Last Week's Menus!

Hello Readers,

I decided to do a week's view of what I cooked up and see how it went. Honestly, it is much easier for me to update daily since I am not really following a recipe and end up putting my own touch what I am making and tend to forget what I did a week later. Regardless, here are some great fall recipes and new ones at that! Enjoy and happy cooking!

On Monday Night: I had some leftovers and made a taco salad since my husband had class until 9:00pm. It is a difficult night to make dinner since I have to eat alone or wait until he gets home.

Tuesday Night's Menu: Salmon, Rice, and Avocado/Orange Salsa.

I have made this salmon recipe before in previous posts, but what I really want to focus on is the Avocado/Orange Salsa. This is one of the best salsa recipes that I have ever made and that takes a lot for me to say since I cook a lot. You have to make this recipe and all of the ingredients are currently in season and were on sale at my local grocery store.

Avocado-Orange Salsa

1 large orange, cut into segments
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 Tablespoons of red onion, diced
A few sprigs of fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1 small jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and chopped finely
Sprinkle of salt

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until juice of limes have been incorporated. This salsa is great cold so if you are not needing to eat right away, put in the fridge for about 30 minutes.



Baked Salmon:


Full Meal:


Wednesday Night's Menu:

Wednesday was a very rainy and cold day, which was perfect for a roast in the crockpot. I found a chuck roast at the grocery store that was the perfect size for just two and some leftovers. This is the perfect comfort meal for a cold night.

Chuck Roast:

1 pd. chuck roast
Carrots
Celery
Beef Broth

Place chuck roast in a crockpot on high for about 1 hour with beef broth (enough to fill crockpot about halfway). Turn to low and let cook for a good 6-7 hours or until meat is cooked through. Roast carrots and celery in the oven for about 30 minutes on 350 degrees. I drizzled with a little olive oil and salt/pepper before placing in the oven. I also combined them in the crockpot towards the end just to obtain some of the beef flavoring.

I made egg noodles to let the meal sit on and collect all of the beef juices. Amazing!

Chuck Roast:


Egg Noodles:


Full Meal:


On Thursday night, I had a hair appointment and did not get back until about 8:00pm and my husband went to Bible Study so we both had something small that evening.

Friday Night's Menu:

If you have never made cornish hens, you have got to make them. They are so easy and taste like perfection after baking. As a side, I ventured out and made something a little more complex-Butternut Squash Orzo. Enjoy!

Cornish Hens:

2 small Cornish Hens (The ones I purchased were about $4 per cornish hen)
Olive Oil
1 lemon, cut in 4 segments (leave skin on)
Rosemary
Salt & Pepper
Chicken Stock

In a dutch oven, cover the bottom with chicken stock. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cutting board, take out the cornish hen innards (just like a chicken) and throw out. Stuff each hen with 2 lemon segments. Once both hens are stuffed, place in dutch oven, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried rosemary. Cover dutch oven and cook in the oven for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the hen juice runs clear (again, just like cooking a chicken).

Butternut Squash Orzo:

1 butternut squash, seeded and cut in 1/2
1/4 cup white onion, diced
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 box orzo
2 Tablespoons butter
Salt & Pepper

In a 9x13 baking dish, cover bottom with water and place your seeded and cut butternut squash in the microwave on high power for 10-12 minutes (or until softened). Scoop out squash for both halves, place in a bowl and throw out skin.
In a non-stick skillet, drizzle with olive oil and cook squash until browned (This will take about 15 minutes). Once browned, place in a small bowl. In the same skillet, cook butter, salt/pepper and onion until onion becomes translucent. Once this happens, add chicken stock, water, and orzo. Cook until orzo is cooked through (about 10 minutes). At the end add squash to the skillet and combine with orzo. The squash will start to melt into the orzo mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Cornish Hens:


Butternut Squash:





Saturday Night's Menu:

My husband and I love pizza, especially with lots of fresh veggies. We decided to make a completely homemade pizza for us last night and it turned out pretty well! I will tell you that it is 10 times easier to buy Pillsbury pizza crust in the store than making this dough recipe so if you are pressed for time, this is not the recipe for you.

Homemade Pizza Dough:

I used the recipe that can be found at this link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/detail.aspx
*The only thing I did differently was I used regular flour instead of bread flour. They can be substituted for each other, but bread flour is the best if you have it in your house.

This is the dough in a bowl that I greased with olive oil so that the dough did not stick after rising.


Ingredients for our pizza included:

1 jar of roasted red pepper marinara sauce
1 green pepper, cut in rings
1/2 red onion, cut in rings
1 cup of green spinach
1 bag of mozzarella cheese
1 red slicing tomato, cut in slices




All cooked and ready to eat!

Double-Header Sunday Menu: Creamy Tomato Soup & Pork Chops with Brown Sugar Vinegar Glaze

Hello Readers,

Today was an absolutely beautiful fall day here. It really got me in the mood to make some homemade soup to have for this week's lunches and to freeze some for later. I stumbled upon a creamy tomato soup that I found in one of my cookbooks and made it my own.

For tonight's dinner, I made baked pork chops, applesauce, corn, and an incredible brown sugar vinegar glaze that is to die for. Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup:

2 28 oz. cans of whole tomatoes
1 medium white onion
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a dutch oven, drizzle bottom with olive oil and place on high heat. Dice the white onion and saute in dutch oven until translucent (about 5 minutes on high). Add both cans of whole tomatoes with juice and, with either a steak tenderizer or potato masher, smash the tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil. Get out blender and place 1/4 of the mixer in the blender. Drizzle some more olive oil in the blender and puree for about 2 minutes or until smooth. **Make sure that you hold your hand over the top of the blender as the heat from the soup will add pressure to the top and will make it blow out of the top**. Place blended mixture in a round bowl and repeat blending process with remaining mixture only putting 1/4 of the mixture in at a time. Once all mixture is blended smoothly, rinse out dutch oven and place blended mixture back in the dutch oven. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. If you are planning to eat right away, feel free to place in bowls. If you want to save it, make sure to let cool before putting in containers. Enjoy with oyster crackers or homemade croutons.






Once blended:


Pork Chops with Brown Sugar Vinegar Glaze:

Many of you know that I hate following recipes. I always feel restricted by recipes when it comes to cooking and I get a thrill out of making it my own. Tonight, I wanted to make the regular pork chops that have been featured previously on this blog, but with a little twist. I hope you enjoy this amazing glaze for the pork chops!

Pork Chops:

1 package of thinly sliced pork chops
Olive Oil
Tuscan Pork Seasoning

Brown Sugar Vinegar Glaze:

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar (can use white vinegar too)
1/3 cup apple cider
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons flour (to thicken)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to low heat. The mixture will be very watery at first, but once it comes to a boil it will thicken and become almost like liquid caramel. Drizzle on pork chops once cooked.

*As sides, I heated up some regular applesauce and brought a bag of frozen corn to a boil. They were perfect accompaniments to this dish.

Mexican Saturday Night!

Hello Readers!

I apologize for being so behind on my blogging efforts. I am getting back on track this week starting with a great weeknight or weekend meal-Mexican Tacos! I hope you all enjoy this fun meal!

Mexican Tacos:

1 pd. of lean ground turkey (or beef)
1 packet of mild taco seasoning
1 package of small soft tacos
1 head of lettuce, shredded
1 green pepper, diced
1 can of mild salsa
1 bag of Mexican shredded cheese
1 small can of green chilies
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions:

Cook and brown turkey meat in a non-stick skillet. Add taco seasoning with 3/4 cup of water. Let simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, chop up green pepper and lettuce. I get out small bowls to put all of the ingredients in so that each person can just layer the tacos as they want, as shown below.



Wrap tacos after warming for 10 seconds in the microwave and plate. Enjoy!
*I also made a pot of yellow Mexican rice as a side. You can find this type of rice in your ethic aisle of the grocery store. It goes perfectly with these tacos.

Seasoned Tilapia and Coleslaw

Hello Readers!

You have made it to the middle of the week and only two more days to go of the work week. Tonight was definitely a fish night. My husband and I usually eat fish 2x a week or more and tonight we decided tilapia was a good choice. The fish was so buttery and flaky after it came out of the oven! You can also easily turn this recipe into fish tacos if you want to add a little extra carbs. Enjoy!

Seasoned Tilapia

2-4 fillets of tilapia (1 per person)
Olive oil
Lemon pepper seasoning
Fish seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the fish in a row. Drizzle olive oil and seasonings on top of the fish to your liking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flaky.



Coleslaw

I absolutely love making coleslaw my own recipe. I have been trying various recipes in conjunction with my own ideas to make something that is less on the mayo side and more vinegar based. This is probably the closest I have come to what I have been trying to get to for a while now. Enjoy!

1 head of red cabbage
1 bag of julienned carrots
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped thinly
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup dijon mustard
4 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Julienne all veggies and combine in a bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Feel free to add more mayo or less vinegar depending on your taste preference. Whisk to combine. Once combine, add to veggie mixture and toss. On top of the coleslaw mixture, sprinkle about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to add a little extra crunch. The extra sugar gives the most unique taste to the mixture that I love.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Hello Readers!

Happy Monday! This is the night of the week when my husband is at school for a couple of hours so I get to be more creative in the kitchen when it comes to time. Tonight, I wanted to try a recipe that I found on www.pioneerwoman.blogspot.com. She has amazing and hearty recipes that I could spend hours reading about and testing if I could. I am usually not a creme sauce person, but this pasta has amazing flavor and you can really 'make it your own' when it comes to the veggies and meat. Enjoy!

This recipe is courtesy of www.pioneerwoman.blogspot.com and can be found at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/cajun-chicken-pasta/.

The coolest thing about this website is that she puts so many pictures with her cooking and makes it very 'fool proof'.

Chicken in the Skillet with Cajun Seasoning:



Veggies in the Skillet:



Veggies and Chicken in the Sauce:



All the 'goodness' combined in a bowl!



Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Portuguese-Style Fish Stew (Tuesday and Wednesday's meals)

Hello Readers!

I am really behind on blogging from last week, but I actually only have two nights to blog about since we have had a crazy busy week. We started back Bible Study on Thursday nights, which is a night that we generally do not cook something and this weekend has been full of running errands we have needed to do for a while and just relaxing. I am blogging about Tuesday night's meal, which was Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Wednesday night's meal, which consisted of Fish Stew. Both are amazing fall recipes and make plenty of leftovers. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

1 package of mild italian sausage
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I use a roasted red pepper)
1 box of rigatoni pasta
1 red or green pepper, chopped

Instructions:

Cook the sausage in a non-stick skillet until fully cooked through. Drain any extra grease from the skillet and put the sausage back in the skillet along with the pepper. In the meantime, cook the rigatoni in a separate pot until al dente; drain. Add the spaghetti sauce to the sausage and pepper mixture. Once the sauce is hot, add the pasta at the last minute with just enough time to combine. Sprinkle fresh parsley on the top of the mixture and serve.



*Normally, I serve this dish with a hunk of french bread or pumpernickel bread. It just goes so well together.


Fish Stew:

This dish has become one of our favorite meals. Peter and I love fish, but sometimes you just don't have time to grill or bake and want to make everything in one pot. This is the meal for you if you want something healthy, simple, and hearty.

1 large fillet of cod, cut in 6 chunks
1 small white onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 14.5 oz jar of diced tomatoes with the juice (I was out of diced tomatoes and had to use stewed tomatoes, but they work just as well and actually add a little chunkiness to the soup)
2 bay leaves
Olive Oil
2 teaspoons of paprika
Cilantro
Salt and pepper
Pumpernickel bread to use as croutons

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and reduce the heat to medium low. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then nestle the pieces among the vegetables in the pan. Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide the stew among bowls. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Serve with the bread.

Veggies in the Dutch Oven:


Seasoned Cod:


Cod Nestled in the Mix:


Hot and Ready!
*For the croutons, I just cut pumpernickel bread in chunks, drizzled with olive oil and placed them in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. Also, make sure that you get out your Tabasco sauce to drizzle over this stew; it gives it a wonderful kick!


*Portuguese-Style Fish Stew Recipe courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/portuguese-style-fish-stew-recipe/index.html

Roasted Shrimp with Feta and Toasted Pumpernickel Bread

Hello Readers!

I cannot believe that it is already Monday! The weekend flew by so fast and I hope all of you had a great one. Every Monday night, my husband has a class that he goes to for school so I am usually on my own for making dinner. I usually whip up a salad or have a bowl of cereal, but tonight I was feeling like making an actual meal. One of my favorites, to be exact. This particular meal is one that is a 'regular' on our weekly menu and is simple and inexpensive to make. I hope all of you enjoy this one!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta:

4 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz)can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bag of frozen and peeled shrimp, thawed (I use salad size shrimp because it makes more and they are easier to eat)
Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Fresh Italian Leaf or Regular Parsley
1 lemon (you will use the zest and the juice)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a oven-proof skillet over medium to low heat. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. After that, incorporate the shrimp in the dish and mix around enough so that the red sauce covers the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, lemon zest, chopped parsley and the remainder of the olive oil. Sprinkle feta cheese crumbles over the top of the shrimp and then cover with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Plate and enjoy!

*For the pumpernickel bread, cut into thick slices and drizzle with olive oil. Put in the oven with the shrimp when there is about 5 minutes remaining.

Red Sauce Mixture:



Shrimp Layer:



Feta Cheese and Bread Crumb Layer:



Fresh out of the oven and plated:

Saturday Afternoon Treat: Chili

Happy Weekend Readers!

Today was cold and overcast here in VA and I felt like a warm bowl of chili. I have made many varieties of chili in my lifetime, but I have to say the recipe that I made today is one the best. This particular chili recipe is courtesy of one of my mom's best friends and has a story to go along with it.

Last year, my mom and brother had the amazing opportunity to go out to Colorado to go skiing. My mom's good friend and her family met my mom and brother out there for the week. They rented a beautiful home and got to enjoy all of the grandeur of Colorado. After a day full of skiing, it was the perfect opportunity to make a big pot of chili to warm everyone up that evening. My mom's friend made the recipe below. This family is special to my family as they were one of the first families we met when we moved to North Carolina when I was a teenager. This family has a HUGE love for the Georgia Bulldogs and became one of the reasons why my family supports this amazing team! Go DAWGS! I hope all of you enjoy this recipe, but more importantly the great memories that go along with it.

Chili:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I did not have any ground beef or turkey in the house so I thinly sliced leftover turkey sausage that I had in the house)
2 onions, chopped (I use white)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chili powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions:

In a dutch oven or skillet, brown meat and drain. Add onion, celery, pepper, and saute for 10 minutes. Combine all into dutch oven or large pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Drain beans then add and cook to warm and soften beans. Enjoy!

Sauteing in a Non-Stick Skillet:



All Combined:



Ready to Eat:

Thursday Night Menu: Baked Salmon, Rice, and Lemon Pepper Asparagus. For Dessert: Pumpkin Cookies and Fuji Apple Cupcakes.

Hello Readers,

On Thursday night, my good friend came over to have dinner with my husband and I. We both had to make a dessert for a work function that next day so we decided to bake and decorate at our house. I made her favorite food, grilled salmon, and we had a blast decorating cupcakes and cookies on Thursday together!

Baked Salmon

3 fillets of salmon
Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper
Fish Seasoning of your choice
Panko Bread Crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Place the salmon on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on lemon pepper, fish seasoning of your choice, and top with panko bread crumbs. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cooked through.

Lemon Pepper Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus with ends chopped off
1 lemon
Pepper
Olive Oil

When you salmon is about 8 minutes from being done, get out another baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Place already cut asparagus on the parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Zest the entire lemon on the top of the asparagus and sprinkle cracked black pepper on the top. Bake for about 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.



Pumpkin Cookies:

This recipe is my mother's and one that is an absolute 'must bake' for fall. These pumpkin cookies are soft and chewy when they come out of the oven and brings out all of the flavors and memories of fall.

1 cup shortening (or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add egg and mix well. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Add slowly to the pumpkin mix until combined. Stir in raisins. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 10-15 minutes.

Frosting for the cookies:

*I ended up piping a cream cheese frosting that we had leftover from the cupcakes, but the below recipe is the original frosting that goes with these cookies.

3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
3/4 tsp. vanilla

In a sauce pan, cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread on cookies.



Cupcakes that we frosted (I do not have the recipe for this, but can get it).



Both of these homemade desserts were a HUGE hit at our work picnic. We were one of the few that actually brought something homemade so naturally, they were completely gone within a short amount of time.

Wednesday Night Menu: Steak Fajitas and Rice

Hello Readers!

I am going to be catching up here since I am a couple of days behind on the blog! I apologize for not updating sooner. It definitely has turned into fall here in VA! On Wednesday night, my husband and I had a craving for some sort of steak dish so we decided upon steak fajitas with rice. Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas:

-I picked out a sirloin steak that ran about $7 and was plenty for my husband and I. I pan seared the steak in olive oil and seasoned with seasoning salt, pepper, and steak rub.
-Mexican Cheese
-1 lime
-1 can of black beans, cooked and drained
-Salsa
-Romaine lettuce, chopped
-Flour tortillas



Instructions:

Once the steak is cooked to your preference (we prefer medium rare), let steak sit for about 5 minutes in order for the juices to re-distribute within the meat. Slice at an angle and set aside. Plate your tortillas (warm in the microwave, if you desire) and layer with black beans, lettuce, steak, cheese, and salsa. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Wrap up and enjoy!



*I also cooked a pot of rice on the side, but definitely is not mandatory. These fajitas are incredibly versatile and you can easily make it your own.