What I Ate During My Single Days

 

Back when I was single, I would make a big batch of this and eat it for dinner throughout the week until it was gone. Ahhh, those were the days. Cooking was a lot easier back then! I didn't have picky kids to deal with...just my own tastes and moods. The amounts are approximate because I add in as much or as little as I feel like.

 

Seafood Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

1 (1 lb.) box medium shell pasta
1-2 packages imitation crab
1-2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
Mozzarella cheese, cubed
Fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add imitation crab, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Add olive oil/balsamic vinegar mixture. Toss until well-mixed.

Source: I made it up because I love caprese salad, pasta, and imitation crab. So, I just combined all of them. It's just as good as I remembered it. I made it and my husband and I had it for lunch for the next few days. Good stuff!

Notes: I tend to like more stuff than less in this. It just lasts longer that way too because there is more of it. My picky oldest son loved it too...but he did pick out the imitation crab. Oh well, you can't win 'em all!

 



Above: If you don't love crab, just leave it out, or substitute some Genoa salami, like we did here.

Daily Catch

We don't often have seafood (because so few of us in our family like it), but this was an awesome seafood salad! Since some people don't like seafood, it just left more for those of us who do!

Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:

2 1/3 cups uncooked small pasta shells
1/3 pound cooked salad shrimp
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
4 radishes, halved and sliced
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the shrimp, celery, onion, radishes, and eggs. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; add to shrimp mixture. Add dressing mixture; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Yield: 9 servings.

Nutrition information: 3/4 cup equals 316 calories, 23 g fat, 134 mg cholesterol, 622 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 9 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home, submitted by Delores Hill. You can find it here.

Don't Forget the Sauce!

 

Fish sticks without tartar sauce are just pointless! However, with the sauce, they are addicting. Also, dress up your fish sticks by making them into fish tacos! Just add a flour tortilla and your favorite taco fixings, along with this tartar sauce, of course.

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1-2 tsp. dill pickle relish
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1 green onion chopped, green parts only

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Source: I made this one up because I like my tartar sauce with a lot of kick and a lot of flavor. Get creative. You can also add some ground red pepper, or a few drops of Tabasco sauce too.



Above: This sauce is so good.

Above: Yummy fish tacos!

 

No Recipe Required Fish Tacos

Ingredients:

Fish sticks (3 to 4 fish sticks per taco)

Flour tortillas

Lettuce

Chopped tomato

Shredded cheese

Tartar sauce

Directions:

Top tortillas with lettuce followed by fish sticks, tomatoes, shredded cheese and tartar sauce. Enjoy!

Source: I just came up with this when I was thinking of a way to use up the fish sticks in our freezer. Now I need to buy more fish sticks because I am craving these again!

Notes: The crunch from the fish sticks in these tacos is so good.

From the Ocean

I was craving a good shrimp scampi, and this did the trick! I will type the recipe as originally written, and then type it again with my changes (since I made quite a few).

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
Hot cooked angel hair pasta

Directions:

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, saute garlic in butter and oil until fragrant. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, pepper and oreagano; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Sprinkle with cheese, bread crumbs and parsley.

Broil 6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve with pasta.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 cup equals 395 calories, 30 g fat, 177 mg cholesterol, 420 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home. You can find it here. It is currently rated 5 stars, and with good reason!

Shrimp Scampi (with my changes)

Ingredients:

2-3 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 pounds frozen cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving, if desired
Dry Italian bread crumbs
Minced fresh parsley
1 lb. hot cooked angel hair pasta (reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid)

Directions:

Prepare the shrimp by pulling off the tails, if desired.

In a large skillet, saute garlic in butter and oil until fragrant. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, pepper, and oregano. Cook until heated through.

Add angel hair pasta and toss to coat. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid from the pasta if the pasta is a little dry and needs more sauce.

Sprinkle each serving with desired amount of Italian bread crumbs, minced parsley, and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Notes: I bought cooked shrimp on accident. It did speed up the process considerably. I also pulled the tails off of all of the shrimp.

I used bottled minced garlic simply because it was easier. I increased the amount of lemon juice because I like things lemony. I added salt. I also used Italian bread crumbs instead of plain--just for extra flavor.

Using a pasta spoon, I spooned the pasta right from the pot it cooked in to the lemon butter shrimp sauce.

I also didn't want to make the pasta too dry, so I thought it would be better to sprinkle each serving of pasta with breadcrumbs.

Reimagining a Recipe

You may or may not like tuna noodle casserole in its classic form, but I know I liked this tuna casserole that I made awhile back.

Here is a way of looking at tuna casserole in a different way.

Creamy Shells with Tuna and Spinach

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced small
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups whole milk
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 hamburger bun, torn into large pieces (I used a couple of slices of white bread)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
2 cans (6 ounces each) light tuna in water, drained and flaked (see notes below)
6 ounces jumbo pasta shells (about 20), cooked according to package instructions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whicking constantly, and cook until slightly thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let sauce cool slightly.

In a food processor, combine bun, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red-pepper flakes. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer half the mixture to a large bowl and combine with spinach, tuna, and half the sauce; season with salt and pepper. Fill each shell with 2 heaping tablespoons spinach mixture and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and breadcrumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.

Recipe Note: Toss together a salad to go along with this. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon each red-wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add 3/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped, and 1 tomato, cut into wedges. Toss to combine.

Source: Martha Stewart website. You can find it here.

Notes: I really liked this. In the future, however, I think I might try it with fresh chopped spinach instead of the frozen. Also, if you don't like tuna, you could definitely substitute canned chicken. I really liked the flavor of this. I wish it had a little more sauce though--not enough to double the sauce recipe...just a little bit more. Also, I think I would have put 3/4 of the breadcrumb mixture and mixed it into the tuna spinach mixture and put the remaining 1/4 mixture on top of the shells. I had a ton of breadcrumbs remaining to sprinkle on top. I ended up throwing half of the remaining mixture out because otherwise, the breadcrumbs would have dried up the sauce, whereas they would have added even more flavor and texture to the shell filling. So, I will definitely make this again (and I really want to try it with chicken and fresh spinach), but I would slightly change a few things (as noted) the next time around.

One Fish, Two Fish

See, I never get to cook fish.  Well, almost never.  My family in Utah doesn't like it.  But I've been visiting my daughter in Ohio, who just had a baby.  So I begged for the opportunity to cook for her.  We've had fish twice.  The other one was blogged about quite a while ago.  This was the one we've tried tonight.  And it was good!  Really good!  And easy!  Really easy!  And if you have a small family, the recipe is made for two; easily doubled or tripled for more, of course.

HERB-CRUSTED TILAPIA WITH LEMON POTATOES

1 large unpeeled potato, cut into 1/2 in pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tilapia fillets (5 to 6 oz. each)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Heat oven to 425 F.  Spray 15x10x1 in pan with cooking spray.  In medium bowl, toss potato, oil and salt to coat.  Spread potato in half of pan.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until potato is tender.

Meanwhile, place flour on plate.  In shallow dish, beat egg with fork.  In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs, seasoned salt, and butter.

Coat fillets with flour.  Dip into egg; coat well with bread crumb mixture.  Place fillets in other half of pan.  Place zucchini over potatoes; toss to combine.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork and vegetables are tender.  Sprinkle fish with thyme; toss vegetables with lemon peel.

2 Servings

Source:  Bettycrocker.com

Cook's notes:  I made the mistake of cubing the zucchini instead of slicing it.  Tasted good but the cooking was a little uneven.  I also didn't measure the lemon zest (cooking in someone else's kitchen is always a little challenging and I was beating the clock).  It was a little tart, but I liked it.  I thought this was a great recipe and even the fish-challenged would like it.

Honoring the Past: My Maternal Grandparents

                        

Last October, I did a post paying tribute to my paternal grandparents and their favorite recipes.  Today, I thought I would share a few from my Mom's side of the family.

My Grandma Salazar was pretty much 100% Irish.  But she married someone who was 100% Hispanic (or is the current preferred term "Latino" these days?).  Quite a mix.  My Grandma Salazar was an amazing cook.  She loved to try all sorts of recipes...the trickier and fancier, the better.  She paid tribute to her husband's side of the family through her recipes.

I actually already shared a few of her recipes last September.  You can find those here.  If you go to that link, you will find the best ever recipe for Chicken Cacciatore.

Also, when I say "maternal grandparents," I pretty much only mean my Grandma because to my knowledge, my Grandpa never cooked anything.

So, without further adieu, here are a few more of my Grandma Salazar's most wonderful recipes.

Grandma Salazar's Enchiladas

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 cups chopped cooked meat (she traditionally used beef--such as beef stew meat, but pork, chicken, crab, or even shrimp would work in this dish.  To get the most tender meat, the slow cooker is probably the best way to cook it)

1/2 can minced green chilies

1 cup mashed avocado

1 small can chopped olives

1/4 cup minced onion

1/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Garlic powder, to taste

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1/4 cup salsa

Enchiladas:

Flour tortillas

Hot oil, for dipping

1 can enchilada sauce

Toppings:

Sliced black olives

Cheese (shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack)

Sour cream

Green olives, if desired

Lettuce, if desired

Diced tomatoes, if desired

Green onions, if desired

Directions:

Combine meat, chilies, avocado, onion, chopped olives, cheeses, spices, and salsa.

Dip tortillas in hot oil for 1 second.  Dip in enchilada sauce until coated.  Place 1/4-1/2 cup filling on tortilla and roll up.  Place in 9x13" pan.  Brush ends with remaining enchilada sauce

Sprinkle with cheeses and olives.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Top with sour cream and green onions, lettuce, green olives, and diced tomatoes, if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Source: To the best of my knowledge, my Grandma made up this recipe.

Notes: I cheated and used leftover shredded pork that I had made awhile back and frozen.  I also skipped the step where you dip the tortillas in hot oil (I figured I didn't need the extra calories).  As a result, they didn't taste exactly like the enchiladas my Grandma used to make.  But they were still pretty darned tasty!

For the meat, place cubed beef stew meat into a slow cooker with a little water (about 1/2 cup) or beef broth and cook on low heat until tender, about 8 hours.  You may season the meat with a little salt and pepper, if desired.

                        

Grandma Salazar's Homemade Tortillas

Note: Don't double this as it will make the dough too hard to mix.  If a doubled amount is needed, make separate batches at the same time.

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup lard (not shortening)

1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Rub in the lard using your fingers.  Rub until it is well blended and it will feel grainy. Add water gradually and mix constantly until dough forms a ball.  Put the dough on a lightly floured board.  Knead until it is elastic and smooth (about 5 minutes).

Dough might be a bit lumpy, but it is okay as long as it is mixed well.

Divide dough into 16 pieces, all the same size. Shape into balls and cover with a damp towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

On floured board, roll out one ball of dough to form a flat round. Roll it from the center out to the edge. Turn the tortilla 1/4 turn each time you roll. Keep rolling until it is thin and about 8" round.

If you get confident, you can pat the tortilla between your hands.

Dust off excess flour and stack between wax paper sheets while you make the remaining tortillas.

Heat a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the pan is ready, a few drops of water will dance off the surface. Cook a tortilla just until brown spots appear on the underside and the tortilla looks cooked and bubbles form (about 30-40 seconds). Press the bubbles down as they form. Flip over the tortilla and cook other side until it looks done.

Cool on wire rack and cover with a dry towel to keep from drying out.

Cook the rest and ENJOY!

Source: I think my Grandma got this recipe from her mother-in-law, but I'm not sure.

Notes: I am also not sure if this recipe was used as the base for the enchiladas above.  But knowing my Grandma's cooking, it probably was.

Grandma Salazar's Pizza

Grandma Salazar's Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg. (1 teaspoon) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup warm water
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (divided in 2 cup increments)
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Soften yeast and set aside (combine yeast and 2 tablespoons water and set aside). Meanwhile, pour 1 cup warm water into a large bowl.  Blend in 2 cups all-purpose flour and salt.

Stir in softened yeast, and add to flour-water mixture, mixing well.

Add about one cup of flour to the yeast-flour mixture and beat until very smooth. Mix in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn mixture onto a lightly flowered surface.  Allow to rest 5-10 minutes. Knead.

Select a deep bowl just large enough to allow the dough to double. Shape dough into a smooth ball and place in greased bowl (drizzled with a little olive oil to coat the bowl). Turn dough to bring greased surface to top. Cover with waxed paper and towel and let stand in warm place (about 80 degrees) until dough is doubled (about 1 1/2-2 hours).

Punch dough down with fist. Fold edge toward center and turn dough over. Divide dough into two equal balls. Grease a second bowl. Place each ball of dough into a greased bowl. Turn greased side up. Cover. Let rise again until almost doubled (about 45 minutes).

Roll each ball of dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle 1/2 inch thick and place each on a prepared baking sheet. Shape edge by pressing dough between thumb and forefinger to make ridge. (For round pizza, roll dough into rounds.)

Note: Lightly flour the baking sheets or pizza pans to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan. You can also sprinkle cornmeal on the baking sheets or pizza pans in place of the flour to achieve the same purpose.

Source: I'm pretty sure that this is from The Culinary Arts Institute's "The Italian Cookbook" published in 1955 where the Chicken Cacciatore recipe came from.

Whew!  Now, it's time for the sauce!

Grandma Salazar's Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 cup chopped onions
3 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1 1/2-2 cups water
3 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Cook garlic cloves and onion in olive oil until browned. Slowly stir in tomato paste, water, salt, and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until thickened.

Pizza Toppings:

Homemade sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Diced bell pepper
Diced tomatoes
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese
Crushed oregano, to taste
Finely sliced pepperoni
Italian sausage

Pizza Cooking Directions:

Bake pizza at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted and crust is nicely browned).

Source: I believe my Grandma made up the recipe for her Pizza Sauce, but my Mom will have to verify that.

Notes: I don't have a picture of this one yet.  We made it for New Year's Eve a few years back and it is a great pizza recipe.  I'll have to tackle it all from scratch sometime soon and post the pictures of the finished product.

Grandma Salazar's Rice Stuffing

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups long grain brown rice
7 1/2 cups chicken bouillon (broth or stock)
2 Tbsp. oil
1 cup chopped celery
Chopped giblets
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup dried parsley
2 cups chopped pecans
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions in chicken bouillon/broth/stock. Saute celery, giblets, onions, and parsley in oil.  Mix wirth rice mixture and add pecans, sage, and poultry seasoning. Makes enough to stuff a 20 pound turkey.

Source: I don't know if Grandma made this one up or found this recipe somewhere.

Notes: This isn't your traditional bread stuffing, but my Grandma didn't like to go the traditional route for holiday foods.  Besides, this is really tasty!  I need to add a picture of this one too!

Grandma Salazar's Macaroni Salad

Ingredients:

2 Bay leaves
1 Tbsp. salt
2 cups elbow macaroni
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 tsp. grated onion
1/2 cup flaked cooked salmon (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
Dash of cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. MSG
3/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:

Boil water, bay leaves, and 1 Tbsp. salt. Gradually add elbow macaroni. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Rinse with running cold water.

Prepare the celery, onion, and salmon and set aside. Once the macaroni is cooled, mix these ingredients with the macaroni.

Blend together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, sugar, cayenne, 1/2 tsp. salt, dry mustard, white pepper, and MSG.

Whip 3/4 cup whipping cream until stiff. Mix the mayonnaise mixture with the cream. Mix together with the macaroni mixture and chill.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Again, as far as I know, my Grandma made this one up.

Notes: These flavors and ingredients seem like such a quirky combination to throw together, but this salad is soooo good.  It's really addicting.  But you have to like salmon to enjoy this salad.  Darn it, this one needs a picture as well!

Crab Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp lemon juice (fresh)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups crab (cartilage removed--canned works great)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients. Chill and serve with crackers or vegetables. Makes 3 cups.

Source: I believe my Grandma found this recipe in the newspaper.  It was in an article about President Kennedy's favorite recipes.

Notes: Again, this sounds like it would be so weird.  But trust me, this dip is FANTASTIC!  One of my holiday guilty pleasures.  I just can't leave this stuff alone.  I think it is particularly tasty on celery sticks.

Too Hot for Soup

Contrary to what Laurie thinks, sometimes it is just too hot for soup.  However, while it is 90+ degrees right now, the time is coming and not to far distant when you will want soup.  I know it.  You know it.  So let's prepare now!
Besides I am way behind on posting and I promised Sarah I would get some recipes on here.  These are beyond easy soup recipes, some using pantry ingredients, and all dependable!

Here are some recipes from very different cuisines.  Bon Appetit!

Beefy Nacho Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean (at least 80%) gound beef
1 T. Old El Paso 40% less sodium taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz. pkg)
1 can condensed nacho cheese soup
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c. crushed corn tortilla chips

Directions:

In 2 qt. saucepan, cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.

Reduce heat to medium.  Stir in remaining ingredients except shredded cheese and tortilla chips.  Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.  Top individual servings with shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

Makes 4 servings.

Tip:  Offer other favorite nacho toppings for the soup, such as tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, sour cream, guacamole and/or ripe olives.  Source Betty Crocker website....of course.  :)

This is such an easy soup and my husband just loves it.  Keep some hot sauce by if you like the heat.

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water
4 oz. (1 cup) uncooked ready-cut spaghetti (short curved pasta)
20 frozen cooked meatballs
1 (27 to 30-oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
Grated Parmesan (for garnishment)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in large saucepan.  Add spaghetti and meatballs.  Cook about 10 minutes or until spaghetti is tender.  Do no drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  If desired, sprinkle individual servings with grated Parmesan cheese.

Makes 5 (1 1/2 c.) servings

Cajun Crab Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 c. clam juice
2 c. chicken broth
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen white corn
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. lump crab meat, drained (canned, fresh, or imitation can be used)
4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onion and garlic until onion is tender.  Whisk in flour, and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in clam juice and chicken broth, and bring to a boil.  Mix in corn, and season with salt, white pepper, thyme, and cayenne.  Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Stir in cream, crab meat, and green onions.  Heat through, but do not boil once the cream has been added.

This came from All Recipes website.  It was beyond yummy, but obviously not the lowest in fat.  But sometimes you just have to have a creamy based soup and this is worth the calories...just be moderate.  It was so good!

Garlic Basil Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon butter
2 cans (14 1/2 oz) reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 c. frozen cheese tortellini
1 can (19 oz) white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender.  Stir in the broth, water, basil and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in tortellini.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for about 3 minutes or until tortellini begins to float.  Stir in beans and vinegar; heat through.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Yield:  4 servings.  Source Taste of Home Light & Tasty Magazine

This soup is a basic and really loved by Emily and Laurie.  So easy and light.

No Way! This is Canned Tuna?!

In the past, canned tuna meant a lovely tuna fish sandwich to me. Tuna fish sandwiches don't have to be boring. You can get creative by adding nuts, herbs, fancy kinds of mustard, etc. Very satisfying.

But I only eat so many tuna fish sandwiches and I had a ton of canned tuna in my pantry that I needed to use up before being forced to throw it out.

So, a couple of months ago, I was flipping through my monthly Martha Stewart Everyday Food magazine and I came across a recipe for tuna casserole. This wasn't your average tuna noodle casserole. It used a completely different kind of pasta (usually, it calls for egg noodles) and it also called for panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). It intrigued me. Besides that, I happened to have all of the ingredients for this particular recipe in my cupboard already, so it meant that I didn't have to go grocery shopping before making dinner...for another day at least (I really hate grocery shopping).

I like canned tuna, but I've never really seen many uses for it. I mean, besides making tuna sandwiches and your basic tuna noodle casserole, what else can you use it for?

But then I made this tuna noodle casserole and my whole mind-set changed. I thought to myself "This was GOOD. What else can you make with canned tuna?" So, I did some searching and I realized that there is a LOT that you can make with it! I found all of my recipes this time around on the Martha Stewart website. Say what you will about Martha, but she's a woman who respects the pantry. I've constantly been amazed at how many creative recipes are on her website which successfully make use of seemingly boring or commonplace ingredients. Seriously, I will never look at canned tuna the same way again. I used up all of the tuna in my pantry and had to buy more. Plus, you can bet that I will definitely be stocking up on tuna for my food storage from here on out. I still have a whole slew of recipes for tuna that I want to try, but I'll include those in a part 2 blog post sometime. I figured that I had better get these tuna recipes on our blog so that other people besides myself can actually try them!

Oh, and in the process (and among many other delicious discoveries), I found a tuna sandwich that will blow every other tuna sandwich you have ever had right out of the water.

I hope you liked them as much as I did.

I will begin with the recipe that started it all...

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3/4 pound tubetti or elbow macaroni

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

1/2 ounce Parmesan, grated (2 tablespoons)

2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced small

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups whole milk

2 cans (6 ounces each) solid light tuna packed in water, drained and flaked

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 2 minutes less than package instructions (it will be undercooked). Drain. In a small bowl, toss together panko, Parmesan, and 2 teaspoons oil.

In pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Add flour and whisk to coat onion with flour. Slowly whisk in broth, then milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in pasta, tuna, and peas, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer tuna mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and top with panko mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling and crust is golden, 17-20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Martha Stewart website and Everyday Food magazine

Notes: I used a whole pound of ditalini. I seasoned my casserole quite generously with salt and pepper. This was so good. The texture of the ditalini and the addition of peas made this so delicious. Oh, and my picky eater oldest son liked this, so that made it even better!

Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

Ingredients:

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread

1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

3/4 pound spaghetti

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

3 tablespoons slivered Kalamata olives

2 cans (6 ounces each) chunk light tuna in water, drained

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6-8 minutes.

Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss, adding enough pasta water to coat. Add tuna, toss gently. Serve sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, January 2009.

Notes: Another way to make the breadcrumbs would be to toast the bread in a toaster and then pulse the bread in a food processor or blender. Also, I used a whole pound of spaghetti (as I've mentioned before, I hate it when a recipe calls for less than a box of pasta. What am I supposed to do with 1/4 pound of spaghetti later on?). I also really like lemons and olives, so I increased the amount of lemon juice and olives used to suit my own taste. This was seriously so good. Surprisingly good. I would seriously serve this to company it was that good (unless my company hated fish, of course). Besides that, this recipe was so fast and easy. It literally only takes as long as it takes to cook and drain the pasta...and then you're done! I like those kinds of recipes A LOT!

Mediterranean Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound wide egg noodles

2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk

4 cans (6 ounces each) tuna in olive oil, drained

1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and thickly sliced

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two 8-inch square (or other shallow 2 quart baking dishes). In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until 2 minutes short of al dente; drain, and return to pot.

Meanwhile, in a 5 quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add bell peppers; season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp-tender, 4-6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer.

Remove from heat; add mixture to noodles in pot, along with tuna, artichoke hearts, and scallions. Season with salt and pepper, and toss. Divide between prepared baking dishes, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, October 2007

Notes: We have actually already shared this recipe before (though we didn't post a picture of it last time). This recipe is actually freezer friendly and if you want directions on how to freeze and reheat it (as well as recipes for some additional freezer friendly casseroles), click here. I used cooking spray for the baking dish (and I used one 9x13 inch pan instead of two 8-inch square baking dishes). I also used tuna in water instead of olive oil because that's what I had and it still tasted great. Finally, I used 2 cans of artichoke hearts because I love them and you can never have too much!

This sauce is deceiving because it doesn't really thicken up until it cooks in the oven. I was worried that it would be thin and runny...but it wasn't. It was just right.

Tuna Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

3 cans tuna, well drained

2 cans crushed tomatoes, with juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, thyme, or rosemary

1 pound penne or fusilli pasta

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

Heat a medium saucepan and add the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes. Add the tuna and stir, being careful not to break up the chunks too much.

Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, bring to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes. Add the chopped herbs a few minutes before serving.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta, drain, and toss with the sauce. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Source: Mad Hungry recipe by Lucinda Scala Quinn from October 2010 found on the Martha Stewart website.

Notes: The recipe doesn't specify whether to use two 14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or two 28 oz cans. I decided to err on the side of having too much rather than not enough, so I used two 28 oz cans (besides, I like tomatoes and I needed some 28 oz cans for another project). However, after having made it, I think the recipe is referring to two 14.5 oz cans. But I thought it was really yummy using two 28 oz cans, so I would just tell you to go by your own personal preference. If you like a lot of sauce (and I do), use the larger cans. Otherwise, use the smaller ones.

This recipe is best the first night. When it is fresh and piping hot, it is so rich and flavorful. When you eat it as leftovers, it does start to taste just a tad bit fishy. Again, I used tuna packed in water (because that's what I had).

I made it using fresh oregano. But it would be equally delicious with the thyme or rosemary suggested in the recipe.

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 cans oil-packed tuna (6 oz each), drained

1/4 English cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

8 inch country style round bread loaf

3 tablespoons jarred olive tapenade

1 cup fresh basil leaves

2 hard-cooked large eggs

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, white-wine vinegar, and Dijon mustard; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Transfer 2 tablespoons dressing to another bowl; toss with tuna. To remaining dressing, add cucumber and red onion; toss to combine.

Cut an 8-inch country-style round bread loaf in half horizontally; remove most of soft interior bread. Spread 3 tablespoons jarred olive tapenade on bottom half. Top with 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, then 2 hard-cooked large eggs sliced; season with salt and pepper. Top with tuna, then cucumber mixture, and close sandwich.

Wrap sandwich tightly in plastic and place between two baking sheets. Weight with a heavy skillet. Let stand 1 hour (or refrigerate, up to overnight). To serve, cut into quarters.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food, July/August 2009

Notes: Rather than canned tuna, I used tuna packed in pouches this time around. I doubled this recipe (and made two loaves or a total of 8 sandwich servings). So, I used two pouches of tuna (enough to total 24 ounces of tuna, which would have been the equivalent had I used canned tuna).

I would suggest that you remove some, but not most of the interior bread. This is a very moist sandwich and it might get too soggy if you remove too much bread. I removed a lot of the interior bread and pressed it for about 40 minutes (rather than an hour). If I had waited too much longer, it would have been soggy. It is a messy sandwich, so keep some napkins nearby.

But honestly, this is everything a tuna sandwich should be. It's the tuna sandwich I've been waiting my whole life for! :) It has so many strong flavors that you think it might be overwhelming, but all of the flavors work together beautifully to make one super tasty sandwich.

Oh, and if you're intimidated by the name, Nicoise is pronounced "nee-swahz" (you can hear the pronunciation here.)

Sarah's Other Birthday Dinner

We had an earlier celebration for Sarah's birthday. We had a small group and some of our fussier eaters were out of town, so we tried something unusual.....fish and pasta! The pasta was one Sarah had been wanting to try from an old cookbook we have "The Essential Pasta Cookbook." Since it had unusual flavor, we wanted a very mild fish.

I really liked the pasta, but it wasn't a big hit with some of the others. Note: Since my grandson has a tree nut allergy, we punted and used peanuts in the pesto sauce. Finally, I only had 4 oz. of basil, and that would have changed the flavor considerably. I made the pesto ahead so there wasn't quite the same rush in the kitchen closer to dinner time. The fish was a big hit and heated up really well the next day. Best of all it was easy, easy.

Linguine in Honey Basil Cream

Ingredients:

1 lb. (500 g.) linguine

7 1/2 oz (240 g.) fresh basil

1 sm. red chili, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

juice of on lemon

1/2 c. (125 ml/4 fl oz) olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 1/2 c. (37g ml/12 fl oz) cream

1/2 c. (125 ml/4 fl oz) chicken stock

shavings of fresh Parmesan, for serving

Directions:

Cook the linguine in a large pan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and keep warm.

While the pasta is cooking, discard the stems of basil and mix the basil leaves, chili, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, lemon juice, oil and honey.

Combine the basil mixture, cream and chicken stock in a large pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. Season, to taste, with cracked pepper.

Add the pasta to the pan and toss well. Sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan.

Baked Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets (6 oz. each)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Place tilapia in an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, lemon juice, garlic powder an salt. Pour over the fillets. Sprinkle with capers, oregano and paprika.

Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield 4 servings.

Source: Taste of Home recipe submitted by Hope Stewart of Raleigh, NC.

Cooking When You Have Kids, Part 2

Like my sister, I have also recently been faced with the predicament of restructuring the way I cook to adapt to my new role as a mother.  This hasn't been easy for me, particularly because I am naturally drawn to labor-intensive cooking.  I love the process of it!  I love making things from scratch.  If I had the time and energy, I would seriously church my own butter and make my own bread from wheat that I grew in my garden.  I would love that!  Alas, that is all just a pipe dream for now, as I too have to find meals that I can do prep work early in the day or meals that take 20-30 minutes to prepare.  The crock pot is a useful tool, but sometimes you just get bored of making crock pot recipes.  Also, it seems like they are better wintertime recipes, like soups and stews.  Anyway...Here are a few healthy and easy meals that I have been making recently.  Hope you try them out!

Chicken Piccata
(Pictured above)

I love the fresh lemony flavor of chicken piccata. Because the chicken breasts are butterflied, or pounded very thin, they cook very fast. This meal takes about 20-30 minutes to make from start to finish and its nice because its a little on the "fancy" side. Serve it with some pasta and a nice tossed salad and you have a beautiful meal. The other part that is great is that you probably likely have all or most of the ingredients in your pantry, so its a very economical meal to prepare also.

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken scaloppini (I just butterflied two large chicken breasts)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, zest reserved for optional garnish, about 2 tablespoons juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Baby arugula for garnish
Whole-wheat angel hair pasta or roasted potatoes, for serving

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot; cook the cutlets until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to a plate. (Reserve the skillet.) Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium.

Add the remaining teaspoon oil and garlic to the same skillet; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk together the broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon flour, and add to the pan. Simmer sauce until reduced and thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, parsley and capers. Swirl in the butter until sauce is shiny and slightly thickened.

Serve chicken with the sauce. Toss the arugula and freshly grated lemon zest with a light drizzle of olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper, scatter over chicken. Serve with pasta or potatoes as desired.

Source: Copyright 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. You can find it here.

Crepes!

When my younger sister came to visit me I decided to whip up some crepes one day, because she has a thing for french cuisine. It had been a while since I had made them. They are so easy, so fast and so versatile! I was hooked. Since then, I have made a batch of batter each week and kept it in my fridge. Its great for a lunch or light dinner. And its also super kid friendly! Just fill it with some ham and cheese and fold it into quarters. The picture above is a sweet crepe, filled simply with cottage cheese and a little cherry jam. Quite tasty!

Some dinner options for crepes would be:
Spinach, goat cheese, mushrooms and tomato
Prosciutto, asparagus and Fontina Cheese
Good old Ham and Swiss or Ham and Cheddar
Shredded Chicken, Broccoli, Ricotta and Cheddar

you get the drift! You could basically put whatever you fancy in a crepe.

Here is a basic crepe recipe:

1 cup flour ( you can also do 1/2 cup whole wheat, 1/2 cup white)
1 1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 T canola oil
2 T Sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high. Pour about 1/4 cup batter and swirl around until thin and even. Cook about 1 minute then flip, cook about 30 seconds to a minute longer.

You can find similar recipes on allrecipes.com

 

Above: Ice cream wrapped crepe topped with caramel ice cream topping.

 

Above: This is such an easy yet fancy and pretty dessert.  Not to mention that it is so delicious!  There's just something about the combination of ice cream and a crepe!  You could serve this with any of your favorite toppings, such as fresh berries and powdered sugar, or strawberries and chocolate syrup.  Then, of course, you could use any flavor of ice cream that you like!  Yum!

Fish is a great quick meal. It only takes a few minutes to cook, so pretty much any preparation of it will be pretty snappy. Plus its so healthy for you and light and tasty. I love fish! This is one of my favorite Tilapia recipes from Cooking Light. I substituted the rice with Quinoa, because that is what I had in my pantry and it was oh so tasty. Have you ever tried Quinoa? I strongly recommend it! It is a super healthy whole grain that can basically be used in place of rice or couscous. And its a great source of protein. I only recently discovered it, but I am hooked.

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray
3 cups hot cooked basmati rice
4 lime wedges

Directions:


Preheat broiler

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add giner and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, rice, and lime wedges.

Source: Found on Food.com. You can find it here.

Gnocchi! I love Gnocchi! Have you tried it? They are these plump little potato pasta dumplings they eat in Italy. I like them because they look like little grubs. I think kids would like them too. There are unlimited ways of preparing gnocchi. My little sister made this dish for me for mothers day and it really only took about 20 minutes. I am going to paraphrase the recipe for you.

Mother's Day Gnocchi

Basically you take 1 package gnocchi, boil it until they float ( about 4 minutes ); drain.

Then while the water is boiling, in a saucepan heat 1 T olive oil. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, cook until fragrant. Add 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 15 min. add salt and pepper to taste. Add 4 oz mascarpone cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Stir to combine. Add a bunch of fresh spinach and stir until just wilted. Remove from heat. Top with fresh basil leaves and Parmesan.

Other variations that I like to make from time to time:

Cook Gnocchi. In a saucepan heat oil, add garlic. Add 8 oz mushrooms, cook until golden. Add 1/2 pound peeled shrimp. Toss with Gnocchi, a few tablespoons of pesto and some diced tomatoes. Add some Parmesan cheese and serve

Last, very simple, is Gnocci ala Caprese:

Add your favorite tomato basil pasta sauce with packaged cooked gnocchi and toss in some of those baby buffalo mozzarella cheese balls. Toss with fresh basil leaves and some Parmesan cheese. I like this because the gnocchi and the mozzarella are roughly the same size. Tasty Tasty!

Last is a tasty veggie burger I have made a few times. Its nice and easy and you can make the patties during the day and then just put in the oven when you are ready. Super cheap and it makes 6 servings, so you'll likely have leftovers! Yum!

Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa Relish

Ingredients:

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (2-ounce) whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.

Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Source: Cooking Light recipe by Marina Delio, Santa Barbara, California, April 2010. You can find it here.

Cooking When You Have Young Kids

What do you cook and how do you cook it when you have little kids? Especially when you have to cook when your husband isn't available to help watch the kids?

My husband has night school in the evenings for his MBA and he is also serving in the Young Men's in our ward (which means that he has to go to youth activities once a week). On the nights my husband is gone in the evening, I have to have dinner ready early--which means I need to cook it before he even gets home from work. I'm sure my sister faces the same issue since her husband is completing his medical residency right now.

Cooking dinner without someone to watch the kids poses some challenges because I have a very active two-year-old and a 2 1/2 month old--both of whom require a lot of time and attention. That doesn't leave me with very much "free" time to prepare dinner.

So, I have to get creative. I have to do as much dinner preparation as possible while my kids are asleep. That means that some of my dinner preparations take place in the evening after everyone goes to bed or in the morning before everyone wakes up (ex. slow cooker meals), or during their afternoon naps (ex. casseroles). And as for preparing dinner in the evening, I have to keep it around 20-30 minutes. If my husband is home to watch the kids, I can take a little more time than that. But if I'm on my own, 30 minutes is the limit.

So, I thought I'd share some recipes that are very quick and easy to prepare and that allow you to still get a great meal on the table in a short amount of time. We've already got a lot of slow cooker and casserole recipes on our blog, so I thought I'd share some recipes with different types of preparation. This should help you get creative on how you can prepare different kinds of meals without taking time away from your kids.

Because even though I love cooking, it's much more important for me to spend time with my boys. I adore cooking but I love being with my boys more. These kinds of recipes allow me to provide for my family's physical needs, but still be available for them in other ways.

First, the microwave is sometimes an underutilized tool in cooking. So, I'm sharing a recipe for microwaved fish.

Second, marinating meat and then broiling it is a great way to get flavor but save time. So, I'm sharing a great recipe for steak.

Third, it's so easy to get dinner prepared during the day (afternoon nap time) and then just throw it in the oven 30-45 minutes before dinner time. So, I'm sharing a great pork recipe that follows that method of preparation.

Finally, you know me and pasta. I can't get enough of it. There are a great deal of pasta recipes that you can prepare in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. So, I'm sharing an easy pasta recipe.

I hope these dinners help to make your evenings less hectic yet still provide for nutritious and satisfying meals!


Lemon-Horseradish Sole

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp butter, softened
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian parsley)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp prepared white horseradish
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
4 sole fillets (6 ounces each)
Coarse salt
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together butter, parsley, lemon zest and juice, horseradish, and mustard.

Season both sides of fillets with salt; lay, flat side up, on a clean work surface. Reserve 2 tsp butter mixture; dividing evenly, spread remaining butter mixture on top of fillets. Fold fillets in half crosswise, enclosing butter mixture.

Place folded fillets in a 9 inch microwave-safe dish with a tight-fitting lid. Top with reserved butter mixture, dividing evenly. Cover; microwave on high until fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

To serve, place fillets on plates, and spoon juices from dish over fillets; garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutrition information: 235 calories, 10.7 g fat, 32.3 g protein; 1 g carbohydrates; 0.3 g fiber.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe.

Notes: This recipe works for all types of white fish. I frequently make it with tilapia. Fresh or frozen fish works well (as long as it is a high quality brand of frozen fish).

Cooking the fish in a microwave in a covered container allows the fish to be steamed by the butter mixture. It creates a flaky, yet tender and moist fish.

Side Dish: Make this into a rounded meal by pairing it with rice (quick and easy Rice-a-Roni works well and it is very inexpensive) or instant mashed potatoes (I like the Idahoan brand because all you do is add boiling water--so quick and easy). You can also add some frozen or canned veggies and some easy rolls or biscuits. I made some Bisquick drop biscuits.

With all of those side dishes, it took less than 30 minutes to make everything for dinner.

London Broil

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 lbs London Broil or Flank Steak

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together garlic, salt, soy sauce, ketchup, vegetable oil, black pepper, and oregano.

Score both sides of the meat, diamond cut, about 1/8 inch deep. Rub garlic mixture into both sides of the meat. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 5-6 hours, or overnight. Flip meat every few hours.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.

Place meat on the prepared grill (or broil as shown in the notes below). Cook for 3-7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Jill.

Notes: I made this recipe because my husband has been doing the grocery shopping for me since I had my baby. Bless his heart because he does a great job, but he often comes back with items that are either slightly or completely different than what I asked for. Then, I have to get creative to use the unexpected ingredients. I asked him to pick up two flank steaks for a beef and broccoli stir fry recipe (already featured on this site in the blog post about broccoli). He accidentally got a London Broil cut of beef instead. I was pretty sure that it wouldn't work for the stir fry, so I found this recipe to use. I wasn't a huge fan of the London Broil cut because it was pretty chewy (even though I cooked it medium-rare). Flank steak would be much more tender. But the marinade was AWESOME. It was so flavorful. In fact, I really didn't have high hopes for this recipe, so I didn't take any pictures. But I would definitely make it again and again. It was easy and yummy.

Side Dish: I paired the steak with some red potatoes that I diced about 1/2 inch thick. I heated about 1/4 cup oil to a pan and browned the potatoes until they were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside (about 20 minutes). I then added a yellow bell pepper cut into bite-size pieces. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and garlic salt to taste. Finally, I added a splash of soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. It turned out really yummy. I cut the potatoes and marinated the steak during my sons' nap time. When it came time to fix dinner, I popped the steak in the oven (see next paragraph) and cooked the potatoes.

One of the things I've discovered is that any recipe that calls to be grilled can be broiled on high if a grill isn't handy. So, I broiled the steak. The London broil was pretty thick, so it took about 10 minutes per side. If I had used flank steak, it would have only taken about 7 minutes per side. Just cook it less per side if you like it more pink and more per side if you prefer a more well-done steak. Mine turned out to be medium to medium-rare (the ends of the steak aren't as thick, so they got cooked more. The ends were medium and the middle was medium-rare).

The whole dinner took about 30 minutes to make.



Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pork tenderloins (about 12 ounces each), trimmed of excess fat
1 tbsp olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 jar (10-12 ounces) apricot jam, (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

Directions:

Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Rub pork with oil; season with salt and pepper. broil 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together jam and mustard. Cook over medium heat until jam melts, 3-4 minutes; remove from heat. Transfer half to a small bowl for brushing. Cover pan to keep remaining sauce warm.

Remove pork from broiler; brush with reserved sauce. Continue broiling until pork is blackened in spots and registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes more.

Cover pork loosely with foil; let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with warm sauce.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. You can find it here.

Notes: I served this with the roasted asparagus that can be found in the post about asparagus. I prepared the asparagus and made the sauce for the pork during my sons' nap. I then broiled the pork. I have always found that (at least to my tastes), it takes longer to cook pork tenderloin than most of the recipes call for--at least when it is cooked in the oven. We have two ovens, so I roasted the asparagus in one and broiled the pork in another. I broiled the pork for 15 minutes and then sliced it. At that point, the inside of the pork was still very, very pink (almost raw). So, I placed the pork slices on the pan and broiled it for a few more minutes per side.

You could even slice the pork and marinate it in the sauce beforehand and then broil the sliced pork rather than the whole tenderloin. Pork tenderloin is such a moist and tender cut of meat that this preparation wouldn't compromise the quality of the finished product. It wouldn't be dry--it would still be moist and tender. Besides, it would cut down on the cooking time.

The asparagus cooks quickly too. So, I would say that if you sliced the pork prior to broiling it, the whole dinner would take between 15-25 minutes to prepare.


Linguine Arrabbiata

"Arrabbiata" means "angry." This is a reference to the red-pepper flakes which add a lot of kick to this pasta!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Coarse salt
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice, cut into chunks
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1 pound linguine
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and wine/chicken broth. Simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.

Cook pasta in boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente. Drain; add pasta to skillet. Cook, stirring, until pasta is tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Serve, if desired, with Parmesan and red-pepper flakes.

Source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe (I sure like these! Can you tell?)

Notes: I didn't use the white wine/chicken broth. I felt that there was enough liquid already. I also added a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes because I like my sauce chunky with a lot of tomatoes. Add red-pepper flakes to your taste. If you like things spicy (which I do), I would add the full 3/4 tsp that the recipe calls for. If not, reduce the amount or add the red-pepper flakes gradually and check the sauce until it is to your taste.

This is such a fast meal. It literally only takes as long as it takes to boil water and cook pasta. So, this dinner can be done in 15-20 minutes.

I served mine with some easy foccacia bread made from frozen Rhodes Dough rolls. I thawed the rolls and let them rise in a plastic ziploc bag throughout the day. By dinner time, I simply stretched out the dough, seasoned it and cooked it while I made the pasta. The bread and pasta were done at the same time.