Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ghanoush

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 chicken scallopine (4 to 5 ounces each)
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 unpeeled kirby cucumber, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 pocketless pitas
• 1/2 cup baba ghanoush (eggplant spread, sold near hummus in the refrigerated section)
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mint, red pepper flakes, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, cucumber and the remaining 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss with the vegetables.
Brush the pitas with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until marked. Place a pita on each plate and spread with baba ghanoush. Top with lettuce and chicken salad and drizzle with any juices from the bowl.
Per serving: Calories 342; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 74 mg; Sodium 587 mg; Carbohydrate 24 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 29 g

Chicken & Cashew Stir- Fry

• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup salted roasted whole cashews

Chop scallions, separating white and green parts. Pat chicken dry, then cut into 3/4-inch pieces and toss with salt and pepper. Heat a wok or 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over moderately high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately. Add oil, swirling to coat, then stir-fry chicken until golden in places and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add bell pepper, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and scallion whites to wok and stir-fry until peppers are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir together broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar, then stir into vegetables in wok. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cashews, scallion greens, and chicken along with any juices accumulated on plate.

Ina Garten's Roasted Eggplant Spread

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking.
Cool slightly.
Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper

Curried Quinoa with Green Beans, Carrots and Scallions

I was really pleased with this recipe.  My skepticism was birthed from the mediocre turnout of "Stuffed Peppers Picadillo" I made from the same book 2 nights earlier....I guess that's how weight-watchers recipes go.  Very flavorful and simple. I followed the recipe word for word, except for the fresh mint...I had some dried, so I just added a couple sprinkles of that instead. I will certainly make this again, and probably try adding some tofu to make it more filling. Delicious!


1 cup quinoa
1 cup orange juice
2 cup water
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 carrots sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisins
2 large scallions, chopped
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1) Combine quinoa, orange juice, water, curry powder, coriander, salt and cinnamon in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until all of the liquid has been aborbed, 12-15 minutes
2) Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook 3 minutes; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
3) Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes; stir in the almonds and cook 2 minutes longer. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the bowl with the green beans. Add the raisins, scallions, mint, lemon juice, lemon zest and quinoa.

Chicken Ragout with Potatoes and Olives

This recipe served as lesson #1 in my efforts to teach Brent to cook this summer, and I have to say that he did an awesome job! We covered slicing onions, mincing garlic and chopping tomatoes, potatoes and herbs...all of which he did by himself =)  The recipe turned out so well (how could something with 1/2 a cup of fresh basil not?), and I will certainly be using it again in the future.

Another pleasant surprise from Make it in Minutes- Weight Watchers

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 large aking potato, pealed and cubed
10 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-hight heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper and saute until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic; cook until the onion is just tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes, potato, olives, broth, and wine. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the potato tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.

Bread and Shrimp Skewers w/ Romaine Salad

3/4 lb peled and deveined frozen shrimp (about 24)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1T grated lemon zest plus 2 T lemon juice
4 T evoo
salt and pepper
5 oz crusty bread, cut into 1 in pieces (3 cups)
1 hard cooked egg yolk, mashed
1 t Dijon mustard
1/4 c grated Parmesan
2 large hearts romaine lettuce, leaves separated

1) Preheat oven to 450. In a medium bowl, combine shrimp, half garlic, lemon zest, and 1 T oil.  Season with Salt and pepper and toss to coat. In another meduim bowl, toss bread with 1 T oil and season with salt and pepper. Thread shrimp and bread onto eight 8-inch wooden or metal skewers. Transfer skewers to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until shrimp is opaque throughout and croutons are golden, 7 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine remaining garlic, lemon juice, 2 T oil, egg yolk, and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined; stir in Parmesan. Add romaine and toss to coat. Sprinkle salad with more Parmesan and serve alongside skewers.

Nicoise Salad Sandwich

Decent recipe...although I didn't realize that my husband is not a fan of tuna sandwiches until I went to the trouble of making it, so I probably won't do it again =)

from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

1/4 lb green beans (boiled 3 min and chopped)
1 t Dijon mustard
2 t red wine vinegar
1/2 small shallot (minced)
2 T evoo
2-5oz cans white tuna packed in oil
2 plum tomatoes
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/4 c fresh parsley leaves
1-pound baguette
Bibb lettuce leaves
4 hard boiled eggs- thinly sliced

Whisk together Dijon, vinegar, shallot and evoo. Drain tuna, break into chunks and add to vinaigrette along with green beans. Season w/ salt and pepper. In a food processor, pulse together 2 plum tomatoes (chopped), olives and parsley leaves. Split baguette and scoop out most of insides. Arrange a few lettuce leaves on bottom half, top with tuna mixture and eggs. Spread tomato-olive mixture on top half of baguette and place on sandwich

Greek Salad Sandwich

Enjoyed this sandwich...wish I hadn't skimped on the feta. Olive bread would have been really good as well!

from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food
1 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 T fresh lemon juice
1T evoo
1/4 c fresh parsley leaves
(combine above ingredients in food processor)

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1T lemon juice
2 t evoo
salt and pepper
(stir above ingredients together in small bowl)

2 oz fetta
1T evoo
(stir above ingredients together in small bowl)

4 slices rustic bread
cucumber (sliced)
tomato(sliced)

Spread chickpea mixture on bread. Top w/ cucumber, tomato, onion  mixture, salt and pepper. Spread feta mixture on other side of bread to create your sandwhich!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

This may be the first time I have baked for absolutely no reason whatsoever...and it most certainly will not be the last. I was so good about following the recipe this time...at least the cupcake part. I made them mini, and I think I only baked them for about 6-8 minutes before they were done. The ones that I pressed 2-4 peanut butter chocolate chips into were SO GOOD!  For the frosting, I left out the peanutbutter, b/c I felt there was enough peanutbutter going on in this recipe and it needed some solid chocolate to even it out. The frosting was thinner than I expected, so I still haven't gotten to do a cupcake where I pipe on the decor, but they were tasty!  I kept them refrigerated b/c the whipping cream made me nervous and the frosting tended to get really soft after sitting out too long.

In the future, I may do a darker chocolate frosting that is more of a butter-cream or cream cheese type. All that said...they were delicious!

Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 oz good quality dark chocolate
1/2 stick butter, room temp
4 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cups milk
1 cup peanutbutter chocolate chips (optional)

Frosting
3oz milk chocolate
1/2 stick butter cut into small pieces
1 2/3 cups powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup heavy cream 1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
Peanut-chocolate candies (peanut M&M's, Reese's Pieces etc)

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Set aside and cool.
4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add cooled chocolate and blend well. Alternately beat in dry ingredients and milk.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few peanut chocolate chips over each cupcake, gently pressing them into the batter with a fork. Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
6. To make the frosting: heat chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a microwave until just melted.
7. Remove from heat and cool. Using a whisk or a wooden spoon, beat sugar, salt, cream, and vanilla until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture and peanut butter and beat until blended. Put the frosting in the refrigerator until it thickens (about 20-30 minutes).
8. Remove from refrigerator, beat until frosting is of spreading consistency and frost cooled cupcakes. Decorate with peanut-chocolate candies.

Chocolate Sundae Cupcakes

Made these (at least the mini version) for the MC staff and families that were all over this past Sunday for lunch. Steve invited the whole team (amounting to 14 adults, 4 kids and 2 babies) over to our 900 sq ft apartment for fajitas, and it was the perfect excuse to start working on my cupcake recipes!  To be honest, I was not impressed, and will probably not do these again. It didn't register when I read the recipe, that the frosting would harden- which did make it easier to spread, and prettier, but not as soft and sweet.  Of course, I substituted 1 1/2 tsp vanilla for the vanilla bean (they are $6 ea at HEB!!), but other than that I stuck to the recipe religiously. The cupcakes themselves were dry in my opinion...not sure if it was the recipe, making them miniature, or over baking. They were pretty cute though...I didn't do the cherries, but I put a single butter toffee peanut on top of each. Took me about 2.5 hours to make them and clean up, and it made 32. 

Vanilla Cupcake:
3/4 c milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 c all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick of butter at room temp
1 c sugar
1 egg

Old Fashioned Fudge Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Peanuts/Cherries for garnish

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk with vanilla bean. When milk boils, remove from heat immediately and let cool, about an hour. After the milk has cooled, remove the vanilla bean and scrape out the inside into the milk. Discard the bean.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar  until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk, mixing well after each addition.
4. Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool.
5. To make the frosting:mix sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt in a medium pan. Cook slowly over medium heat until mixture forms a soft ball when dropped into a glass of water (about 234F on a candy thermometer). This may take 15 minutes. Remove mixture from heat. Add butter and vanilla and blend well.
6. Put pan in cold water and beat until mixture is of spreading consistency. This could take 15 minutes. Spread on cupcakes immediately, sprinkle with peanuts, if desired, and top with a cherry before the frosting hardens.

Simple Herb Pesto

1 cup each parsley and cilatro (or basil)
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
2 Tbsp capers
3 anchovie fillets
1 clove garlic
1/4 c oil
salt and pepper

Blend everything except the oil in a food processor until combined. Salt and pepper to taste and stir in oil.

I really loved the flavor of this. I had never opened a tin of anchovies, so that made me a bit nervous, but it gave it a great flavor. I spread theit over small thin toasts to make bruschetta, and it was delicious. It would also be great with pasta, or to cook with meats or veggies!

Simple Fruit Dip

8 oz Neufchatel cheese
1/4 c Marshmallow Fluff
3 Tblsp Raspberry Preserves

I only made 1/2 a recipe as a small group was coming over, and it needed a bit more marshmallow fluff (of course I like everything sweeter!). I think a squeeze of lemon juice would have been nice, and made it a little smoother. Serve with strawberries and apple slices!

Mom's Chicken Piccata

4 Chicken Breasts
1/4 c + 1 1/2 T four, divided
1/2 tsp + 1 1/2 T flavored chx granules divided
2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 c white wine
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T capers, drained & rinsed
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 lb pasta, cooked


1) Pound chicken breast to 1/4 in. thickness. Coat chicken in mix of 1/4 c flour and 1/2 tsp bullion granules.
2) In large skillet, over med-high heat, cook chicken in oil 4 min per side til cooked through. Remove chicken and keep warm.
3) Lower heat to medium, add butter and remaining flour.
4) Stir in wine, lemon juice, remaining bullion and 2 T water, scraping up brown bits. Simmer 2 minutes. Add capers and parsley.
5) Serve chicken breast over pasta and spoon sauce over all .

 PS Mom usually doubles the sauce 

Eggplant Bolognese

Made this for dinner tonight with Rachel, Andrew, Lincoln, Steve and myself. As we finished our red wine, I had to settle for sherry, but other than that, I did pretty well sticking to the recipe. I added the whole can of tomato paste instead of what it asked for...(oops), and probably twice as much of the herbs. In the end, it was a decent dish. I would use regular milk in the future, and more of it...then again, I'm not sure if I'll do this one again. I have no real complaints, but it was just mediocre...and there are so many good jars of pasta sauce (I could even do organic) that I could just pour over some veggies and have an even better tasting pasta, for probably the same or less cost. I've not given up on Wholefoods.com yet...but that could be strike 2.

Serves 8

The flavor of this hearty sauce is as equally tasty over cooked whole grains or spaghetti squash as it is over pasta. The sauce freezes well for quick weeknight meals.

Ingredients

1 cup dry red wine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
12 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided
1 pound whole wheat or other whole grain pasta

Method

Bring red wine to a simmer in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook , stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and very tender and most of the wine has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Add eggplant, mushrooms and rosemary and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes, broth and pepper and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in almond milk and 2 tablespoons chopped basil.

To serve, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain thoroughly. Serve sauce over pasta and garnish with remaining basil.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 12oz/338g-wt.): 170 calories (5 from fat), 1g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 105mg sodium, 29g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 8g sugar), 6g protein

Quinoa with Roasted Mushrooms

This is a recipe off the Whole Foods website, that I made for Steve and myself. It was pretty easy to put together (mostly because I bought mushrooms that were already sliced), and the dressing was delicious! I think it would be really good to roast some other veggies like bell peppers, onions, asparagus or even meat with the mushrooms. The dressing maybe could have had a tiny bit less vinegar, and everything needs to be stirred together when it's hot, so that the spinach wilts just a bit. Definitely a keeper! 

Serves 6

Mushrooms roasted in a simple oil-free pear balsamic dressing are delicious tossed with quinoa, spinach, green onions and almonds. Serve this dish warm, room temperature or cold, as a side dish or the main event.

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 small pear, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 garlic clove, halved
2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed and gills scraped out
1 cup red or white quinoa
3 cups tightly packed spinach, chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 475°F.

Put vinegar, mustard, pear and garlic in a blender with 1/3 cup water and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Cut mushrooms into chunks and combine in a large mixing bowl with 1/4 cup of the pear balsamic dressing. Spread mushrooms in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast mushrooms until tender, stirring occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

While mushrooms roast, prepare quinoa. In a medium pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil. Stir in quinoa, cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, 10 minutes more. Uncover and fluff quinoa with a fork.

Combine mushrooms, quinoa, spinach, green onions, almonds, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup more pear balsamic dressing in a large, wide serving bowl. Stir to mix well. Serve with remaining dressing on the side.

Nutrition

Per serving: 280 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 120mg sodium, 43g total carbohydrate (7g dietary fiber, 9g sugar), 12g protein

Apple Cinnamon Oat Squares

I got super ambitious about my ability to be organic and natural when I saw this recipe...and I felt super earthy buying ground flax seeds and steel cut oats at Sprouts. However, it didn't hit home until I was putting this recipe together, that the only form of sweetness included is the shredded apple. I'm sure it makes them excellent for you, but I am self-aware enough to know that I just cannot do low sugar when it comes to baking. I went ahead and followed the recipe to a T (shocking,  I know), and drizzled honey over the bars when i served them. I may try this again, and I would possibly add about 1/2 a cup of honey to make them sweeter, or maybe a crumble on top. Either way, I'm not giving up on the Whole Foods website as a source for recipes...I'll just have to do a reality check before I decide to make them!

 

Ingredients

2 cups unsweetened almondmilk*
1 1/2 cups steel cut oats*
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup ground flax seeds (not whole flax seeds)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 (about 1 pound) Pink Lady apples, cored and grated

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer to a foil- or parchment paper-lined 9-inch square baking pan, press down and smooth out the top and bake until firm and golden brown, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan; cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 square): 140 calories (50 from fat), 6g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 20g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 7g sugar), 3g protein

Mexican Casserole

Snow Day Number 2!!!! Tonight we got to do dinner with Whitley, Sara, Rachel, Tyler and Bethany. Bethany made some delicious guacamole, and Rachel did margaritas (which were equally delicious). I was really excited about making this casserole, but it didn't turn out the best (most likely due to my modifications). I added meat to the meatless recipe, and doubled some ingredients but not others...sound like an obvious enough reason for a flop? Below is the original recipe

3/4 lb mushrooms
1 garlic clove
cayenne pepper
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
16 oz jar salsa
1 1/4 c Monterrey Jack cheese
8 corn tortillas, halved

Saute mushrooms 7 min in olive oil, add garlic and pepper for last minute and then black beans til heated through. Layer corn tortillas, mushroom/bean mixture, salsa & cheese, repeating 3 times. Throw it in the oven and bake on 400 for 10 minutes in a small casserole dish.

I might be willing to try this again...if I actually follow the recipe. For starters, I sauteed about 1.5 lbs of chicken and cut it into small pieces and also added an entire onion to the "mushroom mix". I also used a much larger casserole dish, therefore twice the tortillas, but only one jar of salsa, and 2 cups of cheese. Needless to say, I should have used more salsa and cheese, cut the chicken into smaller pieces and used a smaller casserole dish. I think if I do use this again, I will leave it meatless, as I'm sure it wouldn't seem as dried out if it was only veggies.

Luckily, we had enough guac and salsa to serve with the meal, and everyone seemed to enjoy it just fine.  We also got to have a nertz rematch from Snow Day #1, which is always a plus. Maybe my Snow Day #3 recipe will be more of a success!

Beef Stew

2 lbs beef stew meat
2 onions, chopped
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
1/2 chopped cabbage
1/2 to 1 cup of wine
1/4 cup wine vinegar
1 can of tomato paste
parika
garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar

We tossed the meat in flour and garlic powder and sauteed it til brown on the outside. Added everything to the crockpot and set on high. Added 2 cups of beef broth after it had been simmering for about 2 hours and let simmer for about 20 more minutes.

If I had it to do again, we wouldn't have tossed meat in flour without first cutting it into smaller pieces. Crocking it over night would've likely yielded a better result.

Snow Day Pasta

Snow Days are the kind of days that just keep getting better and better. We woke up to about 3 inches of snow on the ground, and one by one, Sara, Whitley, Craig and then Steve found out they didn't have to go into work!  After the guys went and rescued Lincoln from being snowed-in by himself in Wedgewood, we headed over to Sara's for lunch, cards and Despicable Me =)

For the Pasta:
We started with a package of 4 Italian Sausages (casings removed) and broke them up in a large pot until they were crumbled and cooked through and drained them on some paper towels. We cut up 4 broccoli crowns, chopped an onion and 4 cloves of garlic. Sauteed the garlic and onions in olive oil for 3-4 minutes then added the broccoli and about 1/2 to 1 cup of red wine- cooked until broccoli was soft. Added a large can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato sauce along with the sausage and cooked until heated through. Added some corn starch to thicken the sauce, garlic powder, basil and Italian seasoning to taste and served over a box and a quarter of penne pasta to feed 8 of us on Snow day!

If I had it to do over, I would probably use about half the broccoli and substitute some mushrooms, tomatoes, squash or something with less volume. It could have done with a small can of tomato paste, or maybe another can of tomato sauce. Overall it was a delicious lunch, and a great use of a snow day!

Steve's Curry

We made this one for our Village on Tuesday night; it's a classic Steve recipe, and it's pretty simple...leave it to me to over-complicate something!  I could have had this done in an hour, and it's an easy-one dish meal, so I would definitely serve this to guests or just make it on a week night.


2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion-chopped
1-2 lbs chicken (cubed breast or wings/ pieces)
2.5 cups of water
3-4 small potatoes (sweet or normal)

3.5 oz (1 box/5 bricks) Golden Curry Sauce mix
1/2 bag frozen veggies (peas and carrots/ broccoli/ mixed)

Saute the onion and chicken in oil over medium heat in the bottom of a medium size pot 3-5 minutes. Add potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes. Add curry sauce bricks, stirring constantly until all bricks are dissolved and sauce thickens. Add additional frozen veggies and stir 5 more minutes. You can serve immediately or let it simmer a bit longer.

Jamie Oliver's Egyptian Stuffed Flatbread

Last night I tried the recipe below from Jamie Oliver's America.  It took about an hour and a half, and would have been a much better option if I was using left over meat that was already cooked or lamb...instead I cooked some left over chicken, pork and beef and just mixed them. I served it with salad, but wish I just had chopped up a cucumber, celery and red bell pepper to dip in the hummus an yogurt.

I was able to find the Sumac at Central Market, but the za'atar was a little more tricky. I talked to the "Foodie" at Central Market (which by the way, I hope can be my job when I'm old and bored) and he looked it up to find that it is a mix of dried sumac, thyme and sesame seeds. I wanted to mix the 3 to substitute, but as I did not have sesame seeds, I had to settle for some thyme and extra sumac. I used "Ground Comino" (which is apparently ground cumin seeds) and I'd like to try it with the whole seeds that the recipe calls for.
For the flatbread, I halved pitas (creating 2 thin circles) and spread the meat mixture on half. I would have done a little less meat filling and made more pitas...I also would have used regular baking pans rather than the air bake cookie pans.

My hummus was a whole can of chickpeas with some of the juice, 2 chopped cloves of garlic, juice from half a lemon, and 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. I seasoned it with garlic powder, cumin and paprika to taste. I'd like to try it with the tahini in the future, but I'm just so cheap!!!

4 c leftover cooked lamb, beef, pork or chicken
1 lemon, finely zested
1 tbsp sumac
1 tbsp za’atar, plus extra
1 tbsp cumin seeds, plus extra, toasted
1 tsp paprika
2 large eggs, preferably free-range or organic, beaten
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced 
4 large flatbreads or flour tortillas
Olive oil
4 heaped tbsp hummus
Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
A small handful of fresh mint, leaves picked
Heat your oven to full whack. Spread your leftover meat on a board and, with a large knife, chop it up into rough chunks. Put it into a large bowl with your lemon zest, then halve the lemon and squeeze over the juice from one half. Add all your spices, the eggs, a pinch of salt and pepper, and most of your spring onions. Mix everything up with a spoon.
Lay out your flatbreads. You’re going to fold them in half, so cover half of each with the filling, leaving a 1cm gap around the edge. Use a spoon to spread the lamb mixture, then fold over your flatbreads and gently press the two halves together, so you have a half-moon shape.
Get two big baking trays, roughly the same size, and lightly rub one of them with olive oil. Lay your flatbreads on the oiled tray, then lightly rub the underside of your second tray with oil and pop this on top of your flatbreads. If your trays aren’t big enough, you may need to do this in two batches. Whack the trays into your preheated oven and cook for 6-8 minutes. Using the two trays this way ensures that your flatbreads get lovely and crisp on both sides.
Slice the flatbreads, arrange them on a big chopping board or serving platter, and dollop your hummus next to them. Make a small well in the centre of the hummus, so it’s like a little dish, and drizzle in some extra-virgin olive oil.
Scatter over your reserved spring onions and sprinkle with a little extra cumin and za’atar. Mix your yoghurt with some chopped mint, a good squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Have a taste, adding an extra squeeze of lemon if it needs it. Spoon it over, then tuck in.