Arugula salad and spinach frittata

Eat your greens - they are good for you!

We just got our first  fresh picked, full of vitamins,  produce bag from La Nay Ferme - a local organic farm. It has baby veggies (carrots and turnips) and lots of greens, including spinach and arugula. I went searching for recipes and found these two winners for dinner tonight. Every plate was licked clean.

Frittata 

from March 2013 Sunset Magazine

(original recipe has swiss chard - I substituted spinach)

2 Tbs olive oil

2 Italian turkey sausages (8 oz total), casings removed

1/2 cup each sliced red bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, and chopped onion

1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped

8 large eggs

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat broiler with rack set 4 inches from heat. Heat oil in large ovenproof frying pan over high heat. Cook sausage, stirring often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and onion and cook until vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in Swiss chard, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 10 minutes (less for spinach).

Meanwhile, whisk eggs in large bowl until they start to foam. Stir in cheese and salt. Pour mixture into pan with vegetables; cook on stove until bottom sets, about 3 minutes. Broil until firm and browned.

Arugula, Fennel, and Orange Salad  from Allrecipes.com

Rated: Submitted By: Ms.P. Photo By: Piglet1983 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 6

"A honey-and-lemon-juice dressing is drizzled over arugula, fennel, oranges, and olives in this tasty salad recipe."

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil

1 bunch arugula 2 orange, peeled and segmented 1 bulb fennel bulb, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons sliced black olives

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Whisk together the honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; slowly add the olive oil while continuing to whisk.
2.	Place the arugula in the bottom of a salad bowl; scatter the orange segments, fennel slices, and olives over the arugula; drizzle the dressing over the salad to serve.

Beef stew in a pumpkin

A perfect fall dinner....

We made it tonight and it was yummy

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 1 cup water 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 carrots, sliced 1 large green bell pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules 1 sugar pumpkin

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Place beef in the saucepan and cook until evenly brown. Mix in the water, potatoes, carrots, green bell pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 2 hours.
2.	Dissolve the bouillon into the beef mixture. Stir in the tomatoes.
3.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
4.	Cut top off the pumpkin and remove seeds and pulp. Place the pumpkin in a heavy baking pan. Fill the pumpkin with the beef mixture. Brush outside of the pumpkin with remaining oil.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven 2 hours, or until tender. Serve the stew from the pumpkin, scraping out some of the pumpkin meat with each serving.

Stuffed Peppers

I used to make these all the time for Grandma (Barbara).  I forgot all about them until Jeane brought over some gorgeous huge peppers from the farmer's market.  They were a huge hit and the kids asked why we don't have these more often.  (I doubled this and it was plenty for our family plus leftovers for the next day).

2 large green peppers
3/4 lb ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
7.5 oz can petit diced tomatoes (small can)
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Halve peppers lengthwise, removing stem ends, seeds and membranes.  Immerse peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Sprinkle insides with salt and invert on paper towels to drain well.

In a skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender.  Drain fat.  Stir in undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, worcestershire, basil, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Bring to boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 15-18 minutes or until rice is tender.  Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese.  Fill peppers with meat mixture.  Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

*This can be frozen in individual servings.

Easy Yummy Beef Stroganoff

We have very crazy Sunday mornings now.  John has High Council meetings starting very early and a lot of Sundays I have early meetings too.  This is a "just throw it all in and let it cook" recipe that I thought would be worth a try.  I am used to browning meat first so I was skeptical.   After letting it cook all day the meat was very tender and the flavor was great.   Definitely a keeper.

2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium yellow onion, diced

¼ teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ cups beef broth or stock

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/3 cup flour

6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water

4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershrie sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Well done burgers, done well

Our Sunday dinner this week was a success - I created a slider bar with beef burgers, veggie patties, crab cakes, and sliced steak.  Everyone brought salads to share.

We do have a little family controversy - full size burgers or sliders?

I like sliders because you can try 2 or 3 different kinds. But a few of my sons think it's too hard to build a burger full of toppings on tiny little buns.

Either way - this hamburger recipe is fabulous.

It's from America's Test Kitchen

Well Done Burgers, Done Well

Serves 4
(I doubled this, plus I served 8 small veggie patties, 2 crabcakes, and one strip loin steak - and we perfectly fed 8 adults and 10 children)

• 1 large slice high-quality white sandwich bread , crust removed and discarded, bread chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 2 teaspoons steak sauce , such as A-1
• 1 1/2 pounds 80 percent lean ground chuck
• Vegetable oil for cooking grate
• Hamburger buns or rolls

Mash bread and milk in large bowl with fork until homogeneous (you
should have about 1/4 cup). Stir in salt, pepper, garlic, and steak sauce.

Break up beef into small pieces over bread mixture. Using fork or hands, lightly
mix together until mixture forms cohesive mass. Divide meat into 4 equal portions (for burgers - 8 or more for sliders).

Gently toss one portion of meat back and forth between hands to form loose ball.
Gently flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patty that measures about 4 1/2 inches in
diameter (or smaller for sliders). Press center of patty down with fingertips until it is about 1/2 inch
thick, creating a slight depression in each patty. Repeat with remaining portions of
meat.

Cooking instructions (adjust if making sliders):

Grill burgers on hot side of grill, uncovered, until well seared on
first side, 2 to 4 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, flip burgers and continue
grilling, about 3 minutes for medium-well or 4 minutes for well-done. Distribute
equal portions of cheese (if using) on burgers about 2 minutes before they reach
desired doneness, covering burgers with disposable aluminum pan to melt cheese.
While burgers grill, toast buns on cooler side of grill, rotating buns as necessary to
toast evenly. Serve burgers on toasted buns


Also be sure to see our recipes for burger sauce and homemade buns.

Ruth's hoisin-chicken salad rolls

Ruth sent this recipe - from Chatelaine Magazine (Canadian)

Easy Hoisin-Chicken Salad Rolls: 1/4 c hoisin sauce, 2 tsp dark sesame oil, 2 c shredded cooked chicken (I used leftovers from roast chicken), 1 red pepper sliced, 8 lettuce leaves, 4 gr onions cut into 4" strips, 1 med cuc sliced into 4" strips, 8 rice paper wraps. Stir hoisin with sesame oil. Fill pie pan with warm water. Lay a damp kitchen towel on counter. Line up ingredients. Dip rice paper in water (I tried this and ended up just putting rice rounds in between damp dishtowels for about 1 -2 minutes to soften instead of dipping in water). AnyHOOO! dip rice round in water till softened, about 30 seconds. Lay softened round on damp towel. Lay lettuce on bottom and fill with other ingredients, then droozle (RuthE word) oil and sesame on top and roll the wrap the best you can. Enjoy!

Waikiki meatballs

An old family favorite (from my mission blog)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 2/3 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs 1/3 cup minced onion 1 egg 1/4 cup milk 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained, with juice reserved 1/3 cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.
2.	Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
3.	In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.

Naan and crockpot chicken tikka masala

From my mission:

Here is what I cooked for the new elders last Tuesday night




Garlic Naan

* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
* 1 cup warm water
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 4 1/2 cups bread flour
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
* 1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2. Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4. At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

and



Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala

1.5 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast diced into large cubes
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (my substitution for mustard seed oil)
2 ounces milk
5 ounces natural yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 small can of tomato sauce
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons garam masala*
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Whisk together all of the ingredients minus chicken in your crockpot. Then mix in diced chicken. If you want to marinate at this point, place mixture into the fridge to marinate for 24 hours. It may not be safe to leave chicken which has previously been frozen for longer than 24 hours, but fresh chicken should be left to marinate for 48 hours for best results. If you do not wish to leave the chicken to marinate, simply continue to the next step. Turn the crockpot on low until the chicken is cooked throughout. Most people serve over Basmati rice.

They liked it!

Dinner tonight

Garden salad with blackberries and cheese,  garden zucchini with purslane and fresh herbs  - and Jamie's roasted cauliflower recipe was fantastic!

Best ever fish tacos

Jamie, Dad, and I had fish tacos last night and they were amazing. I searched for some recipes and then just used their ideas and made up my own.

Here's how to make the best ever fish tacos:

Fish

Buy Costco's panko breaded tilapia (frozen) and cook according to package (I used the convection option and it was nice and crispy.

Slaw topping

Finely slice 1/2 small head of green cabbage and 1/4 small head of red cabbage (or whatever you have)

Grate a nice big carrot.

Stir together:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice (I used lemon and vinegar)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Toss with slaw

San Diego-style Fish Taco Sauce

Mix together:
1/2 cup reduced fat reduced fat sour cream ( I used Costco's Greek Yogurt instead)
1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (I used regular)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon capers, minced (I didn't have any)
1 hot pepper of your choice, seeded and minced (jalapeno is delicious, as are the cherry bomb poppers I used in this batch) (I used hot pepper sauce)
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped (I think I forgot to put this in)

Assemble

Warm corn tortillas, cut fish into pieces, top with sauce and slaw.

Jason's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

Half a bag of chopped frozen onions

salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic (we always guess on the garlic)

2 extra large chicken boulion cubes (1 cube equals 4 costco size cubes

Butter for sauteeing

1 cup flour

3 cups water

2 cans lowfat condensed milk

1/2 pound of cheese cut into cubes

2 bags of macaroni noodles.


Sautee onions, chicken boulion cubes , and garlic in butter. Once sauteed, add condensed milk, 3 cupes of water, and stir in flour to thinken. Add cheese and stir until it melts.

Add cooked macaroni noodles to cheese mixture and stir. Sprinkle paprika on top. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

It tastes the best when it is slightly crispy on top. Our favorite side dish with this meal is fruit salad. (Submitted by Jenny Moyer)

Tarte flambée (Flammeküeche) From our trip to the Alsace

Ingredients to serve 4

500 g (1 lb) bread dough – 2 onions – 60 g (2 ½ oz) smoked bacon (small pieces) – a bit of butter - 20 cl (6 oz) thick crème fraîche – 20 cl (6 oz) fromage blanc (soft white cheese) – 1 tablespoon colza oil – salt, pepper and nutmeg

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 270 °C (thermostat 9 – 520 °F).
• Slice the onions thinly and brown them in a pan with the butter.
• Remove the onions from the pan and fry the bacon in it for a few minutes, without adding fat.
• Mix the cream, the fromage blanc, the onions and the bacon bits. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
• Roll the dough in a thin layer on a baking sheet.
• Cover the dough with the mixture of fromage blanc / onions / bacon and pour a tablespoon of oil over.
• Bake 10 minutes.

Please note: this recipe may be made with grated Swiss cheese, fresh mushrooms or Munster cheese.

Chinese Chicken Salad

(This was pretty easy and the dressing was super yummy!I prefer the chicken shredded instead of chopped)

For Dressing
4 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp peanut butter
3 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp Asian chili paste
1 1/2 tsp ginger, grated
4 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

In a small bowl, combine, whisk and set aside.

For Salad
2-3 large cooked chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, shredded or chopped into chunks
Sesame seeds, toasted
1 Head Napa cabbage, chopped
1 Head Romaine, chopped
About 10 snap peas, ends snipped and julienned (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and shredded or julienned
3/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1 bunch (about 8) green onions, white and light green parts chopped crosswise

In a really large salad bowl, combine cabbage, romaine, snap peas, cilantro and green onions and toss gently. Sprinkle in the sesame seeds and peanuts. Add the chicken. Pour in the dressing and toss. Serves 4.

Crepes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Sauteed Filet Mignon

(We were really needing a yummy treat on this diet and this was exactly what we were looking for! I bought 2 nice filets (the kids got leftover meatloaf) and served it with smashed cauliflower and green beans)

2 filet mignon steaks
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cut beef broth
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp butter (it's optional justin!!!)

-season the filets generously with salt and pepper. Saute in a heavy skillet over medium high heat with a little oil until steaks are medium/medium rare. Remove and cover to keep warm.
-pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat, leaving any meat juices in the pan. reduce heat to medium and saute the garlic for 15 seconds. Add the wine and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Raise heat and reduce to a syrup. Pour in the stock, soy sauce and vinegar. Boil until the sauce just reduces to a syrup. Remove from heat and stir in butter, if you wish (it adds fat but gives the sauce a velvety texture. Taste for salt and pepper. Pour over the filets and serve. This was so yummy!!!

Pannekoeken (Our favorite Dutch Pancakes)

1 c. flour
1 c. milk
4 eggs
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt
Apple pie filling (optional)
Ham and cheese (optional)
Bacon and mushrooms or other desired toppings (optional)
Powdered sugar or syrup (optional)

Heat 2-4 tablespoons butter in 9-inch deep dish pie pan (metal) in preheating oven at 400 degrees.

Mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg and salt. Beat lightly, leaving lumps. Pour into hot pie pan. Bake 20 minutes until puffy and brown. Serves 4.

Delicious plain with butter and powdered sugar or syrup.

For apple Pannekoeken, spoon 1 can apple pie filling over batter before baking.

Other options: Sprinkle ham and cheese, bacon and mushrooms or desired topping before baking.