Colorful Meals = Healthy Meals!

    We love fruits and vegetables in our house but we are consistently trying to eat more and more of them (thus eating less of other things) We have been making an effort to make our meals as colorful as possible, which as long as the colors are natural, makes the meals healthier.

One thing we have been doing for quite some time is roasting vegetables. You can roast just about any veggie and the process completely changes them into something delicious! If you don't care for most vegetables and you have only had them boiled or steamed, try them roasted!

Tips for Roasting Vegetables
1. Higher heat for a shorter time period is the way to go. I roast the veg at a minimum of 415' F for at least    15 min. Stir, and then keep watching about every 7-10 minutes.
2. Try to cut your pieces of similar size to ensure that you don't have some barely done and then others burnt on the same pan.
3. Don't over crowd the pan. Use two if necessary. You want the air to circulate around your vegetables. It's okay to put them very close together as they will shrink, but only have one layer. Pieces that overlap will not brown properly.
4. Don't over season. I always start with Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper. With something like carrots, I seldom add any other seasoning because they have such a nice sweet taste when roasted!

Here's a photo of one of our recent "Rainbow Meals!"

 Also in the picture, is a recent Pinterest find: Buttermilk Roasted Chicken, we have made this twice and loved it. Since we use chicken legs, they roast in 30 minutes. Fast and delicious!

Okay so this is totally upside down. I've tried fixing it three times and it keeps putting itself upside down. My computer is from my FIRST year of college and it is on it's very last leg. It is about to be thrown out in the back yard, I'm afraid. But, here it is: Buttermilk Roasted Chicken, Roasted Rainbow Carrots and Spinach Salad. See what I mean? Colors! And every bit of it REAL FOOD!

Speaking of Pinterest, I really must do a Pinterest post. 

I have tried so many recipes and loved most of them.

I hardly cook out of my cookbooks anymore. 

Except for last night, we made a Beef and Barley Stew in the Crock Pot and WOW. It was delicious! (recipe to follow) We made it in celebration of the Downton Abbey Finale. After having watched DA, I'm so mad at Julian Fellowes, Dan Stevens and the lot of them that I wish I would have opened a can of beenie weenies instead of making an 8-hour stew. Hmph.

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

One day earlier this week, Lucy and I opted to stay at home instead of fight the rain so I settled in to make Vegetable Soup and homemade bread for supper. Soup and Bread makes one of the BEST meals ever and I am always looking for more great soup recipes. This one will definitely go in the "recipe notebook."
I'm including a link to the original recipe in case you want to compare, since I made several changes based on our tastes. Let me know if you try it and like it!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup
(adapted from Ellie Krieger)

1- 15 oz. can canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tbs. Olive Oil
1/2 Large onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced
Sliced Mushrooms (How ever many you want, I had four leftover so I threw em in!)
One small box of frozen lima beans, drained and thawed partially
2 cups shredded Zucchini (She said to use one small diced zucchini, but I had shredded in the freezer.)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp salt (I didn't use quite this much, I just did it to taste. a pinch at the beginning and a pinch at the end)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
32 ounces low sodium Chicken Broth (Or Vegetable!)
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with the juice
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1/3 cup grated parmesan (for garnish-- don't leave this part out-- it's so good!)

In a small bowl, mash half of the cannellini beans with the back of a spoon, set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over med-high heat. Add onion, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5-9 minutes.

Add the broth, tomatoes and lima beans and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole white beans and the spinach and cook 3-5 minutes more until the spinach is wilted.

Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Spaghetti Bake

This recipe was shared with me in college by my roommate, who got it from someone else, who no doubt, got it from someone else. I have changed several things about it--and I would LOVE to share it with you! This is one of my "go-to" meals especially when cooking for someone else because it is such a crowd-pleaser!

Spaghetti Bake

One Large Family Size jar of Prego (45oz.)
One Regular Box of Spaghetti, boiled and drained
4 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened
4 oz. of Sour Cream
2 cups of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Italian Seasoning (Basil, Oregano, etc.)
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese (Such as comes in the green can)

Preheat Oven to 350'
Once your Spaghetti has been drained, mix in the cream cheese and the sour cream and sprinkle a small bit of your three seasonings (Italian, Parmesan and Garlic) Stir to incorporate the cream cheese and sour cream into the hot pasta and try to eliminate any clumps.

In a Glass 13x9 baking dish, layer a bit of the sauce--just enough to cover the bottom of the dish.

Layer the pasta mixture with the sauce mixture several times in the dish. Each time you top with sauce try to make it cover the edges so the pasta does not dry out or get crispy in the oven. Half way through, sprinkle half of your mozzarella cheese on and then finish out your layers ending with plenty of sauce for the top.
Once all your sauce and spaghetti are gone, top with the remaining mozzarella and then a bit more parmesan and italian seasoning.

Bake at 350' for about 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

Allow dish to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cinco De Mayo Recipes: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

       Since tomorrow is Cinco De Mayo, (Not to mention, the National Day of Prayer!) I wanted to share my favorite Enchilada recipe. I received this recipe about ten years ago when I was working at the bank and it has been one of my favorites through the years. I have tweaked it several times based on what we have or like at the time but this is the basic recipe. It's a winner in my book, because I really don't like red enchilada sauce and it does not have any!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

One Package of Medium Flour Tortillas (we like mission but I think I might make my own this time-- I'll let you know how it goes!
One Packet of Taco Seasoning (this I usually do make myself-- just because I know what's going into it.)
One Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
4 oz. Cream Cheese (Half a brick-- we use low fat.)

One onion, diced small
Other Vegetables, cut into bite sized pieces (we like to use mushrooms, spinach and we have even added drained black beans.)
One lb. of Boneless, Skinless chicken, cut in bite sized pieces (In a pinch, you can certainly use a rotisserie-- just take it off the bone and shred it.)
8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese (you won't need all of it.)
8 oz. Sour Cream (you probably won't use all of this either, but you may want it for garnish!)

In a saucepan, mix together the soup, taco seasoning and cream cheese. Heat on medium until the ingredients begin to melt together in a sauce. Add milk as needed. Lower heat to low and stir as needed to avoid sticking. This will be your creamy enchilada sauce.

In a large skillet, add a small amount of olive oil or pam and then add chicken. Cook chicken pieces until brown on all sides but not over done.. a few minutes on each side. Add onion, saute for 3-4 minutes and then add other vegetables (if using.) Cook until crisp- tender adding a pinch of salt if necessary.


Drain any excess liquid (this is especially important if you use spinach.) and then add two large handfuls of shredded cheese and then stir. Add about a half a cup of sour cream. Mix to incorporate.


Prepare a 9 x 13 Glass dish by spreading a thin layer of the enchilada sauce reserving plenty for the top of the casserole. Working one at a time, take a tortilla and place no more than a 3-4 tablespoons of meat-veggie-cheese filling and then roll the tortilla up tightly and place seam side down in the dish. do this until you run out of filling, placing them side by side as tightly as you can. If you want to make less, use a small dish so they will be compacted nicely. Top with the remainder of sauce and then sprinkle extra shredded cheese if you like. Bake at 350' for about 20 minutes until the cheese and sauce are bubbling. We garnish with sliced green onions, sour cream and cilantro. You can cut into squares or serve them by enchilada.

*** I also use to make this for a vegetarian friend, substituting cream of mushroom for the chicken and ramping up the veggies instead of meat!

Also try our favorite Salsa recipe!!!

And here's one for taco seasoning!

Homemade Marinara Sauce

                      For quite a long time, I was a big believer in jarred Marinara Sauce. Prego was my favorite and it certainly still does in a pinch. I have, however, in the last couple of years enjoyed making my own Marinara as I can often make a big enough batch to freeze half and be able to serve it later. Making your own sauce often proves cost-effective and is a great way to utilize whatever fresh herbs and vegetables you have on hand. I tried several different variations of a recipe before deciding on the one below as my current favorite. As with anything else, it can be tweaked to your family's preferences. We like a thicker marinara sauce so this works for us-- but feel free to change it to make it your own!!! (Unfortunately, I do not have a recent photo-- but since I know that photos really are the reason some of you read this blog, I have attached a photo of an Italian Soup I made with this sauce as a base-- perhaps I will share this recipe sometime soon.)

 Cindy Lou's Marinara Sauce
1-2 tbs. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, sliced (or minced if you like)*
1/2 an onion, diced
1- 6oz. can of tomato paste
1- large can (28 oz.) of crushed tomatoes
1- 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup of fresh basil, diced*
1/4 cup of fresh oregano, torn*
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbs. Sugar
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese*

In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, saute the onion and garlic in the Olive Oil over medium heat until aromatic. Add the tomato paste and stir constantly until the onions and garlic are coated. Add the crushed tomatoes and the tomato sauce and stir well. Add the remainder of the ingredients and heat well while stirring constantly. Lower heat to low and simmer while covered for at least 25 minutes so that the flavors can deepen. Stir occasionally. Serve over hot pasta; as a base for Italian Soup; or you could just stand over the stove and eat it with a spoon...

This sauce freezes and reheats beautifully! Occasionally, we will make a double batch of this and meatballs and freeze them both separately only to warm them up another day for a quick and easy dinner-- Just boil pasta and there you go-- instant dinner!

*Note: In many instances, I have used dried herbs, garlic, onion and Parmesan when I have not had fresh ingredients on hand. This does not affect the taste and often makes the sauce more convenient to make--especially in the winter when our herb garden is dormant!

Quick Yummy Dinner for a Very Chilly Night!!!

This is truly one of the favorites here in our little nest.
Homemade Sloppy Joes.

Now, those of you who have already cringed and quickly vowed never to read this blog again for fear of compromising your good taste, hear me out: these are not, I repeat NOT your childhood Sloppy Joes. They taste nothing like the slightly foul product that rhymes with "Sanwich." Yuck. These do not come in a can and thus, they do not taste like the come in a can. However, they are still rather quick to prepare.

Try 'em. You like 'em!

Super Sloppy Joes (Adapted from Rachel Ray)

1.25 lb. of Ground Turkey or Beef (I like to mix half and half to cut the fat.)
¼ cup of minced onion (fresh) or a few tbs. of dried minced onion
¼ cup of Brown Sugar
Montreal Steak Seasoning (or other steak seasoning)
1 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs. Tomato Paste
2 Cups Tomato Sauce

      Brown the meat, seasoning to taste with steak seasoning and the onion.  As meat begins to be done, add brown sugar and allow it to caramelize. When meat is browned, add vinegar and Worcestershire and cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add tomato paste and sauce and cook until reduced and thickened a bit. Taste Sloppy Joe Mixture and see if it needs extra seasoning. (sometimes extra brown sugar is needed.)
We like it on lightly toasted buns of some kind and roasted potato wedges (recipe below)

Roasted Potato Wedges
* Glass 9x13 Dish (you may need more than one); spray with Pam
* Several Large baking potatoes
* Olive Oil
* Seasoned Salt; a few tablespoons of Flour
Cut Potatoes in wedges, lay wedges in dish. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with flour, seasoned salt (to taste) breaking up any lumps of flour. (Also great to add sprinkled Parmesan cheese—in the green can—)
Cook on 425’ degrees until Potatoes are getting golden brown and crispy. If you use a glass dish, the potatoes will get brown on the bottom and you don’t have to flip them.

We serve all this with dill pickle slices and a stack of napkins!!! :)
(And of course, a nice tall glass of sweet tea!)

Cozy Dinner Times Two!

   

     It is during this time of the year that I find myself looking to make filling meals that are warm, comforting and full of good healthy ingredients. It also happens that during this time in our life, (enter one smallish income for 3 people) I find myself looking to stretch our grocery bill into as many meals as possible. It really makes my day when I can stretch one meal into two or more- (other than just eating leftovers, which is always nice.)

     Last night, I made this recipe for a slow-cooker beef stew. If you enjoy cozy meals such as this, I would certainly recommend giving it a try. A few things you should know, the recipe calls for 4 lbs. of bottom round. That is a lot of meat--- so for Mr. S and I, I used about 1.35 lbs. of cubed stew meat. It still made plenty and it was not too meat heavy as some stews can be. We prefer a lot of vegetables. Another observation, the recipe calls for baby carrots. Baby carrots are fine and definitely convenient. We have taken to buying a large bag of whole organic carrots because we get WAY more per pound, they last much longer in the fridge since they are unpeeled (we're talking weeks here) and we tend to think the taste is just sweeter and more "carrot-ey" (Yes, I have coined a new word.) One other disclaimer, the recipe calls for a cup of red wine. Obviously, the alcohol cooks out, but if you choose not to use the wine,  you could try beef broth.. however I would add at least a small amount of red wine or red cooking wine, because the flavor is really unmistakable.The resulting dish was really good and warmed us from the inside out on a chilly rainy night.

On to meal #2:
   Long ago, my mother taught me that beef stew or soup makes an excellent Meat Pie a couple days later. Just thicken or thin the sauce to your desired consistency, place in a casserole dish and cover with a piecrust. Seal the edges and bake until golden brown and bubbly. Tip: try adding a small sprinkling of fresh or dried Thyme or Rosemary to your crust before rolling it out. Beautiful and Savory! If you are short on time, you can certainly use a roll-out pie crust, or even top your beef stew with biscuit-dough. Either one would make excellent use of leftovers and give your family the feeling of an entirely different Supper. Especially if you wait a day in between! You could also accomplish this same concept by topping leftover chili with cornbread and baking. Yum!

This is just a simple technique that I use from time to time and I thought I would share.

What are some creative ways you get double or even triple duty out of your leftovers?