow a recipe, how to be creative, and how to be willing to try new things.

Thanks Mom.

So when she called today to let me know she found the best recipe for Strawberry Freezer Jam EVER, I kind of have to take her word for it. Plus, she's going to send some home with us in September. Yummy.

So, if you come upon a decent amount of strawberries, and have the time and patience to make jam (it's totally worth it, I swear) use the recipe inside the Ball Instant Fruit Pectin package. I'm told, by Mom (you can all call her that too, she'd love it), that "it has the best fruit to sugar ratio than any of the other brands, and the frozen jam is like eating fresh strawberries."

Mmmm.

She (Mom) also says, "It's really fresh and yummy tasting. I left the strawberries in pretty big chunks. Definitely worth making and extremely easy."

Which, my friends, is why I would even consider it. I live for easy!

Here is a blog that uses this same recipe, includes delicious looking pictures that depict the entire jam making process: http://www.noveleats.com/sauce/strawberry-freezer-jam/ I don't know about the vegan sugar, but it looks really good!

A New Chicken Salad

This picture and recipe I got from Williams Sonoma. It's a good summer dish and different from your regular chicken salad. I love mangos!

Chicken & Mango Salad

Ingredients:
2/3 cup peanut or canola oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 to 3 tsp. Asian chili oil (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup mango chutney
2 cups shredded roast chicken, homemade or purchased
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup roasted salted cashews, coarsely
chopped
1 mango, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce

Directions:
Make the vinaigrette:
In a food processor or blender, combine the peanut oil, vinegar, mustard and chili oil and process until blended. Add the garlic and chutney and continue to process to form a smooth puree.

Assemble the salad:
In a bowl, combine the chicken, celery, onion, cashews and mango. Add the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Divide the lettuce among individual plates, top with the chicken mixture and serve.

Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Weeknight, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2006).

Happy July 4th!

Don't forget to make a Jello Cake decorated with whipped cream and berries.

Have a happy 4th of July!!

Dessert Nachos by Family Fun Magazine

I will make these one day soon. I've been craving them since I saw them on Family Fun's website.

Here's their picture...

and the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 6-inch flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cleaned and hulled

• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 8 ounces vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut or white chocolate shavings

Instructions

1. To make the tortilla chips, heat the oven to 350º. Cut the tortillas into triangles, lay them on a baking sheet, and spritz them with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the tops of the tortillas and bake for 12 minutes or until crisp.

3. For homemade strawberry sauce, combine the strawberries, orange juice, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a blender. Puree the ingredients until smooth.

4. Once the chips have cooled, set them on a plate. To complete the buffet, set out separate bowls containing the strawberry sauce, yogurt, chopped strawberries, and coconut or chocolate shavings. Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe Card

Next time you want to make a recipe card you should go HERE and check out Skip to my Lou's free recipe card template!

Here's a recipe for a Blueberry French Toast Casserole. You can click on it to see it bigger. I have made it the night before and just baked it in the morning with just fine results.

Camping Food

We went camping over the weekend and made a super yummy dinner. No burnt hot dogs for us!
I made some shish-kabobs ahead of time and had them marinating in the cooler. I also chopped up the potatoes and onion ahead of time and had them in a bag with all the seasonings ready to go. It was too dark by the time we ate so I couldn't take a picture, but trust me it was good. Here are the original recipes and I will tell you my modifications at then end. I know these ingredients might shock yall that I would buy so much pre-packaged stuff, but hey I was camping. I even ate cheese from a can the next day.


Dutch Oven Potatoes
1 pkg. bacon, cut into fourths (low sodium)
10-12 large potatoes (scrubbed, rinsed, and sliced into circles)
Seasoning Salt ("Spike" or "Johnny's" seasoning salt work great!)
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken
3-4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

When the dutch oven is good and hot add the bacon and heat until fully cooked. Drain about half of the bacon grease then add the potatoes. stir in about 3 Tbsp. of the seasoning salt (or to taste) and all of the garlic powder. Cover and cook about 30 minutes stirring occasionally (or until potatoes are no longer crunchy, but do NOT overcook). Add cream of chicken. When the cream of chicken is evenly distibuted and hot, add cheese. When cheese is melted, remove from heat and serve.

*These taste best when served with ranch dressing on the side*


Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler
2 (29oz) cans peaches, in heavy syrup (or 1 can peaches, 1 can peach pie filling)
2 boxes yellow cake mix (DRY, not prepared)
1 cube butter
brown sugar and cinnamon (to taste)

Pour peaches into hot dutch oven (if using the canned peaches, drain some of the liquid out so your cobbler isn't too runny). Add cake mix over the top. Slice thin slices of butter over the top of the cake mix, then top with brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until the cake mix starts turning golden brown and is cooked through. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

My notes:
With the potatoes I halved the recipe and quarted the cheese. I think honestly it would be just fine without the can of soup. I used Tony Chachere's for the seasoning but I think a ranch packet would be good too. I also added a quarter of the onion with the potatoes. I chopped the potatoes but you could get away with those little red potatoes if you can find them small enough.

With the cobbler I also halved the recipe. Next time I will do two cans of peaches with one box of cake mix. I still used one stick of butter.

Thai Dessert

I will get around to posting my pictures of the fridge one day. Until then, enjoy one of my favorite desserts that my husband introduced me too. Mangoes are so good right now so try this soon. This recipe has been adapted to just use jasmine rice instead of the hard to find true sticky rice. During a morning sickness couple of months I ate this quite a bit... for a meal. That's healthy, right? This serves six people that are not eating this for a meal. =)
Thai Sticky Rice with Mango (Kow Neuw Mamuang)
1 cup uncooked Jasmine Rice
1-13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ripe mangoes

In a medium saucepan bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil. Add the rice and briefly stir. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 15 minutes or until water is just absorbed.
Meanwhile in a small saucepan, combine Coconut Milk, sugar and salt. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Add the hot Coconut Milk sauce to the cooked rice. Stir until mixed.
Lightly press plastic wrap onto mixture in saucepan to cover. Let rest 30 minutes at room temperature.
Peel and slice the mangoes.
With large spoon or ice cream scoop, spoon the sticky rice onto plates and garnish with mango slices.
If desired, you can top with coconut syrup which is also excellent with banana pancakes the next day.

Coconut Syrup
1-13.5 oz can Coconut Milk
1/2 cup confectioners sugar, firmly packed

In a medium saucepan, mix Coconut Milk with sugar. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until reduced to 1 1/2 cups of syrup (about 10 to 15 minutes).
Cool to lukewarm and serve, or refrigerate for later. Coconut syrup will keep in refrigerator for one week.
My favorite Thai Recipe website is: Thai Table. Give some recipes a try!

September = Apples

In my mind September equals apples. Something about putting an apple on the teachers desk and the feeling of crisp autumn air. Course, it's still 100+° here, there is a nasty feeling of moderate humidity in the air and school started this week, which of course is still August...

I stand by my feelings though, *ahem*, September = Apples...following me?

Here are a couple of apple recipes. They are great for fall menus. I typically buy Gala, Fuji for cooking and Golden Delicious because my family likes them to eat.

APPLE COBBLER

3 large apples, peeled and sliced

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 large egg

1/2 cup butter, melted

Put apples in the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 in. baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and egg until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over the apples. Pour melted butter over the entire dish.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

12 gala apples, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a large pan, boil apples with about 1 cup of water. Cook about 10 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle sugar over cooked apples. Mix with hand mixer until blended to desired consistency. This will make about 1 quart of well blended applesauce. I keep old applesauce bottles to put it in, or I put in tupperware containers and freeze.

You can sprinkle some cinnamon in with the sugar if you prefer. This is not cheaper than buying it at the store, but my kids love the homemade stuff and it's got all natural ingredients, no preservatives.

PORK CHOPS w/ Sweet potatoes and apples

4 pork chops

1/2 cup chicken bouillon

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 apples, sliced

Place pork chops and bouillon in crock pot and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Add apples and sweet potatoes for the last hour.

Homemade Grape Jelly

This is cheaper than buying it and is REALLY simple!

Grape Jelly3 cups grape juice (I just make mine from the frozen concentrate)
1 package powdered pectin
4 cups sugar

In a large saucepan combine the grape juice and the powdered pectin. Stir until dissolved.
Bring mixture to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Add sugar and return the mixture to a boil. Boil for a full minute and remove from heat.
Makes about 5 cups.

I just pour mine into a tupperware containers and place in the fridge without the lid. When it is cool I put the lid on.

To bottle:
Ladle the jelly into clean sterilized jars and seal with bands and lids. Process in a boiling water bath for about 10 minutes to seal. Remove the jars and allow to cool before storing on the pantry shelf. Makes about 5 cups.

Slow Cooker Saturday

So sorry for the lack of postings this week.  We've had company and I've been extra busy with a birthday.  Yay for kids and for Mother-in-laws that purchase the cake.  I'll be making his cake for the birthday party, but for the family dinner I was all for the store-bought ice cream cake....mmmmm.

For today's slow cooker recipes I'm heading to sparkpeople.com's recipe file.  SparkPeople is a great, free website that allows you to track your food intake, your exercise and fitness goals.  It's a great forum for weight loss and general health improvement.  They have a recipe file of user-submitted recipes.  I haven't made either of these recipes, but they look good, and I'm planning on making them this week.  I'll try to remember to post pictures when I've got them done!

Also, I've got company coming on Monday, and I've got to get a menu that's perfect....I don't want to disappoint.  I'll keep you updated on what I come up with.

SLOW-COOKER APPLESAUCE

4 cups apples, chopped

1/8 cup lemon juice

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Chop apples into 1 inch pieces, removing the core.  Cut off peel and slice into small pieces.  Place apples in crockpot.  Add lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar.  Stir to coat apples.  Turn crockpot to low and cook overnight.  Can be cooked on high for 4 hours or overnight on low for at least 8 hours.

Makes about 8, 1/2 cup servings. 

**I think I will reduce the sugar a little, and I'm planning on using Fuji or Gala apples, my kids like unsweetened applesauce***

CHEESY CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

1 pack angel hair pasta

half of a large block of Velveeta cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups of chicken broth

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups of cooked chopped chicken breasts

1 tbsp olive oil

Combine all ingredients in large crockpot and cook on high for about an hour.  Mixture will melt together and when liquid is almost gone it should be done.  Stir as needed.

**I think this looks good, it should be a thick pasta dish.**

F = Fruit

I don't know if there is anything I love to eat more in this world than fresh fruit. Mmmmm! Ripe, juicy peaches, strawberries and grapes. Crisp apples and pears. Tangy citrus, refreshing melon...the following recipe can be altered to include your favorite fruits, particularly those in season. It's a very versatile recipe. I've substituted the fruit preserves with lime juice before and it was really good too.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
3 peaches - peeled and diced
2 bananas - sliced
1 pound strawberries - sliced
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

Mix together in large bowl. Best if served soon after making; keep in refrigerator until served.

Cinnamon Crisps

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup cinnamon sugar

Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Arrange triangles in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake 5-10 minutes at 350°. Watch closely so they don't burn.