A Different Dinner Every Day

Day 177, Seasoned Pork Loin

2011-09-22T09:59:00.006-05:00

I first want to apologize for not being able to update my blog for the last year. We've been trying to figure out an illness with one of our children. Now that we've figured it out I have more time and energy to finish my blog.

Since it has been a while, I'll try to give you this recipe the best of my reccolection. This pork loin was bought already seasoned so it was easy to just throw together.

Peppercorn Pork Loin with Fingerling Potatoes

1 seasoned pork loin, about 1 1/2 lbs.
lettuce, 1 bag or 1 head, chopped

2 pounds fingerling potatoes

McCormick Perfect Pinch Parmesan Herb seasoning

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place washed potatoes on a cooking sheet and cook in preheated oven for 1 hour or until soft in center.

Place pork loin on foil lined cooking pan and cook for 30-40 minutes, until 160 degrees in center.

Let the pork rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into 1 inch slices and serve over lettuce. Place potatoes on plate and sprinkle seasoning over them.

Serves 4

With the potatoes it can take up to an hour and 15 minutes to cook because like many people, I don't have one of those fancy ovens that do 2 different heats at once, so I had to compromise on the temperature. Normally the pork loin would be cooked at 350 and the potatoes at 425 for 45 minutes so with the heat compromise it takes longer for the potatoes ans a little less time for the pork.

I liked the flavor of the pork loin, but the kids weren't fans. The seasoning on the potatoes was ok, but it's not one of my favorites. I'd rather use fresh parmesean that I just shredded instead of something that has been sitting on the shelf for a while. The lettuce I used was arugula, which was hard to find, but now I can find it all the time in the organic section of my local Cub Foods store. If you can't find or don't like arugula, use any dark green lettuce or even spinach.

When looking for flavor, an already seasoned meat is easy to use, but it tends to have a lot of salt to help it keep. It can be easy to have marinades on your meat, just pour over the meat in a glass dish or a plastic bag in the bottom of your fridge overnight. If you have the ability to prepere things while putting them away from the store, put the marinade over them before you freeze them and you'll have a ready to make meal without any effort.

Flavor Rating: Good, not one of my favorites, but good in a pinch.

Ease of Preperation: Easy, just throw in the oven and heat, no prep needed.

Day 176, Salad with Seafood

2010-08-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

I just wanted a simple salad and had some imitation crab in the fridge, so I threw together some ingredients I like.

Salad with Seafood

1 bag spinach

1 (8 oz) package imitation crab flakes

1 can (3.8 oz) sliced black olives, drained

4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed

raspberry vinaigrette, to taste

Place spinach in 4 bowls. Top with crab, olives, and mozzarella. Add dressing, to taste.

Serves 4

Sometime great things happen when I throw together a bunch of ingredients I have around the house, sometimes I flop horribly. Fortunately this wasn't horrible, but it wasn't spectacular either. Perhaps I need to plan my meals ahead a little better. It is getting harder to make new meals every day. Six months I had no problem, but now I'm starting to have to think about what I want to make and try to remember if I made it or not.

Flavor Rating: Ok, it was palatable, but not what I really wanted.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, the only prep work was to slice the mozzarella.

Day 175, Homemade Pizza from Scratch

2010-08-17T10:22:00.003-05:00

I had to test some yeast from a sample I had, so I decided to make pizza from scratch instead of a box. I even went out and bought fresh flour for the pizza.

Homemade Pizza

1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups flour

1 envelope pizza yeast

1 1/2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 degrees to 130 degrees F.)

3 tbsp oil (I used olive oil)

Prepared toppings of your choice:

cheese, sauce, pepperoni, sausage, Canadian bacon, peppers, onions, etc...

Combine 1 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil. Mix together until blended; about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup flour gradually until dough forms a ball. Add additional flour, if needed, to handle. Spoon dough out of bowl onto floured surface. Dough will be slightly sticky. Knead on floured surface. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic; about 4 minutes.

Place dough on a greased pizza pan and press to fill pan. Top with desired prepared toppings and bake on bottom rack for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.

Makes 1 hand-tossed pizza, serves 8-10

I had never worked with yeast before, so this was a new way of cooking for me. I ended up using slightly over the 2 cups of flour in the mixture, but it would vary depending on the humidity level of the day as to how much flour I'd have to use. I haven't seen the pizza yeast on the store shelves near me as this is a new product, but it seems like a quick yeast because you don't need to let it rise. The baking process made it rise more than I had expected. I think I would divide this crust into 2 separate crusts for a thinner crust. I don't like a thick crust, so I'd want it to be thinner than it turned out. Making it from scratch, different flours could be used; it would be easy to make whole wheat crust.

Flavor Rating: Great, fresh ingredients, fresh taste.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, it's more kneading than cookies and pies, but not as much as you'd think for a bread.

Day 174, Red Beans and Rice with Spicy Pork Chop

2010-07-30T11:23:00.003-05:00

Once again I was walking by box mixes and wanted to try one. Zatarain's has a Red Beans and Rice mix that I had never had before, so I had to try it.

Red Beans and Rice with Spicy Pork Chop

1 box Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice

3 1/4 cups water

1 tbsp butter (optional)

4 boneless pork chops, cut 1/2 inch thick

1 tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 tbsp oil

In a 2 quart saucepan combine water, butter and red beans and rice mixture. Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes. Stir and serve. Red beans and rice will be saucy.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Sprinkle Cajun seasoning evenly over pork chops. Cook for 5 minutes a side, until no longer pink in center.

Serves 4

I really liked the Red Beans and Rice. As someone who is not a fan of beans, I'm finding that I like them. Maybe it's my taste changing as I get older or that I'm going into these challenges with an open mind. The pork chops were spicy, I like spicy, but my husband and kids don't. I used McCormick's Perfect Pinch Cajun seasoning on these chops.

Flavor Rating: Great, it was a good Cajun meal.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, not much prep work to do when you use a mix.

Day 173, Tilapia with Sizzling Corn Relish

2010-07-30T10:49:00.003-05:00

I had some fish in my freezer still, so I had to figure out something else to do with it. This is a light main course with plenty of flavor.

Tilapia with Sizzling Corn Relish

4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets

1/2 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp pepper, divided

2 tbsp cilantro, divided

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 to 3 tsp minced jalapenos

1/4 cup sliced green onions

1/2 tsp no-salt-added all-purpose seasoning

Heat broiler. Line baking sheet with foil, spray with cooking spray. Place tilapia on baking sheet; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper. Broil tilapia 5 minutes or until fish just begins to flake. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp of the cilantro.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook and stir corn, bell pepper and jalapeno 2 minutes. Add green onions, cook and stir 30 seconds. Stir in all-purpose seasoning and remaining salt and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Spoon over tilapia.

Serves 4

When making this, it took longer to measure out all the ingredients and I wish I had started the topping before cooking the fish. The fish didn't take long to cook at all, but it took me a while to get all the rest of the ingredients chopped and ready to cook. I omitted all the salt, I feel that salt doesn't do much for my flavors. I know that many professional chefs will say that salt brings out the flavor, but when I add salt, that's all I can taste. This was another recipe from my Cooking Club of America magazine and the link is in the title. This would have been good with a side of brown rice.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, loved the combination of flavors.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, cut up all your vegetables before cooking anything. Wet corn will cause the oil to pop, be cautious when adding anything wet to oil.

Day 172, Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

2010-07-30T09:57:00.003-05:00

This is another of the pre-measured spice packages from McCormick. I always have plenty of chicken around the house, so it was easy to make another chicken recipe.

Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced onions

3/4 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp oregano leaves

1/2 tsp cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1/4 cup each lime and orange juices

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 medium bell pepper, color of your choice, cut into thin strips

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

8 flour tortillas (8 inch)

Mix juices, oil, all of the spices and salt in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add remaining marinade; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes or longer for extra flavor.

Cook and stir chicken in a large heated skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet. Add bell pepper, onion and reserved marinade; cook and stir 5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to skillet. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon chicken mixture into warmed tortillas. Serve with assorted toppings, if desired.

Makes 8 servings

I served these on whole wheat tortillas, I find they taste better than the white flour tortillas, but it's probably just because I'm used to that taste in my tortillas and pastas. The pre-measured packets make cooking easier, I just have to open the spices and toss in. I liked the lime flavor in my fajitas, it added a little oomph to the fajitas.

Flavor Rating: Great, loved the lime taste.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just remember to start early for marinading time, you can allow it to marinade while you're at work so you just have to cook it when you get home.

Day 171, Seasoned Steak

2010-07-22T13:52:00.003-05:00

I wanted steak today, so I just tossed some steak seasoning on it and broiled it. Came out the right tenderness for me.

1 pound lean steak

1 tbsp Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning

Heat oven to broil. Sprinkle seasoning on steak and press to stick. Place steak on a broiler pan and broil for 4-5 minutes a side for medium rare. Add 1-2 minutes per side for well and subtract a minute for rare.

Serves 4

I got the less sodium flavoring, I don't feel the need for a lot of salt in my diet. This was a good seasoning, but I wish I had a grill to cook my steaks rather than having to broil them. Grilling adds a lot of flavor to the meat.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked this seasoning.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to place your meat near the heating element when broiling. 2-3 inches away is ideal.

Day 170, Roasted Tomato Wraps

2010-07-22T13:16:00.002-05:00

I found interesting wraps for sandwiches and decided to try them out. These had a pleasant taste to add to the wrap.

Roasted Tomato Wraps

1 Roasted Tomato Wrap
2 slices turkey lunchmeat
1 tbsp spreadable Swiss cheese

Spread cheese on wrap. Add turkey and roll. Cut in half and enjoy.

Serves 1

This would be good with spinach or a soft lettuce. Thinly sliced tomatoes would be good also. I didn't have any of these today, so I didn't put any vegetables on it this time. The flavored wrap added a nice flavor and can be found near the tortillas in the Mexican section of the store.

Flavor Rating: Good, it could have used some vegetables for more flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, even the kids can help put these together.

Day 169, Spanish Chicken Skillet

2010-07-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

McCormick has come out with a new line of spice blends that have all the spices premeasured for you. I decided to pick up a few of these because they helped make my decisions about dinner easier.

Spanish Chicken Skillet

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp thyme leaves

1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 6 serving-size pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 large onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges

1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup chicken broth or dry sherry

Mix flour, salt and first 4 spices in a small bowl. Sprinkle chicken with 2 tbsp of the seasoned flour. Cook chicken in hot oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove from skillet, placing in a tin foil tent to keep warm. Add bell pepper and onion; cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth and remaining seasoned flour. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Stir in red pepper to taste, if desired. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 6

I like having all my spices premeasured and being able to keep the recipe card for future use is helpful so I can make it again if I wanted. Since it is a new product, I just had to try it. This is a good way to make something you may not have all the spices to and don't want to purchase a large amount of certain spices just for one recipe. There are several different recipe inspired spice packets to choose from and I picked up a few of them to try. We'll have to see how the family likes the rest.

Flavor Rating: Great, a nice blend of spices.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, only one large frying pan required.

Day 168, Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches

2010-07-14T20:13:00.003-05:00

I only had the kids to feed dinner today, so I went with something simple and quick. We have peanut butter sandwiches for lunch all the time, but this put a twist on a traditional peanut butter sandwich.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches

2 slices bread, toasted

1/2 banana sliced

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp Nutella hazelnut spread

After toasting bread, spread peanut butter on one slice and Nutella on other slice. Layer bananas on one half of sandwich; top with other half.

Serves 1

Since I prefer my peanut butter in a layer of chocolate, using Nutella makes it taste more like a peanut butter cup. Adding the bananas helps add to the 5 a day that everyone is supposed to have. It is a pleasant flavor when added all together, even for someone who isn't a big fan of peanut butter like I am.

Flavor Rating: Great, even for someone who only eats peanut butter sandwiches for the protein, this was a good combination.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, even the kids can help.

Day 167, Italian Wedding Soup

2010-07-02T11:23:00.004-05:00

I still had some Orzo pasta and wanted to try something else with it. It's been chilly so far this season, so a good soup is welcome to heat us up.

Italian Wedding Soup

12 oz lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

2 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano, crushed

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

1/2 cup orzo pasta

4 cups shredded escarole, curly endive, and/or spinach

3 oz Parmesan cheese with rind, cut into 4 wedges (optional)

In a large saucepan, cook beef, onion and garlic, uncovered, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Drain fat, if necessary.

Add broth, water, oregano, bay leaves and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in orzo. Return to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Boil gently, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is just tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in escarole.

To serve, place wedge of cheese in 4 soup bowls. Ladle hot soup into bowls.

Makes 4 main dish servings

Bay leaves add a wonderful flavor to recipes, but be sure to remove them before serving. I was able to find the wedges of Parmesan cheese in the deli section of Target, but you may also be able to find ti at your local grocery store in the deli department. It isn't cheap, but is very flavorful and has a better flavor than the already shredded Parmesan. If you can't find escarole or endive, spinach is a suitable substitute. Check your organic section for the first two; they're more likely to be found there.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, I really loved this soup.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it may have a few steps, but it's not hard to make.

Day 166, Falafel

2010-07-02T10:57:00.003-05:00

I walk through the international area of my grocery store often and every once in a while a mix catches my eye. This one came from a box mix, but I think I'll have to find the from scratch recipe for this one.

Falafel

1 (6 oz) box Falafel mix (I used the Near East brand)

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup olive oil

cucumber yogurt sauce*

pita bread

sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and red onions

Combine contents of falafel mix with water. Let stand 10 minutes. (If mixture stands too long, patties will be difficult to form and may break apart.) Quickly form falafel mixture into 12 patties, each 2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. In a large 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes. Cook patties about 4 minutes on each side, until evenly golden brown and crisp. Serve with cucumber yogurt sauce in pita halves with tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

Serves 4

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

8 ounces plain yogurt

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped or shredded and drained

2 tsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped dill or fresh mint (I used mint this time)

dash white pepper

dash salt (optional)

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with falafel.

Makes 1 1/2 cups

I've never had falafel before so that's why I wanted to make the box mix first. I will have to find a good recipe so I can keep out any ingredients that could be possible allergens now that one of my family members has shown signs of allergies. This is a great source of vegetarian protein. It was really tasty with the spices that were in the mix. I found an 8 oz container of plain yogurt in the Greek varieties. There are several brands to choose from and even though it's a little more spendy ounce wise to buy the small container, if you're only going to use it for one recipe like I do, the small container is best to purchase so you don't toss a lot of yogurt.

Flavor Rating: Great, I loved this mix.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, if you don't catch the mix in time, it does fall apart.

Day 165, Dry Rub Slow Cooked Ribs

2010-07-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

Country style boneless ribs were on sale again, so I picked some up. I also picked up a new seasoning and had to try it.

Dry Rub Slow Cooked Ribs

2 pounds country style boneless pork ribs

2 tbsp Weber Sweet and Tangy BBQ seasoning

Season ribs generously with seasoning and rub into pork so it sticks. Place in a large slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours, until meat falls apart.

Serves 4-6

I like slow cooking, especially on days where I won't be home to be able to cook right before dinner time. This rub was really tasty and I think it would do well on a grill or smoker. I also made my potatoes in the slow cooker today.

Flavor Rating: Great, I loved this spice mix. It was a nice sweet with a mild kick.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, slow cooking is the easy way to go.

Slow Cooked Potatoes

1 pound fingerling potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Add washed potatoes to slow cooker. Pour oil over potatoes and toss to coat. Season as desired. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, until potatoes are tender.

Serves 4

The potatoes don't take as long to cook as the meat in the slow cooker. You can also use regular sized potatoes int he slow cooker if you cut them up into similar sized pieces. My husband loves them this way and I'll have to make them like that more often.

Flavor Rating: Great, the potatoes closest to the heat caramelized nicely.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, toss in and forget until dinner time.

Day 164, Chicken Spaghetti

2010-07-02T10:12:00.003-05:00

We wanted spaghetti, the quickest meal to make, but had to add something to it to make it different from the other spaghettis we've had this year so a simple addition of chicken gave it a little protein and still is something the kids love.

Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 box tri-color rotini noodles

1 pound chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup spaghetti sauce

freshly shredded Parmesan, to taste

Cook noodles according to packaging. Drain. Cook chicken in a large frying pan sprayed with non-stick spray 5-7 minutes until no longer pink in center. Add sauce to chicken and heat an additional minute, until sauce is hot. Serve sauce mixture over noodles; top with Parmesan cheese as desired. Serve with garlic toast.

Serves 4

I use traditional sauce when using sauce out of a jar. Marinara sauce is another good meatless sauce. I prefer my mom's homemade sauce, but haven't made it myself yet. I think that will happen this year because of all the tomato plants I have on my patio. Fresh ingredients are best, but canned tomatoes work in a pinch. I've even made noodles with just tomatoes and garlic instead of a sauce. It seems to taste more flavorful when using diced tomatoes instead of the sauce.

Flavor Rating: Good, jarred sauce doesn't stand up to home made, but it works.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to wash your hands when preparing chicken. Proper hand washing cuts down on salmonella transfer.

Day 163, Beef and Cheddar

2010-06-23T20:23:00.003-05:00

I was thinking Arby's, but couldn't go there today, so I decided to try my hand at one of my favorites at home.

Beef and Cheddar Sandwich

1 pound thinly sliced roast beef

1 box (32 oz) beef broth

4 tbsp honey bbq sauce

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese

4 onion rolls

Place broth and roast beef into a sauce pan. Heat until it comes to a boil; boil for about a minute. Remove from heat. Heat Velveeta in a microwave or small pan, until melted; about 1 minute in microwave at 30 second increments adding 15 seconds if needed. Place 1 tbsp bbq sauce on bottom half of each bun. Top with 1/4 of meat per bun. Top each with melted cheese. Place top of bun.

Serves 4

I'm not sure how to make a saucier sauce with the cheese. I'll have to figure out the cheese to water ratio for an actual sauce for this; the cheese became firm quickly. I thought it would be smoother because it's a processed cheese substance, but I guess that new cheese (aged less than 10 months) would melt just as well. Perhaps next time I'll go with cheese slices. The honey barbecue sauce is similar to the Arby's sauce I like. I found a package of onion rolls, one that wasn't too firm like I have found some onion rolls to be. I just wish I had some french fries to go with this. I looked for curly fries, but didn't find any in the price range I prefer to pay.

Flavor Rating: Good, not as great as Arby's, but close enough.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it took a couple of steps, but turned out well in the end.

Day 162, Fruit Topped Salad

2010-06-23T20:10:00.003-05:00

Fruit is starting to go on sale for a decent price, so I decided it was a good time for a salad.

Fruit Topped Salad

2 cups lettuce

3-4 strawberries, sliced

2 tbsp blueberries

5-6 slices English cucumber

1 tbsp poppy seed dressing

Place lettuce in a bowl, top with cucumber. Add berries. Drizzle with dressing.

Serves 1

To eat a salad and get plenty of dressing flavor without going overboard on dressing either have your dressing on the side and dip your fork in the dressing before taking a forkful of salad or place your salad in a sealable container and top with dressing and shake until fully coated. It only takes a couple of tablespoons of dressing to coat a salad fully. Dressing is where the majority of your calories are in a salad. Add your favorite fruits and vegetables to this salad. Any berry will go well in this salad. Carrots would be a good addition to this salad also, shredding them or slicing them thinly would be the best ways to add carrots to a salad.

Flavor Rating: Great, the berries are best later in the summer when they are in season locally.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, little prep is needed even when your lettuce comes directly from your garden.

Day 161, Pork Chops in Onion Sauce

2010-06-23T19:55:00.003-05:00

This is a recipe reminiscent of eating at my mothers house. The one thing I changed is using onion soup instead of cream of mushroom.

Pork Chops in Onion Sauce

4 medium cut (1/2 inch) pork chops

1 tbsp cooking oil (vegetable or olive)

1 can (10 oz) cream of onion soup

1/2 can water

Heat cooking oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook for 4-5 minutes a side, until chop is no longer pink in center. Add soup and water to pan and mix. Heat for a minute, until sauce is bubbly. Serve over noodles.

Serves 4

I like making this with elbow noodles, they hold the soup best. Elbow noodles can be found in the Barilla Plus brand to add some whole grains to your diet. If desired, add a little freshly ground pepper to the pork chops, but the onion soup is flavorful enough that you probably don't need it. I like to cook the thinner cut pork chops so they are cooked through in less time than if I were getting the thicker cut chops. I have an easier time cooking them through without burning them. Measuring the water in the can allows you to get out the rest of the soup mixture and allows for accurate to the soup mix measuring. I don't add salt to my chops because there is plenty of salt in the soup.

Flavor Rating: Great, I love the cream of onion soup. Ever since finding it on the shelf, I've been substituting it for other cream of soups.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, prep to table, less than a half hour for a full meal.

Day 160, Gnocchi

2010-06-14T11:59:00.005-05:00

I wanted spaghetti, but knew I already had done it this year, so I decided to try gnocchi instead. It's an Italian style dish that I've seen on Lydia's Italy on PBS so I decided to try it. I didn't make it from scratch like she does though, there are prepackaged gnocchi in the pasta isle.

Gnocchi in Tomato Sauce

1 (1 pound) package Gnocchi

1 cup prepared traditional style spaghetti sauce

shredded Parmesan cheese, to taste

In a large pot, bring 6 cups water to a boil. Add gnocchi and boil for 3-4 minutes, until gnocchi is floating on top. Drain, top with warm sauce and add Parmesan cheese on top.

Serves 6-8

I tried the Whole Wheat version of this dish. It's made with sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. I'm not sure if it's because I started them in warm, but not boiling water that they turned out gummy textured, but it was an odd texture for me. I haven't had them before and may be brave enough to try the white gnocchi one of these days.

Flavor Rating: Good, it was kind of bland and had an odd taste to me. It was probably because I haven't had them before.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just heat and eat, a quick meal.

Day 159, Basil and Proscuitto Chicken

2010-06-09T12:46:00.004-05:00

I was looking in my cookbooks again and came across this recipe on the same page as the Sesame Ginger Chicken recipe. It looked yummy, so I made it too.

Basil and Prosciutto Chicken

1 tbsp vegetable oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds)

4 tsp Dijon mustard

4 thin slices prosciutto or fully cooked ham

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 fresh basil leaves

Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 6 minutes. Turn chicken; brush with mustard and top with prosciutto. Cook 6 to 8 minutes longer, until chicken is no longer pink in center of thickest pieces.

Sprinkle cheese over chicken. Cook about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with basil.

Serves 4

Having had prosciutto in a previous recipe, I liked the taste. If you can't find prosciutto, use a good ham. I found my prosciutto near the deli section in pre-packaged servings. This recipe was found in my Betty Crocker annual recipe cookbook. The basil is best eaten on top of this chicken for the full effect of the flavor combination. I served it with a mixed greens salad with Italian dressing and thin spaghetti noodles. The oil I used was olive oil.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like the combination of fresh basil with the prosciutto.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, if you can cook chicken, you can cook this.

Day 158, Vegetable Soup

2010-06-08T18:39:00.004-05:00

I wanted some soup and happened to have some vegetable stock on hand, so I threw this together.

Vegetable Soup

1 box (32 oz) vegetable stock

1 can (15 oz) petite cut tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup noodles (I used alphabet noodles)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes and garlic. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add noodles and cook as directed on packaging.

Serves 8-10

I wanted to use up some more of the alphabet noodles I bought for a previous recipe. I didn't have time to go out for any additional ingredients today, so I used up some stuff I had on my shelves. Fortunately it came out pretty good, but the only difference from previous soups is that it is completely vegetable rather than using chicken stock.

Flavor Rating: Great, it was yummy.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, cooking the vegetables first makes them more tender than cooking them in the stock.

Day 157, Sesame Ginger Chicken

2010-06-03T09:32:00.006-05:00

I pulled out one of my many cookbooks and found this recipe. It looked yummy, but turned out a little blander than I expected. I served it with potstickers I found in the frozen section and teriyaki noodles I found in the produce section.

Sesame Ginger Chicken

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted*

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 pounds chicken, cut into pieces

Mix teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds and ginger in a small bowl. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes, until browned. Add sauce and cook an additional minute, until chicken is cooked through.

*To toast sesame seeds, heat in an ungreased skillet over medium heat about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

This recipe actually called for grilling and because I don't own a grill I had to modify it for a frying pan. If you wish, grill 4 chicken breast halves over direct heat and brush with the sauce mixture. Perhaps grilling it would have made it more flavorful. I found the sauce to be rather bland.

Flavor Rating: Good, it wasn't too bad for what it was and I toasted the seeds in this recipe, but didn't taste the difference.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, even the toasting of the seeds was fairly easy.

Day 156, Shrimp Scampi

2010-06-03T09:03:00.002-05:00

I discovered more shrimp at the bottom of my freezer that had to be used. I buy the cooked shrimp, it doesn't have to be heated as long as the uncooked, but you also have to watch it closely so it doens't dry up when reheating it.

Shrimp Scampi

1 stick butter

1 bag medium shrimp, cooked

2 cloves garlic, minced

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and heat 30 seconds. Serve in small bowls.

To make it look like it come out of a resturant, the butter should be clarified. Here is a good explination on how to clarify butter. I did not clarify the butter and think it would have looked and tasted better had I done that. I also made some Cheddar Garlic biscuits that taste similar the the Cheddar Bay Biscuits you could find at Red Lobster.

Flavor Rating: Good, I was in a hurry and clarifying the butter would have made them tastier.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, if you use raw shrimp, cook for 1-2 minutes a side to cook through.

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

1 1/2 cups Bisquick

3/4 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tbsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix the Bisquick, milk, garlic powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Add cheese and mix thouroughly. Spray a cooking sheet with non stick spray. Drop by the spoonful onto a cooking sheet or into a cupcake pan. Bake for 7-9 minutes until golden brown.

Optionally you can brush with butter which would make it taste more like the Red Lobster ones, but I find that I don't need the extra fat on my biscuits. I don't normally add salt to my biscuits either, but the Red Lobster ones are saltier than the ones I make, you may omit the salt if you wish. I add a little more milk than called for on the back of the Bisquick box for the biscuits recipe for better flowing batter. It makes it a little easier to handle when mixing. It would be too sticky to knead though, just use the drop method to make these biscuits.

Flavor Rating: Great, if you want it to taste exactly like the Red Lobster version, you need to use the salt and butter.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just mix, drop and bake.

Day 155, A1 Cheeseburgers Topped With Fried Onions

2010-05-27T13:38:00.004-05:00

I was in the mood for hamburgers again. Fortunately there are many ways to make a hamburger. Today I topped mine with fried onions.

A1 Cheeseburgers with Fried Onions

1 pound ground beef

2 tbsp A1 steak sauce

1 medium onion

2 tbsp water

4 slices baby Swiss cheese

additional A1 sauce to taste

Mix ground beef with 2 tbsp A1 sauce in a medium bowl. Form into 4 patties. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes a side, until burgers are cooked through. Add cheese slices during last minute and cover to melt. Meanwhile slice onions lengthwise. Cook covered over medium heat with water for 5-7 minutes until translucent. Place burgers on buns, top with onions and additional A1 sauce to taste.

Serves 4

I liked this combination, but the additional sauce on top may have been too much for me. The burger itself is very tasty with the sauce mixed in. I discovered steaming my onions back in the days I worked at McDonald's. It helps to cook them through a little quicker if you're just looking for a translucent onion. If you want a caramelized onion, you need to cook them in oil and/or butter.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like the steak sauce in the burgers.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to form your patties thin and indent the center for even cooking.

Day 154, Crunchy Onion Chicken

2010-05-27T13:14:00.003-05:00

I found this in the coupons, but it's also listed on the back of the French's French Fried Onions can. It was quick and easy and helps to get the aggression out from having to crush the onions.

Crunchy Onion Chicken

2 cups French Fried Onions

2 tbsp flour

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 1/4 pounds)

1 egg, beaten

Crush French fried onions with the flour in a large plastic bag. Dip chicken in egg; coat with onion crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. until cooked through.

Serves 4

I like crispy chicken every once in a while and this was a different coating than I am used to having. Usually it's a cereal coating or a flour and spices coating. This gave it a taste that I really liked. The recipe also states that you can substitute 1/4 cup mustard for the egg for a different twist. If someone tries this with the mustard, please comment on how it turns out.

Flavor Rating: Great, I loved this coating, but I also love onions.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, for quicker cleanup, line your baking pan with foil.

Day 153, Walleye Tacos

2010-05-20T18:48:00.003-05:00

Canadian caught walleye was on sale this week so I picked up a few packages. I used soft corn tortilla shells, but you could use hard ones if you prefer them.

Walleye Tacos

Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 fresh lime, juiced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced and seeded

1 tsp capers, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne

Fish:

1 pound Walleye fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup fish batter (Shore Lunch or equivalent)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (12 oz) package corn tortillas

1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded

1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Prepare sauce 2 hours or more ahead of time. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until mixture is slightly runny or as desired. Mix in jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. If desired, add additional lime juice or caper juice to thin out the sauce more. The longer the sauce sets, the stronger the flavors.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Dip fish pieces into beaten egg; coat with fish batter. Fry over medium heat until crisp and golden brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Heat the corn tortillas as directed on packaging. Top with fish, shredded cabbage, cheese and sauce.

Serves 8

I found the sauce to be a bit too spicy and would make it with 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper next time. When frying the fish, do not overcrowd, cook in batches if needed. It doesn't take much time to cook fish, only a couple of minutes from raw to crisp, keep an eye on them. The cabbage was pleasant on top of these tacos. It made them taste a little different than a beef taco, but remember these are fish tacos. I used a soft corn tortilla instead of the hard ones that are found everywhere. I found the soft ones in the Mexican food isle.

Flavor Rating: Great, a little spicy, but overall a pleasant flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just remember to make the sauce ahead of time, as early as the night before, if desired.

Day 152, Roast Chicken with Lemon

2010-05-20T18:20:00.003-05:00

I had been in the mood to roast a chicken all week, so I went out and got one even though it wasn't as cheap as $.99 a pound like I have seen at times.

Roast Chicken with Lemon

1 (3 pound) whole chicken

2 lemons

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dried rosemary

1/4 tsp dried sage

2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rub the skin with the olive oil. Cut open one lemon and juice it. Pour the juice over the chicken. Cut the other lemon in half and place one half inside the chicken. Season the chicken with the remaining seasonings. Place the bird on a broiling pan and cook for 1 1/2 hours, until chicken has an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. as tested by a meat thermometer.

Serves 6

It was chilly the day I made this, so having the oven on was helpful. I actually loosened the skin and placed the juice and seasonings under the skin for more flavor right in the meat. I only had one lemon, so I couldn't taste the lemon flavor as much as I wanted. I always peel the skin off when I eat poultry, so I figured that placing the seasonings under the skin would make what I was actually eating more flavorful. I think I might have used more seasonings than the recipe called for, probably 1/2 tsp of each instead of 1/4 tsp because it just didn't cover the bird as well as I had liked.

Flavor Rating: Good, despite not covering it or basting, it still came out fairly moist.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to wash your hands well when preparing poultry.

Day 151, Sweet Roast

2010-05-18T19:09:00.002-05:00

My mother made this for us the other day and I wanted to emulate it. I didn't succeed as well as she did, but it was still a good roast.

Sweet Roast

2 pound rump roast

1 cup beef broth

2 tbsp jelly, I used grape but I think mom used rhubarb

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small sauce pan, combine broth and jelly; heat over medium heat until jelly is melted. Place roast in a small roasting pan, top with broth mixture. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until roast is cooked to desired doneness. Slice thinly to serve.

Serves 8-10

My mother likes to make her roasts in an electric frying pan which is where she did both the sauce and the roast. Seeing that I can't find mine, it was easier to just throw it in the oven. My sauce ended up tasting like beef broth when I was done instead of the sweet sauce my mother ended up making. I guess I'll have to keep trying until I get it right.

Flavor Rating: Good, not as good as Mom's , but still tender and moist when I was done.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, check your roast with a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

Day 150, Hamburger Mac N Cheese

2010-05-18T18:49:00.003-05:00

Having only the kids to feed, I wanted to do something quick. I had some ground beef thawed, so I just browned it up and added the quick mac n cheese I discovered earlier.

Hamburger Mac N Cheese

1 pound ground beef

1 1/4 cup uncooked whole-grain shell noodles

1 cup lowfat milk

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef; drain and rinse. Cook noodles according to packaging; drain.

Combine cold milk and flour in a small saucepan stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium heat cooking for about 2 minutes, until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until cheese is melted and combined thoroughly. Add pasta and stir to coat. Add ground beef and stir until evenly distributed.

Serves 8-10

This was a big hit with the kids. I used the sharp cheddar this time for a cheesier taste to the mac n cheese. I also used a very lean ground beef that was grass fed. The way the cow is fed makes a difference in the way it tastes. It is a quick recipe for those nights you don't have a lot of time to make a meal.

Flavor Rating: Good, a nice mac n cheese and great hamburger.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, still the easiest way to make mac n cheese without having a premixed packet.

Day 149, Fontina Melon Salad

2010-05-18T18:24:00.003-05:00

As it is getting warmer, I'm looking for recipes that don't cause as much heat in my kitchen. A little pasta boiling is about as hot as I'm willing to be on the warmer days.

Fontina Melon Salad

1 1/2 cups dry large bow-tie pasta

2 cups cantaloupe and/or honeydew melon chunks

1 cup cubed Fontina or Swiss cheese (4 oz)

1/3 cup bottled poppy seed salad dressing

1 to 2 tbsp snipped fresh mint

2 cups watercress, stems removed

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander; rinse with cold water. Drain.

Toss together pasta, cantaloupe and cheese in a large bowl. Combine salad dressing and mint; pour over pasta mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Just before serving, stir watercress into pasta mixture. Add a bit more salad dressing, if needed, to moisten the salad. If desired, garnish with cantaloupe slices.

Serves 8

I had a very hard time finding watercress. Apparently the produce man only orders it during the Christian winter holidays and Thanksgiving. Having found that out, I exchanged mustard greens having read that watercress is a cousin to mustard greens. I can't say how good it would have been with the watercress, but the mustard greens had a slight bite to it. Now that I've made the recipe, I have seen watercress in a decent sized container at Cub Foods, where I had found a container of the organic section. Now I know for next time I have a recipe that calls for the watercress that I have access to it. I was actually able to find the Fontina cheese at my local SuperTarget. It was more expensive than cheese you'd find in the dairy section, but was well worth the extra expense. It was like a Swiss cheese, but with a bite in between a strong Swiss and a baby Swiss.

Flavor Rating: Good, I loved the cheese, but wasn't sure about the greens I had to exchange.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, a little cutting a little boiling.

Day 148, Lemon Pepper Mahi Mahi

2010-05-13T21:23:00.003-05:00

I had some more of the Mahi Mahi from the Let's Dish meals and I wanted to make a second flavor with them, so I added simple ingredients I always have in the kitchen.

Lemon Pepper Mahi Mahi

4 Mahi Mahi fillets

1 large lemon

1 tbsp garlic, minced

pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet or line with foil; place fillets on baking sheet. Squeeze lemon over fillets, coating evenly (approx 2 tbsp juice). Spread garlic over fillets; sprinkle pepper over fish. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4

This is a very good fish. It's thick and tasty. I use freshly ground pepper when I use pepper. It is more flavorful than already ground pepper. I like to use fresh lemons rather than the juice you can find in a bottle in the juice isle. The juice is just tastier to me, maybe because it is freshly squeezed.

Flavor Rating: Great, I really like this fish, maybe that's why it's such an expensive fish.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, despite my fear of cooking fish, it's actually easy to make.

Day 147, Smoky Chicken Breasts

2010-05-13T21:08:00.003-05:00

This recipe called for bone-in chicken breasts, but since I only have boneless around the house, that's what I used.

Smoky Chicken Breasts

1 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, plus additional for garnish
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray.
Combine paprika, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper in a small bowl. Brush both sides of chicken with oil; sprinkle and rub spice mixture over both sides of chicken. Place on baking sheet.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in center.Serve with additional sea salt, if desired.

Serves 4

If you wish to prepare this with bone-in chicken, click the link above to go to the original recipe. I didn't use any salt in the spice mixture I mixed up and thought it could have used a little. I wouldn't personally garnish with salt as there is too much salt in my diet as it is. The combination of the spices I did use were a decent mix, but wasn't over the top in flavor. The paprika gives the chicken a nice red color.

Flavor Rating: Good, my husband liked it and wants me to make it again sometime.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, baking chicken is my favorite way to make it.

Day 146, Tortellini with Roasted Red Bell Peppers

2010-05-13T20:42:00.006-05:00

I had to use up some of the leftover ingredients from a previous recipe, so I tossed it with some pasta to make a new dish.

Tortellini with Roasted Red Bell Peppers

1 package whole wheat tortellini

2 tbsp prepared pesto

1/2 jar roasted red bell peppers, chopped

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Add pesto and red peppers; mix until evenly coated. Serve warm.

Serves 4

I found a new whole wheat tortellini in the refrigerated section at Target. I love these cheese filled pastas, and having it be whole wheat was a bonus. Usually I can only find white or spinach cheese filled pastas. I liked the pesto and roasted red peppers in the open faced sandwich I had, so tossing these ingredients with a little pasta just seemed appropriate.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, this flavor combination works well.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it takes little time to cook the pasta and the only preparation is chopping the peppers.

Day 145, Steak with Horseradish Butter

2010-05-08T15:29:00.004-05:00

I had some good steak still and I wanted to make it with gusto. I found some different flavored butters in the Target meat area. I chose the Horseradish butter.

Steak with Flavored Butter

4 steaks, about 1 inch thick

1 container flavored butter for steaks

Preheat oven to broil. Place steaks on a broiling pan so they're not touching each other. Broil each side for 5 minutes for medium, flipping once. Place steaks on plate and add butter to desired amount.

Serves 4

I had one big good steak and cut it into 4 serving sizes. A serving size of steak is actually only about 5 ounces and what I bought was a little above a pound worth of steak, so it got cut into portions we could actually eat. Since I have little children, their steaks were cut smaller. I love having flavors for my steak and this butter was a pretty good flavor. I had to put a couple of tablespoons on to make it cover the entire top of my steak, but it was worth it.

Flavor Rating: Great, a good cut of steak and a little flavor made it great.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, broiling your steak is an easy way to make a steak when you don't have a grill.

Day 144, Bacon Egg Skillet

2010-05-08T15:16:00.002-05:00

I was being lazy today, so I just threw together a Jimmy Dean Skillet. This one had bacon, peppers, and potatoes in them. I usually get the one with the sausage, but felt like bacon today.

Jimmy Dean Skillet

1 Jimmy Dean Skillet package

6 eggs

1 tbsp cooking oil

Heat oil in a 12-inch pan. Add contents of package. Meanwhile, beat eggs in a large bowl until mixed. Cook contents of package for 7 minutes, push to side and add eggs. Cook until eggs are done, making sure to continue to stir everything so nothing burns to the bottom of the pan, approximately 3-4 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

I find that with these, I end up having to add additional oil before adding the eggs. I think I cook the potatoes and vegetables a little too long before adding the eggs and that causes me to burn some of it to the bottom of my pan. Perhaps if I were to cook the package contents first, then to remove them from the pan before cooking the eggs, I wouldn't burn them. I guess I'm just not skilled enough to cook stuff out of a bag.

Flavor Rating: Good, not bad for dinner (breakfast) out of a bag.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, as long as you keep an eye on it, it shouldn't burn.

Day 143, Santa Fe Chicken

2010-05-08T15:01:00.002-05:00

I was on a chicken kick, so I decided to do another chicken dish. I found plenty of these dishes at CampbellsKitchen.com.

Santa Fe Chicken

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp chili powder

4 skinless boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

2 tbsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)

1 can tomato soup

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir the flour and chili powder on a plate. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Add the soup to the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Top each chicken with the cheese.

Serves 4

I cut my chicken up for ease of serving the children. I also used 4 tbsp of each the flour and chili powder so I could coat every side of my cut up chicken. I used a blend of 3 cheddar cheeses I found as a new blend in my local grocery store. I ended up using a little more cheese than the recipe called for, about a half cup total, because I added the cheese after I plated each serving. It was just spicy enough for me.

Flavor Rating: Great, a nice blend of spices.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, not too much prep work to do.

Day 142, Balsamic Chicken

2010-05-05T19:09:00.004-05:00

I wanted to use some of the Orzo pasta I picked up and this recipe looked like it went well with that shape of pasta. In the preparation of making this recipe, I used a new brand of chicken and found out that some brands need to use oil to prevent it from sticking.

Balsamic Chicken

Cooking Spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 cups Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
Stir the sauce and vinegar in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4

My normal chicken I use is individually frozen chicken breasts and these were individually packaged chicken breasts. The first are frozen with water frozen to them which probably causes them to be able to be cooked without any oil because of the excess water. The individually packaged chicken had no additional water added causing me to almost burn them to the pan. If you get the chicken that is loose in the package, they are probably like the first chicken breasts I'm describing and you won't need any oil, if you get the breasts individually packaged in plastic, you may need to have some oil int the bottom of your pan to prevent sticking.
The balsamic vinegar gives the sauce a kick but in the amounts in this recipe, it's not too bad. I decided to have my salad with balsamic vinaigrette too, so I had a lot of vinegar going on. I usually like balsamic vinaigrette, but it was a bit too much when it's in both parts of my meal. The orzo had a nice texture and I found it in the Target brand for a decent price. My husband thought it was rice because it has the same shape, but the flavor is definitely pasta.

Flavor Rating: Great, the vinegar gave it an extra kick.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, as long as you use the cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Day 141, Porcupine Meatballs

2010-05-05T18:39:00.003-05:00

I wanted to do something different with my meatballs and found this recipe. Unfortunately I didn't read it through before making it and ended up mixing everything together instead of putting some of the ingredients on top. I'll post the way I made it and you can find the link in the title below to the original recipe.

Porcupine Meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef

1 egg

1/4 cup applesauce

1/3 cup dry rice, prepared as directed on package

chopped celery

chopped onion

1 (12 oz) can tomato sauce

Combine first 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix well. Form into walnut sized balls. Place meatballs into a large foil lined shallow baking pan. Pour tomato sauce over meatballs. Bake in oven at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes, until well done.

Serves 6-8

The original recipe calls for 2 pounds of meat and tomato soup. I used tomato sauce instead so I didn't have the salt that comes with a soup. I also mixed the vegetables into the meatballs instead of pouring them over the meat like the original recipe calls for. They ended up cooking well that way and didn't need as much time in the oven as the original recipe was needing. A meatloaf will need an entire hour, but you may be able to get away with only a half hour to cook these meatballs.

Flavor Rating: Good, I'm not sure about celery in a meatball, but it wasn't too bad.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, a lot of chopping and the applesauce made the meatballs hard to handle. It was more like making drop cookies.

Day 140, Herbed Chicken in Pastry

2010-05-04T17:41:00.006-05:00

I wanted to do something different with my chicken today. Wrapping it in Puff Pastry did the trick.

Herbed Chicken in Pastry

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tbsp water

ground black pepper, optional

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

2 tbsp butter

1 container (4 oz) garlic and herb spreadable cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat the egg in a small bowl with a fork.

Season the chicken with the black pepper, if desired. Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 14-inch square. Cut into 4 (7-inch) squares.

Spread about 2 tbsp cheese spread in the center of each pastry square. Top each with 1 tbsp parsley and 1 chicken breast. Brush the edges with the egg mixture. Fold the corners of the pastry squares to the center over the chicken and press to seal. Place the pastries seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the pastries with the egg mixture.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Let the pastries cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.

Serves 4

I didn't have a lot of space to roll out the pastries, so I gently pulled the pastries from the center to the edges until they were the appropriate size. I baked them on parchment paper to prevent sticking to the baking sheet. If you don't have parchment paper, spray your baking sheet with non-stick spray. The original recipe called for cooling the chicken for 15 minutes to overnight, but I was in a hurry and didn't want to let them cool. Having hot chicken in the pastries will make the pastry rise even before you place them in the oven. Let them cool to room temperature before assembling them so the pastry doesn't rise before placing them in the oven. I used a smaller cut of chicken breast than I usually use and they ended up being the right size for this recipe. Make sure you use a garlic herb spreadable cheese you'd normally use for spreading on crackers. You will know you like the cheese if you normally eat it like that.

Flavor Rating: Great, I'd serve this at a fancy dinner.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, takes a little time and preparation to make this.

Day 139, Roasted Tomato and Barley Soup

2010-04-30T19:39:00.001-05:00

This was a yummy soup. You can make it completely vegetable by substituting vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth it calls for. I ended up eating 3 bowls worth.

Roasted Tomato and Barley Soup

1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

2 large onions, diced (about 2 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

2 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Drain the tomatoes, reserving the juice in. Place the tomatoes, onions and garlic in a 17 x 11 inch roasting pan. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat. Bake for 25 minutes.

Place the roasted vegetables into a 3-quart saucepan. Stir in the reserved tomato juice, broth, celery and barley and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the barley is tender. Stir in the parsley.

Serves 8

This was a tasty low calorie dish. Serve with some crackers if desired. I liked all the different vegetable flavors that were going on and roasting the tomatoes and onions gave it a richer flavor. I definitely recommend this for someone who is looking for a lot of flavor in a few calories. I used the quick cook barley which takes less time to cook than the regular barley.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, a lot of flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, but time consuming.

Day 138, Basic Omelet

2010-04-30T19:22:00.004-05:00

I don't make my omelets like I was taught in Home Ec. all those years ago. I prefer a drier egg than Martha Stewart and would never be able to eat an omelet cooked the way she makes them.

Basic Omelet

2 large eggs

1 tbsp water

2 slices American cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and water together until consistently yellow. Spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat to medium. Add eggs and allow to cook for approximately 1-2 minutes until cooked through enough to flip. Remove from heat and flip cooked egg over. Add cheese and any other ingredients you wish. Fold egg in half and allow cheese to melt. Serve immediately.

Serves 1

I prefer a drier egg and this method allows me to have it cooked all the way through. The method that I was taught and you may be able to find on professional cooking shows is to gently move egg to the middle and allow the liquid to spill to the edges. I like to just cook my eggs like I'm frying them then folding it like an omelet. You can fry up some peppers, onions, mushrooms or whatever you like in the middle of your omelet. Shredded cheese works well for melting inside an omelet also.

Flavor Rating: Good, the more ingredients you put inside it, the yummier the omelet gets.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, this is the easiest way I found to make my omelets.

Day 137, Fusion Pork Tenderloin

2010-04-29T17:29:00.005-05:00

This was the final meal I got from Let's Dish. I got enough in this meal to serve as many as 8-10 rather than the 4-6 it claims. Both the beans and the pork were spicy but not too hot. Check out the link for the ingredients. I don't remember the exact amounts.

Fusion Pork Tenderloin with Stir Fried Green Beans

2 pork tenderloins

1/2 cup liquid egg

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup plum sauce

1 tbsp crushed ginger

1 tbsp curry powder

1 bag frozen beans (about 3 cups)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Mix breadcrumbs and coconut in a resealable bag. Brush pork with egg or place pork in a resealable bag with egg. Place pork in bag with breadcrumbs and pat lightly to coat. Remove from bag and place in a baking pan, repeat with second tenderloin. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake pork for 40-50 minutes until crust is browned and pork is cooked. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

In a small bowl, mix plum sauce, ginger and curry. Serve over sliced pork.

Spread green beans evenly on a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 400 degrees F., until beans are hot. Meanwhile, mix vinegar, garlic powder and pepper. Toss sauce with beans. Serve immediately.

Serves 8-10

I enjoyed this dish. It was spicy, but not burn your mouth hot. I don't remember the exact amounts that went in each sauce, so I hope the recipe above is fairly accurate. I got the pork and the beans with this meal. Although they claim that most of their meals serve 4-6, this had enough to feed at least 8 people. This is a meal I would make again. It is recommended to serve over noodles, but I found that we had enough with just the pork and the beans.

Flavor Rating: Great, just the right infusion of flavors.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, a little messy as with all things I have to stick to breadcrumbs.

Day 136, Scrambled Egg-Potato Baskets

2010-04-28T21:15:00.006-05:00

The April/May 2010 Cooking Club magazine had many recipes I wanted to try. This could be used for breakfast or brunch. I was able to find mascaropne cheese in the Target deli area where they have their imported cheeses. If you can't find the mascarpone cheese, use an equal amount of cream cheese instead.

Scrambled Egg-Potato Baskets

6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 cup finely chopped onion

10 eggs, divided

1 1/2 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp pepper, divided

1 (20 oz) package refrigerated hash brown potatoes

1 1/2 tsbp chopped fresh tarragon

1 1/2 tbsp sliced fresh chives

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened

Place oven rack in lowest position. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 12 muffin cups generously with cooking spray. Melt 4 tbsp of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 3 minutes or until it just begins to soften, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, whisk 2 of the eggs, 1 tsp of the salt and 1/2 tsp of the pepper in a large bowl until blended. Stir in hash browns until coated. Stir in onion mixture. Spoon into muffin cups (cups will be full). With back of spoon, press into bottom and up sides, making an indentation in center. (Keep hash browns from spilling over edges to avoid overbrowning.)

Bake on bottom rack 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and sides are brown. Remove from oven; run thin spatula around outside edges to loosen. Cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes. Carefully remove potato baskets from pan; place on foil-lined baking sheet. (Baskets may be made as much as 4 hours ahead.)

Place oven rack in middle position; reduce oven to 300 degrees F. Whisk remaining 8 eggs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, tarragon and chives in a large bowl 45 seconds or until frothy and blended.

Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour in eggs; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook slowly 2 to 3 minutes or until eggs just begin to form curds, stirring constantly with heat resistant spatula. Stir in cheese. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until curds form, but eggs are still very creamy. Spoon eggs into potato baskets.

Immediately bake potato baskets at 300 degrees F. for 5 minutes or until hot.

Serves 6

I normally like my eggs cooked well until they're dry. This was unusual for me, but I ended up enjoying the creaminess of these eggs. I used my cheap flexible spatula to remove the baskets from the cupcake cups and I used my thicker heat-resistant spatula for mixing the eggs. It's amazing how many spatulas I've gained over the years. This took longer than I was expecting, so make sure you have at least an hour to prepare these.

Flavor Rating: Great, I loved the creaminess of the cheese and egg mixture. There were a lot of flavors happening in every bite.

Ease of Preparation: Hard, the egg baskets were think in the bottom corners and I wasn't able to get every bite of potato out of the cupcake tin.

Day 135, Cesar Mahi Mahi

2010-04-27T10:30:00.004-05:00

This was meal #3 from Let's Dish. I chose the Mahi Mahi because I wanted to try one of their fish dishes. I mad this a while ago, so the ingredients may not be exact. I'll try my hardest to remember what I put on them so it can be remade.

Cesar Mahi Mahi

4 Mahi Mahi fillets

1/2 cup finely crushed bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp Cesar dressing

1 tsp Culinary Cream

Mix cream and dressing together. Brush fish fillets with mixture. Mix bread crumbs and cheese; top fillets with mixture. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake fillets for 20-30 minutes, until fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Serves 4

I served this with a salad topped with ranch dressing. I don't have Cesar dressing lying around the house. There might have been more to the sauce mixture, but I don't remember. It was a very tasty fish. They were thick cut fillets unlike most white fish I usually have. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork, but don't overcook them or they will end up dry.

Flavor Rating: Great, these were yummy fish.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, looks difficult, but is really easy in the end.

Day 134, Brats

2010-04-27T10:16:00.005-05:00

I found a brand of brats that were MSG and gluten free with no added nitrates and wanted to try them. Klements makes this brand that can be found next to the rest of the hot dogs and processed brats.

1-2 brats per person (6 in package)

same amount of buns

Heat brats in shallow water for 7-10 minutes, until heated all the way through. Serve on buns and top with favorite toppings.

Serves 4-6

I am not a hot dog fan and something in the spices didn't agree with me. These were a decent flavor for a smoked brat and if you can handle eating brats, they weren't too bad. The macaroni and cheese were Velveeta and I was trying it because they came out with a whole wheat noodle. After the cheese was put on, the noodles tasted similar to the shells that come in the standard box. I think I will stick with my homemade version so I can control the ingredients better.

Flavor Rating: Good, not bad for that amount of processed food.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just heat and eat.

Day 133, Bacon Ranch Burgers

2010-04-26T15:27:00.004-05:00

Sorry I haven't been able to update lately. Life just sometimes gets in the way. This was a different bunch of toppings for my burger.

Bacon Ranch Burger

1 pound lean ground beef

4 slices bacon

4 tbsp ranch dressing

1 cup French's French Fried Onions

4 buns

Form ground beef into 4 patties, cook in a large frying pan over medium heat until desired doneness, approx. 5 minutes per side for well done. Form bacon into circles; bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes until desired crispiness. Split buns if not already cut. Place one burger on each bun, top with bacon, 1 tbsp ranch dressing on each and french fried onions.

Serves 4

I decided to make my burgers like this from inspiration from some fast food restaurants that top their burgers with ranch dressing and onion rings. They looked yummy, so I decided to try this version myself. My husband loves the french fried onions on his green bean casserole during the holidays, so I decided that placing them on burgers would go well. Lean ground beef was on sale a couple of weeks ago, so I got the 90-10 beef and this works really well for burgers because I can't rinse the fat off a burger.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked this combination. It may not have been the healthiest burger, but it tasted very good.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, form your patties thin and indent the center for even cooking. Check my baking bacon recipe in my BLT recipe.

Day 132, Spinach and Strawberry Salad

2010-04-19T21:53:00.003-05:00

I had to make something light so as to not upset any stomachs any more so I went with a salad. This was light and tasty. I have started to buy from the bulk section of my grocery store which is where I got my sunflower nuts.

Spinach and Strawberry Salad

1 bag baby spinach

1 pound strawberries, cut into slices

2 tbsp sunflower nuts

2 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette

Place spinach and strawberries in a bowl. Add dressing and toss. Top with sunflower nuts.

Serves 2

I found unsalted sunflower nuts in the bulk section. It was nice to be able to purchase just the amount I needed and not a prepackaged portion. Fortunately I have a husband that doesn't mind having just salad for dinner. It's easy to be able to just toss together a salad every once in a while.

Flavor Rating: Great, a nice fruity combination.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, the hardest part is preparing the strawberries.

Day 131, Chicken Alphabet Soup

2010-04-19T21:40:00.004-05:00

We didn't actually eat yesterday, so I'm declaring this to be the next meal. It was edible but no one was eating due to a virus going through the area.

Chicken Alphabet Soup

1 box (32 oz) chicken broth

1/2 cup alphabet noodles

1 cup carrots, chopped

Bring broth to a boil, add carrots and boil for 5-7 minutes. Add noodles and boil for an additional 7-9 minutes according to packaging.

Serves 4

This was thrown together, if you can't tell. I found alphabet noodles in the organic section and had to try them. I thought alphabet noodles would be fun and they still might when I make a heartier chicken noodle soup. The different shape isn't really worth the extra price, but if you want to go organic, these might be fun. I'm thinking I may make a creamy tomato soup with these later. Had everyone been feeling better I would have put more vegetables and spices in the soup.

Flavor Rating: Ok, edible, but not flavorful.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, noodles and carrots, what could be easier.

Day 130, Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Mexican Cream Cheese

2010-04-19T21:13:00.005-05:00

I have a total of 4 different meals from Let's Dish and this was #2 of the 4. I picked dishes I wouldn't have thought to make myself and this was one of the tasty ones.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed with Mexican Cream Cheese

from Let's Dish

12 chicken tenders

6 slices bacon

6 tbsp cream cheese

1 tbsp taco seasoning

Line counter with waxed paper. Place bacon flat on wax paper. Place one chicken tender at top of each bacon slice. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and taco seasoning until well blended. Spread 1 tbsp of mixture on each chicken tender. Place other chicken tenders on top of cream cheese. Roll bacon around chicken. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken wraps on individual aluminum foil. Roll up into packets. Bake for 10 minutes, unwrap and cook an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4-6

This meal came with frozen corn. It can be cooked from frozen, just add an additional 5 minute for both foil wrapped and unwrapped baking. I think if I were to make this at home I would leave out the taco seasoning, I liked the cream cheese but was not sure of the taco seasoning. I picked the regular bacon, but there was a choice of jalapeno bacon. Perhaps I would have liked them better if I were feeling better. The next couple of days we didn't eat because of illness running through the house.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked this combination, bacon makes everything better.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, a lot of hand washing and it took a minute to figure out how to roll the bacon around the chicken.

Day 129, Sweet and Tangy Braised Beef

2010-04-18T20:29:00.004-05:00

Thanks to winning some meals at Let's Dish from MomsLikeMe.com I was able to have a few meals already prepared in my freezer.

Sweet and Tangy Braised Beef

(all ingredients approximate)

2-3 pound beef loin

1 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbsp cocktail sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup ginger ale

Combine last 7 ingredients in a plastic resealable bag. Place beef loin in bag. Seal and massage to mix ingredients. Marinade overnight. Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Serves 4-6

Beer may be substituted for the ginger ale. I liked having the meal ready to cook whenever I want and I know what was in the meal because I prepared it at the store. They also have pre-made meals for those who are in a hurry but still want a real meal. The ingredients I listed are to the best of my memory and may not be exact to what was actually in the meal.

Flavor Rating: Great, the cocktail sauce added an extra kick. I wouldn't have thought to do that on my own.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just throw together and have a hot meal ready for you when you get home.

Day 128, Open-Faced Primavera Sandwiches

2010-04-15T11:25:00.003-05:00

This was another recipe form my new Cooking Club magazine. They had a whole section of Primavera in this issue. My husband loves asparagus and this was a tasty sandwich.

Open-Faced Primavera Sandwiches

16 thin asparagus spears

1 1/2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/8 tsp coarse salt

1/8 tsp pepper

4 large slices artisan bread (1/2 inch thick)

2 tbsp purchased pesto

4 thin slices prosciutto

1 (8oz) jar roasted bell peppers, drained, patted dry, sliced (1/2 inch)

4 slices mozzarella cheese (1/8 inch)

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Spread asparagus on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 10 minutes; remove asparagus from baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Place bread on baking sheet; bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until toasted, turning once.

Heat broiler. Spread 1/2 tbsp pesto over each bread slice; top each with prosciutto, peppers, asparagus and cheese.

Broil 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Serve warm.

Serves 4

I had my husband make this recipe too. The fire alarm indicated the asparagus being done because of the amount of olive oil he drizzled on them. I guess that indicates this being a more moderate to make recipe. The spears don't need to be drenched in oil, use it sparingly. It ended up being a tasty sandwich, but not as filling as I'd like. Next time I'll have to make a side with them.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, a great blend of flavors.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, be sure not to use more than the indicated amount of olive oil on the asparagus.

Day 127, Primavera Potato Salad

2010-04-15T10:43:00.003-05:00

I got my bi-monthly Cooking Club magazine and had to try out a few of their new recipes. The bonus for me was that I was able to get my husband to make them for me. Check out the original recipe here.

Primavera Potato Salad

1 1/2 lbs small new potatoes, unpeeled

5 oz green beans, sliced

2 cups lightly packed baby spinach

1/2 cup diagonally thinly sliced carrots

1/2 cup thinly sliced radishes

1/2 cup diagonally thinly sliced green onions

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp shopped fresh thyme

1 tsp coarse salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Add green beans and carrots; cook 5 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain; cool under cold running water.

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, quarter larger ones and halve small ones. Place in a large bowl, along with beans, carrots, spinach, radishes and green onions. Toss with vinaigrette to lightly coat. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 10 (3/4 cup servings)

The way we eat, and because this was the only thing we were eating, it only served 4-5. It was interesting, I think the vinegar was a bit too tangy for what I was looking for. I suppose as a side it wouldn't be too bad, but as a main course it needed a little something.

Flavor Rating: Good, a little too tangy for me.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, quick to prepare and easy to tell if the potatoes are done.

Day 126, Ham and Bean Soup

2010-04-15T10:32:00.005-05:00

With all that leftover ham, I had to make something with it. Since nothing was open except WalMart on Easter, I had to stop there to pick the mix up because I forgot to pick the mix up before Easter. I found a 12 bean soup mix and that's what I ended up making.

12 Bean and Ham Soup

1 bag 12 bean soup mix

6 cups chicken stock or water

juice of one lemon, approx 1-2 tbsp

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound ham, cut into bite sized pieces

Soak beans overnight according to packaging; drain. Add beans, chicken stock and ham; simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and lemon and simmer for 20-30 minutes more.

Serves 10-12

I didn't mind the soup for the first several bites, but it ended up being way too many beans for me. I'm just not a bean person, so my husband has plenty of leftovers for lunches. I ended up giving the kids the backup dinner of peanut butter sandwiches, they couldn't eat it at all. At least my husband liked it.

Flavor Rating: Ok, the lemon and garlic helped, I didn't add the soup flavoring mix, I'm just not a bean person.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, I ended up burning the soup to the bottom of my pot, but the packaging called for 2 1/2 hours of cooking.

Day 125, Easter Dinner

2010-04-12T19:24:00.003-05:00

I had a ham to make, so I made this for Easter. Not the first time I had this, but I think it was a different glaze, a honey glaze. I actually made this ham, just heat according to the directions on the glaze packet.

Easter Ham

Spiral Cut Ham

Glaze Packet

2 tbsp water

Heat ham according to packaging. Heat at 250 degrees F. for about 30 minutes. Bring oven up to 425 and prepare glaze by mixing it with 2 tbsp water in a bowl them drizzling it over the ham. Heat for an additional 5 minutes, until glaze has melted.

Also with this meal: Yukon potatoes, microwaved; asparagus, boiled; corn, steamed.

Serves 8-10

Ham is a traditional meal for many Christians for Easter. I just happened to have one in the freezer and needed the room. Now I have a quarter of that ham in the freezer for later use. Spiral cut hams need to be oven heated but unsliced ham can be boiled then heated. Do not boil your spiral cut ham or you will lose all the moisture from the ham and it will be dry. I made that mistake once.

Flavor Rating: Great, I loved this glaze.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just throw it in the oven and forget about it for a little while.

Day 124, Pasta wtih Vegetables

2010-04-12T19:14:00.003-05:00

I had little time to make dinner and a microwavable veggie packet with sauce, so I threw this together.

Pasta with Vegetables

1 bag microwavable vegetables with sauce

1/2 box thin spaghetti

1 tbsp butter

Prepare vegetables and pasta according to packaging. Mix all ingredients together.

Serves 4

I found this vegetable mix on sale at Cub Foods. It had asparagus, yellow squash, carrots and a cracked pepper sauce. It was tasty, but very mild. It could have used a little more pepper in the blend. It worked for as hungry as we were.

Flavor Rating: Good, mild flavor, could have used a little something.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, the microwave speeds up production and frozen vegetables are quick , easy and just as nutritious as fresh.

Day 123, Lemon Chicken Salad

2010-04-02T22:03:00.003-05:00

With the weather warming like it has been, I felt the need for a salad. I like my meat warm on the salads.

Lemon Chicken Salad

1 pound chicken, cut into slices

1/2 bottle Lawry's Herb and Garlic marinade

1 bag salad mix

1 container grape tomatoes

Place chicken and marinade in a resealable bag. Let set in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. In a large frying pan, cook marinaded chicken until cooked through, approximately 8-10 minutes. Discard remaining marinade. Divide salad mix into bowls. Top with chicken and tomatoes.

Serves 2-3

I didn't think this needed any dressing because the chicken is so flavorful, but if you feel the need for additional dressing, a good vinaigrette would work with this. Shredded cheese might be a good addition also. It is a light meal, so this would be good for a night you're not too hungry.

Flavor Rating: Good, I like this marinade, it's one of my favorite ones.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, cooking in the marinade makes oil unnecessary.

Day 122, Taco Lasagna

2010-04-02T21:42:00.002-05:00

This is a recipe I moderated from one I found on AllRecipes.com which was a pie rather than a lasagna. Once again I had to modify for what was in the house.

Taco Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 bag (approx 1 lb) veggie mix (red bell pepper, onions, zucchini)

1 taco seasoning packet

1 cup shredded taco cheese

12 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large frying pan, cook ground turkey until browned; drain if needed. Add seasoning mix and water as directed on packaging. Heat vegetables. Add tomatoes to turkey. Spray a 8x10 inch pan with non-stick spray. Place 4 tortillas on bottom of pan, add 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 vegetable mixture, 1/3 cheese, 4 more tortillas, repeat. Top with remaining cheese. Bake covered for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and mixture is hot.

Serves 6-8

The original recipe I was looking at had rice as part of the ingredients, but I didn't want to have that many carbohydrates in one meal. My husband liked it and said I should make it again. I actually used 15 shells because I was using the broken ones in the center to fill the gaps. The top was crispy, but the shells on the inside ended up soft. I finally got some aluminum foil, but didn't use it on this recipe. I think that covering it would make the top less crispy, but don't know for sure. I used a vegetable mixture that had the three ingredients I listed above, but it also had green beans. We liked it with those vegetables, but try different ones you think would work better for you.

Flavor Rating: Great, good flavor, I like corn tortillas every once in a while.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, you have to heat several things at the same time.

Day 121, Cheeseburger Calzone

2010-04-02T21:18:00.005-05:00

I occasionally like to make a calzone, and today's combined pizza and cheeseburgers.

Cheeseburger Calzone

2 boxes Jiffy pizza crust mix

1 cup hot water

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cook ground beef in a large frying pan over medium heat until browned; drain and rinse. Combine pizza crust mix and hot water; let stand for 5 minutes in a warm place such as the top of the oven. On a floured surface, knead crust several times. Grease a pizza pan with olive oil. Grease your hands with olive oil. Place dough in middle of pan and press toward sides of pan until crust is even allowing crust to go over edges slightly. Place half of ground beef on half of dough, add half of cheese on top of ground beef, add remaining ground beef then remaining cheese. Bring dough over beef mixture until edges meet. Fold dough from bottom half over sides and press gently to allow dough to stick to itself. Sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Bake 18-20 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Serves 8-10

If you like different cheeseburger combinations, enjoy the combinations you normally like. Good combinations would be mushrooms and swiss, tomatoes, or cooked bacon. I wouldn't bake lettuce or condiments in the calzone, but having them on the side for dipping is good. I used ketchup to dip mine in this time. I used a cheap cut of ground beef which is why I rinse it in hot water. It ends up being a little less beef in the end, but after rinsing it is nearly as lean as the leaner cuts. If you end up using a different dough mix, go by the temperature rating on the back of the package. Do not precook the dough because you have to fold it upon itself.

Flavor Rating: Great, pizza and cheeseburgers, how can you miss?

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, it takes practice to figure out how to make fresh dough.

Day 120, Texas Black Bean Soup

2010-04-02T21:02:00.004-05:00

I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com but altered it for the ingredients I had in the house. I served it with a garlic pull apart I found at SuperTarget.

Texas Black Bean Soup

1 cup dry black beans, soaked overnight and drained

2 small cans (14.5 oz) or 1 large can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup frozen corn

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, until heated through.

Serves 8

This ended up tasting like a vegetarian chili. I was looking for a soup and ended up with this. I don't feel the need for meat at every meal and this has a good amount of protein because of the beans. I love to slow cook my meals so I don't have to think about them just before dinner time every day. It was a little spicy because of the amount of chili powder, but not bad in the end. I think I will have to find another soup recipe, but having no food processor makes many recipes impossible. Maybe I'll have to try out my blender for some of those recipes I need to puree.

Flavor Rating: Good, more of a chili than a soup.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just toss it all in and forget, but be sure to soak your beans beforehand.

Day 119, Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce

2010-04-02T20:48:00.004-05:00

I picked up a new brand of sweet and sour sauce and had to try it. It was better than some of the ones I've tried before. The brand today happened to be Fa Ling sweet and sour sauce that comes in a glass jar. It has fewer ingredients than some of the others I looked at.

Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 cup dry brown rice, cooked as directed on package

1 pound chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups frozen broccoli

1 jar sweet and sour sauce

Cook chicken over medium heat until no longer pink on outside. Place broccoli on top and heat until hot, stirring as needed. Pour sauce over mixture and stir until coated. Serve over warm rice.

Serves 4

Traditionally Sweet and Sour Chicken has a breading on it, but I'm not one that likes breading on everything. I prefer my stir frys to be breading free. This is a simple recipe even though I did manage to burn the chicken because I wasn't paying attention to my cooking as well as I should have. If your mixture is becoming dry as you are cooking, feel free to add a little bit of broth to allow the chicken and broccoli to steam. I am able to cut out oil by adding broth or water to allow steaming instead of frying.

Flavor Rating: Great, this was a better sweet and sour sauce than some I've had.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just don't walk away while cooking.

Day 118, Easy Stovetop Mac N' Cheese

2010-04-02T20:27:00.004-05:00

I had the hankering for mac n cheese but didn't' want to make it out of a box. I found this recipe at myrecipes.com after googling for recipes. Easiest recipe ever!

Stovetop Mac and Cheese

1 1/4 cup uncooked elbow noodles (about 6 oz)

1 cup lowfat milk (I used skim, the original recipe calls for 1%)

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup croutons, crushed

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting fat and salt; drain. Combine cold milk and flour in a medium saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat about 2 minutes, until thickened, stirring constantly with whisk. Remove from heat; add cheese and mix until melted and combined thoroughly. Add pasta; toss to coat. Let stand 4 minutes. Divide into serving bowls and sprinkle crushed croutons over pasta mixture.

Serves 4

The original recipe had me making fresh toasted bread for the topping. I have said before, I am a lazy cook and will find easy shortcuts to help me get dinner on the table quickly for my children who claim to be dying of hunger all the time. I was able to use Barilla Plus elbow noodles to get in some of my whole grains for the week. Barilla happens to be my preferred pasta, but use whichever you choose. Whole wheat pasta is not as gritty as it used to be, so feel free to use it under sauces. It does have a little different taste, but it isn't big enough to notice as being a bad taste. I used mild cheddar and thought that the sharp cheddar would make it taste more like traditional mac n cheese in a box. Next time I make it, it will be with the strong cheese.

Flavor Rating: Great, the cheese makes the difference, use stronger cheese or you might be tasting the flour.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to keep stirring the milk mixture so it doesn't burn; you can tell when it has thickened.

Day 117, Tuna Hot Dish

2010-03-29T16:21:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe that I got from a recipe book from the government center. I made it healthier by adding Barilla Plus elbow noodles rather than regular white noodles. There was a new cornflakes made with honey I found for cheap this week, so that's what ended up on top.

Tuna Hot Dish

2 1/2 cups elbow noodles, dry

1 cup peas, frozen

1 can (10-12 oz) reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (5 oz) cans tuna

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3 cups cornflakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook noodles according to packaging, adding peas during last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain. Mix together soup, milk and garlic powder in a large bowl. Stir in noodles, peas, tuns and cheese. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Put cornflakes in a resealable bag. Crush using a rolling pin or the back of a dry measuring cup. Bake for 15 minutes. Top with crushed cornflakes; bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serves 4-6

The original dish didn't have cheese added and only calls for one can of tuna. I added a second can and cheese because I like them. I wanted to add baby sweet peas, but they were out of them on the shelf, so I just picked up sweet peas. I don't like canned peas, they're too mushy and taste like the salt that preserves them. Frozen peas are just peas, no additives. I like frozen peas and I'm someone who would never eat peas at Moms' house. (Sorry Mom, I don't like canned peas.) You could add a carrot pea mixture or any mixed vegetable mix you like. Peas are just the vegetable that many people choose for this mixture. The Honey Cornflakes made it taste sweeter than if I had used regular cornflakes. It's a new cereal, so I don't know if everyone will be able to find them.

Flavor Rating: Great, I'm not normally one for cream of mushroom soup, but this needed it.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, even the kids could help mix this up.

Day 116, Savory Mint Lamb Chops

2010-03-29T16:01:00.003-05:00

With Easter coming up, I have been in the mood for lamb. I found a cheap cut at Target last week and went with the $5 a pound shoulder cut rather than the $10 a pound chops.

Savory Mint Lamb Chops

Bon Appetit Magazine October 2006

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

4 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

8 (1 to 1 1/2 inch thick) lamb loin chops (about 5 oz each), trimmed

Place olive oil, chopped fresh mint, minced garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a resealable bag; mix well. Place chops in same bag and seal making sure mixture coats all sides of chops. Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat oven to broil. Place chops on a broiler pan; broil chops until brown and crusty, 4 minutes a side for medium-rare. Arrange chops on a platter, garnish with additional mint sprigs and serve.

Serves 4

I couldn't allow myself to spend the high price for the good chops, so I went for the shoulder cut. I got about 2 pounds worth and the seasoning mixture was enough for that amount. Strawberries were on sale also, so that was a treat for the family today. The cayenne pepper made this a little spicy, but it wasn't so overpowering that it was unbearable. If you don't like spicy, omit the cayenne. I'm looking for a mint jelly recipe to go with lamb, so more googling is to be done. I actually had a hard time finding lamb because it is so expensive and doesn't sell well at the grocery store, but fortunately Target had some.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like the spiciness, but my husband thought it was too spicy.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, broiling it was easier than frying it would have been.

Day 115, Hash Brown Egg Bake

2010-03-29T15:43:00.003-05:00

This is another recipe I found in the coupons. I was actually able to get it to cook all the way through this time. I did change a couple of ingredients from the original though.

Hash Brown Egg Bake

8 slices bacon, chopped

2 cups frozen hash browns, thawed

1 red pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

10 eggs

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook bacon in a large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet, reserving 2 tbsp drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels. Meanwhile, cook and stir hash browns and vegetables in drippings for 10 minutes.

Spread vegetable mixture onto bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Whisk eggs and sour cream in a bowl until blended; mix cheese and bacon into egg mixture. Pour egg mixture over vegetables. Bake for 40 minutes or until center is set and casserole is heated through.

Serves 12

The original recipe called for 12 eggs and Velveeta cheese. I used two fewer because I didn't think it really needed all 12 eggs. I wanted to use real cheese rather than the processed cheese. I also used bacon pieces that you can find in the salad dressing isle so I didn't have to cook the bacon so I used 2 tbsp olive oil instead of the drippings. The oil needs to be hot before adding the vegetables or you'll end up with everything sticking to the bottom of the pan. Baking it in a rectangle pan rather than a pie pan helped cook it all the way too. I've tried egg bakes before and the center just never set.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked the combination.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it has a couple of steps, but all in all it's easy to prepare.

Day 114, Matzo Ball Soup

2010-03-29T15:18:00.004-05:00

Due to the holidays, I thought I'd try a new type of dinner: Kosher. Thanks to my Jewish friend for recommending this to me.

Matzo Ball Soup

from the box mix

1 box Matzo Ball & Soup Mix

2 eggs

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 1/2 quarts cold water (approx 6 cups)

According to box directions: In a small bowl, blend 2 eggs and 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Add matzo ball mix and stir with fork until evenly mixed. Place bowl in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Add soup mix to 2 1/2 quarts water and bring to a boil in a 4 quart pot. Wet hands and form batter into balls approximately 1 inch in diameter. Drop into boiling soup; cover tightly; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serves 4

When I made this I read it as 2.5 cups and ended up having to add more water. Maybe I'll have to read it better next time. I have a conversion chart on my refrigerator and didn't look at it for the cup to quart conversion. The matzo balls swell in size when cooking, so that one inch ball swells to three times its size. I found it to be a tasty grain and ended up picking up another box of the matzo ball mix, but not the soup mix. Next time I'll have to put them in homemade chicken soup with just vegetables and chicken.

Flavor Rating: Good, I think it would have been better with home made soup instead of the mix, but I loved the matzo balls.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to wet your hands for easier handling of the matzo.

Day 113, Tangy Ranch Chicken

2010-03-24T14:06:00.002-05:00

The original recipe I found in this weeks coupons by French's mustard coupon. I baked them instead of frying them.

Tangy Ranch Chicken

2/3 cup ranch dressing

1/3 cup mustard

3 tbsp brown sugar

4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix dressing, mustard and sugar. Set aside. Bake chicken ate 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Brush dressing over chicken.

Serves 4-6

The original recipe had me frying the chicken again. I don't like frying food, so I decided to bake it. I also cut my chicken up before pouring the dressing over it. It was a tangy mixture and I think I would use less mustard next time because it tasted like a mustard chicken rather than a ranch chicken.

Flavor Rating: Great, I did like it because I like mustard chicken, but I was hoping for more ranch flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just bake and stir.

Day 112, Pork Chops with Dried Cherry Sauce

2010-03-24T13:14:00.004-05:00

This was from the same magazine I took yesterdays recipe from, my Cooking Club February/March 2010 issue. I couldn't find pork chops on sale, so I used pork ribs instead.

Pork Chops with Dried Cherry Sauce

4 (6 oz.) boneless center cut pork chops (3/4 inch thick)

1/2 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 tsp. pepper, divided

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup ruby port or cherry juice (I used the cherry juice)

1/3 cup dried cherries

1 1/2 tbsp. raspberry preserves

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled

Sprinkle pork with 1/4 tsp. each of the salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook pork 8 minutes or until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F., turning once. Remove pork, cover loosely with foil.

Add cherry juice, cherries, preserves, mustard and thyme to skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan; boil 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 to 8 minutes or until syrupy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Whisk in butter, any accumulated juices from pork and remaining 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Serve over pork chops.

Serves 4

I seared the pork ribs then baked them in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes to finish cooking. Had they been pork chops, I would have been able to follow the recipe, but because of the thickness, I decided this was the best way to go with them. I don't like cooking with alcohol, so I used the cherry juice. I had a hard time finding all the ingredients at one store; I ended up going to two different ones. WalMart doesn't carry plain cherry juice, but Cub Foods does. If you can't ind just cherry juice, I think the cherry grape juice would work well with this recipe also.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, a flavorful concoction.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, I hate grease splatters and always get them when I cook with oil.

Day 111, Potato Chip Chicken

2010-03-24T12:46:00.005-05:00

I found this recipe in my cooking club magazine, the February/March issue. I altered it slightly to make it with chicken breasts instead of bone-in wings.

Potato Chip Chicken

Taken from Cooking Club's Crispy Potato Wings recipe

8 oz potato chips, I used Archer Farms Cheddar Cheese chips

1/2 tsp garlic powder (the original recipe calls for garlic salt, I don't own any)

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp pepper

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 pounds chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with foil, line with cooling racks. Spray racks with cooking spray.

Crush potato chips in a resealable plastic bag with a rolling pin (you should have 2 1/2 to 3 cups finely crushed chips). Place in a shallow bowl or pie pan; stir in garlic powder, paprika and pepper. Place oil in a small bowl. Lightly dip chicken in oil; roll and press into chip mixture. Place on racks.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink in the center, rotating baking sheets halfway through.

Serves 8-10

If you decide to make this with drummies like the original recipe, you'll have to bake them 45 minutes. I prefer boneless chicken pieces; they're quicker to cook than bone-in chicken. The original recipe also called for plain potato chips, but I felt like cheesy ones and that also happened to be the chips I had in the house at the time. I think that you'd taste the extra seasonings if you use plain chips. I didn't have garlic salt, but also think that the chips were plenty salty and didn't want to add more salt to the dinner. I didn't crush my chips as finely as I think they wanted me to, so I had big flakes still. Had I had to bake them for another 20 minutes, I would have had burnt dinner.

I also made couscous with our meal today. I just took 1 cup chicken stock, brought it to a boil added a little butter (about 1 tbsp), took it off the heat and added the couscous. I added some honey glazed almond slices and julienned carrots to the mix. It turned out pretty good and even my husband liked it this time.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked the cheesy chips on this chicken. Try your favorite chips for a different flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, messy fingers and needing to crush my chips longer gives it this rating today.

Day 110, Turkey Sausage and Sauerkraut

2010-03-24T12:35:00.004-05:00

I had leftovers from the Reuben sandwiches so I had to use up the rest of the sauerkraut.

Turkey Sausage and Sauerkraut

1 ring turkey sausage

1 bag sauerkraut

Cut sausage into desired lengths, we had it cut into bite sized pieces but cutting it into hot dog lengths works too. Place ingredients into a large frying pan and heat over medium until hot. Serve on plates or in hot dog buns.

Serves 8

I made some biscuits with this dinner, actually I should give all the credit to my husband who made dinner this time. The biscuits were Pillsbury frozen biscuits which you can make one or a dozen at a time. I like making Kielbasa with the sauerkraut also, but the turkey sausage was on sale and also healthier for me anyhow.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like this combination, I even put sauerkraut on my hot dogs. The kids weren't too thrilled about it, they don't like sauerkraut.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, the hardest thing is cutting it up.

Day 109, Molten Cheeseburgers

2010-03-24T11:36:00.004-05:00

We love cheeseburgers, so I thought I'd try the inside out version.

Molten Cheeseburgers

1 pound lean ground beef

4 slices fresh mozzarella, cut 1/4 inch thick
4 buns

Divide ground beef into 4 equal parts. Flatten ground beef into flat round circles. Place cheese in the center of each circle and bring the sides of the ground beef up so it touches in the center. Press the ground beef so it sticks together on outside of cheese. Preheat large frying pan over medium heat. Cook hamburgers for about 5 minutes a side, until cooked through.

Serves 4

I didn't use any seasoning because I wanted to taste the hamburger. This would be good with Italian seasoning too. As I was cooking them, they split open on two of the burgers, perhaps I didn't form the burgers enough or I started those ones with the side that I pressed together up. I chose fresh mozzarella because it's easy to melt. I also found a long pre-sliced loaf on sale this week which also helped my cheese selection.

Flavor Rating: Good, maybe some seasoning would have made it better even though this was a really good grass fed cow.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, I ended up having to shift the meat so none of the cheese was showing before I placed it in the frying pan.

Day 108, Reuben Sandwiches

2010-03-24T10:54:00.002-05:00

What to do with all those leftovers from St. Patrick's day? Well, throw it on bread and call it a sandwich.

Reuben Sandwiches

8 slices rye bread

4 slices Swiss cheese

1 pound shredded or thinly sliced corned beef

2 cups sauerkraut

4 tbsp Thousand Island dressing

Heat oven to broil. Heat sauerkraut in microwave 1 minute, until hot. Heat Corned beef in microwave 1 minute to 90 seconds, until hot. Spread Thousand Island dressing on 4 slices of bread. layer meat, sauerkraut, and cheese on bread. Top with other slices of bread. Place in oven 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Serve warm.

Serves 4

I usually buy the sauerkraut that comes in a bag from the meat section instead of the canned version. Heating the meat and the sauerkraut before placing it on the bread helps to make a warm sandwich. Since I was bringing everything out of the refrigerator, it needed to be warmed or I would have had a cold center to my sandwich and my bread may have burned waiting for the center to warm. I used a full flavored cheese instead of the Baby Swiss I normally use. Had I used the Baby Swiss, it would have gotten lost between all the other strong flavors going on in this sandwich. I used the light rye for this sandwich, but a dark pumpernickel would have worked as well.

Flavor Rating: Great, a lot of strong flavors mingling in just the right order.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, there are a couple of steps and you really have to watch so you don't burn your bread.

Day 107, Corned Beef and Cabbage

2010-03-24T10:41:00.004-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day to those who celebrate! I made the traditional meal of the Irish that I make every year now.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

3-4 pounds corned beef

1 small bag baby carrots

4 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium head of cabbage

Place the potatoes and carrots into bottom of a large slow cooker. Place corned beef on top. Add enough water to cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are tender and corned beef falls apart with a fork.

Cut the cabbage into 8 pieces. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover and boil on high 10-15 minutes, until tender.

Serves 6-8

Since my husband comes from Irish heritage, we make this meal every year. I hadn't made it before marrying so it was new to me the first year we got together. It actually is pretty tasty. The corned beef comes in a couple of cuts, flat and point. Different manufacturers will either place the seasonings in a small bag or stick it in with the meat. Since we always use the seasonings that come with, I don't mind either way.

Flavor Rating: Great, cooking the potatoes with the meat adds flavor to the potatoes.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, slow cooking makes everything easier.

Day 106, Focaccia Sandwich

2010-03-24T10:22:00.004-05:00

Today we had little time for dinner because of winning preview tickets to How to Train Your Dragon at the Mall of America thanks to MomsLikeMe.com, so we had sandwiches on the run.

Focaccia Sandwiches

1 Focaccia Loaf

4 oz garden vegetable spreadable cheese

1/2 pound mesquite turkey lunchmeat

8-9 slices thinly sliced hard salami

2-3 lettuce leaves

Cut bread in half. Spread cheese on top half of loaf. Place turkey flat on bottom half of loaf. Place lettuce on top of turkey, arrange hard salami on top of lettuce. Top with top half of bread. Cut into 8 pieces. Serve with chips.

Serves 4-6

We were able to throw these into plastic bags to eat in the car. The kids didn't even make too much of a mess. The bread I got was a cheesy bread where the cheese was baked on top. Not a really healthy meal, but easy to run with.

Flavor Rating: Good, it was a sandwich, nothing spectacular.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, the bread had an indent on the bottom I had to cut around so I ended up with a little hole in the bottom.

Day 105, Spaghetti Salad

2010-03-15T18:20:00.002-05:00

I was wandering the isles at Target and found myself by those tomatoes again. It is getting warmer, so I wanted a cold salad today.

Spaghetti Salad

1/2 box thin spaghetti noodles

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbsp Parmesan cheese

1 English cucumber, cut into pieces

2 cups tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

Cook noodles as directed on package; drain. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, pepper, garlic and cheese in a small bowl. Pour dressing over noodles, place in refrigerator to cool, 30 minutes to an hour. Add vegetables just before serving; mix until everything is well distributed.

Serves 6-8

I think I could have used a little more oil or some water to make more dressing. It coated the noodles just enough, but I didn't have enough for the vegetables too. Fortunately the noodles picked up enough of the flavor to make it tasty, but I think next time I'll make more dressing.

Flavor Rating: Good, I like my Seafood Salad better, but that I make a lot of dressing to go on top of it.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just a lot of chopping to do.

Day 104, Take out Chinese

2010-03-15T18:16:00.002-05:00

I wanted a day off from cooking, so I was able to get some take out today. My husband ran across the street to the China Dragon in Elk River. I had Beef and Broccoli with pork fried rice and potstickers. My husband had Sesame Chicken. The kids had Chicken on a Stick. It was a tasty eat out day.

Day 103, Italian Chicken with Almonds

2010-03-15T18:02:00.002-05:00

I told my husband to make sweet and sour chicken while I was out. This is what I came home to.

Italian Chicken with Almonds

1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp sliced almonds

Cook chicken on medium heat until done, about 10 minutes. Add seasoning and almond slices. Serve warm.

Serves 4

We like to cut up our chicken before cooking it to cut down on cooking time and so we don't have to cut it up for the kids after cooking them. I always have sliced almonds hanging around the house for salads. This happened to be Italian Parmesan almonds. It turned out to be pretty good after a longer than planned work day.

Flavor Rating: Good, it was hot and one of my favorite seasoning blends.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just cut up and cook.

Day 102, Cornbread Muffin Tamales

2010-03-15T17:42:00.004-05:00

I found a recipe that inspired me to make this. It originally had Bisquick and corn meal made into flat circles, but I find cupcake pans easier to use, especially when I'm using premixed cornbread mix.

Cornbread Muffin Tamales

1 pound ground turkey

1 taco seasoning packet

1 cup cheddar or taco cheese

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 large can sliced black olives

2 cups lettuce mix

Brown turkey in a large frying pan. Drain; add seasoning packet and water according to package. Add black olives to mixture and stir until evenly distributed. Mix corn muffin mix, egg and milk in a small bowl. Spray a 12 cupcake tin with non-stick spray. Evenly distribute half of corn muffin mixture in bottom of each hole. Add turkey mixture evenly to each hole. Add cheese to tops of turkey mixture; add remaining corn muffin mixture evenly over cheese. Bake in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm on beds of lettuce.

Serves 12

Although the box of corn muffin mix says it only makes 6-8 muffins, you're filling each with the meat mixture causing them to need less batter for each muffin. You're still getting a lot of cornbread taste from it being all over the outside of the meat mixture. I'm not usually one fore tamales, but this is a good way to make them for the not a big fan of real tamales.

Flavor Rating: Great, I liked the combination.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it just takes a few steps.

Day 101, Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-03-15T17:28:00.003-05:00

My husband requested Pulled Pork, so it actually happened today.

Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2 pounds boneless pork chops, loin or roast

1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

8 large buns or 12 small ones

Place pork into slow cooker with 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock for moisture. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until pork is tender and easily falls apart. Remove pork from slow cooker and use two forks to shred. Remove liquid from slow cooker; place shredded pork back into slow cooker and add barbecue sauce. Heat for an additional 15-20 minutes, until hot. Serve on buns.

Serves 8-10

I used K.C. Masterpiece barbecue sauce today. I also used chops which made for easy shredding. If you use a pork roast, you may have to cut it into pieces before cooking for easier shredding. The tomatoes I had with my sandwiches today was a gourmet medley I found at Target.

Flavor Rating: Great, barbecue sauce and pork just can't be beat.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, slow cooking makes everything easier.

Day 100, Steak and Potato Skins

2010-03-10T22:35:00.003-06:00

Wow 100 days already! This calls for a celebration! How about steak?

Steak and Potato Skins

1 pound steaks, cut into 4 steaks about 1 inch thick

Steakhouse Grinder seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil

5 potatoes

1 tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup bacon pieces

Bake potatoes in a 375 degree oven for one hour or until cooked through. Let cool enough to handle. Cut each potato in half, scoop out the centers, leaving about 1/4 inch of flesh around the sides. Reserve potato centers for a later recipe. Brush each potato skin with melted butter, sprinkle with seasoned salt, if desired. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp, but not dry or hard. Remove from oven and add cheese and bacon pieces; return to oven and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Season steaks with steakhouse seasoning. When oil is hot, place steaks into frying pan and cook for 5 minutes a side for medium doneness.

Steaks serve 4

Potatoes serve 5

The potato skin recipe was taken from America's Most Wanted Recipes by Ron Douglas in the TGIFriday's section. I forgot to get the chives that go with the recipe so I didn't put them in my above recipe. Feel free to serve them with sour cream. I will be using the potato innards for twice baked potatoes later. There are never enough innards for twice baked potatoes so this will help that recipe later.

Flavor Rating: Great, This was well worth the long cooking time.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, it takes a bit of time to do and be sure to let the potatoes cool before handling them.

Day 99, Heated Turkey Wraps

2010-03-10T22:22:00.004-06:00

I had little time to throw together dinner today between being out myself and my husband having to go out right around dinner, so this is what I threw together.

Heated Turkey Wraps

1/2 pound Cajun Turkey lunchmeat

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Rollout Flatbread Wraps

Spread cheese 3/4 of the way up one side of each bread. Place 2-3 pieces of turkey on each slice. Roll each wrap starting at the cheese filled end and ending at the side that doesn't have all the cheese. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute, until cheese is melted all the way through.

Serves 4

I only spread the fillings 3/4 of the way because when you roll them up, it starts to spread itself the way you're rolling it. I ended up having to heat them for an entire minute to melt all the cheese. I found a 3 cheddar cheese blend I had to try. It was a pretty good blend.

Flavor Rating: Good, I like the Cajun turkey I found in the WalMart deli.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, even a young child can put these together.

Day 98, Stuffed Jumbo Shells

2010-03-10T21:58:00.005-06:00

I wanted to try to do stuffed shells. It turned out a little different than the recipe, maybe I just stuff them fuller than the original recipe calls for.

Stuffed Jumbo Shells

1/2 box Jumbo Shells

1 pound Italian sausage

1 cup onion, chopped

1 bag (6 oz) baby spinach, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg

1/4 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese

1 jar traditional spaghetti sauce

1 cup shredded Italian 5 cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook Jumbo shells according to instructions; drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the water. Cook sausage and onion in a large frying pan over medium high heat until browned. Drain and rinse; return to pan. Add spinach, garlic and reserved water; cook for 7-10 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until spinach is well wilted; remove from heat. Stir in egg and Parmesan cheese. Pour 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce into bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Place jumbo shells into pan; fill with meat mixture. Pour remaining sauce over filled shells; top with Italian cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

Makes about 15-16 shells

Serves 4-5

I took this from the back of the Barilla Jumbo Shell box. I forgot some ingredients from that recipe and exchanged some ingredients for others. They claim this is is an easy prep, but I disagree, holding open the shells takes a technique so you don't burn your fingers. I used two forks to hold open the shells while using a spoon to fill them. I suggest making extra shells because they don't all make it through the boiling or stuffing process. I like stuffing them full with 2-3 spoonfuls which is why I ended up with 15 shells vs the whole box of shells.

Flavor Rating: Great, it tastes kinda like a lasagna, just not so many layers.

Ease of Preparation: Hard, you end up losing some shells and have to know how to hold them open. It takes a little practice.

Day 97, Slow Cooked Beef and Potato Stew

2010-03-08T15:13:00.003-06:00

I found some stew meat for cheap at the store, so I couldn't pass up the deal.

Slow Cooked Beef and Potato Stew

2 pounds beef stew meat

1 bag frozen stew vegetables

1/2 bag frozen cut carrots

1 bag ready-cut potatoes

2 boxes (32 oz each) beef broth

1 tbsp garlic herb seasoning

1 tsp ground pepper

Place one box of beef broth into a large slow cooker. Add beef and seasonings. Add vegetables and remaining broth. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beef is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Serves 10-12

I usually buy a roast and cut it into 1 inch pieces myself, but the stew meat was a really good price. I still had to do some trimming of fat and cutting some pieces into the right size, but it was still a good way to get my beef. I used a new garlic herb seasoning this time, it was the Target brand seasoning in the glass bottles. This turned out to be a really good blend. Using the frozen vegetables saved on prep time for me. It was just toss in and forget until dinner.

Flavor Rating: Great, it was a nice blend of flavors.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just toss in and forget. An easy meal for someone who needs to work all day.

Day 96, Shake and Bake Pork Chops

2010-03-08T14:57:00.002-06:00

Pork has been cheap and I haven't had it in a while, so I decided to make it the easy way today.

Shake and Bake Pork Chops

6-8 boneless pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

1 bag Shake and Bake original pork seasoning

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Moisten chops with water, shaking off excess water. Place seasoning into provided bag; add seasoning to bag. Place pork chops into bag of seasoning one at a time and shake until coated; discard extra seasoning. Place coated pork chops into a foil lined baking pan and bake for 15 minutes, until pork is cooked through, but still moist.

Serves 6-8

This is a very easy way to make your pork. Do not overcook it or you'll end up with dry chops. My sides today were a Green Giant steamer bag with rice and flavored sugarless applesauce. The Mott's natural applesauce doesn't have any fake sugar in it to sweeten the applesauce, it's just pureed fruit and a little water. Some of the "no sugar added" foods have sugar substitutes in them instead, which can be worse for some people than real sugar. I was pleasantly surprised when reading the ingredients on this no sugar added applesauce to find no added any type of sweetener in them. I love this applesauce, if you can't tell.

Flavor Rating: Great, I really like this shake and bake. Because of having 2 flavoring packet in it, I may just have to do one of the variations on the back of the box.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, it was so easy I was able to let my husband watch it while I got some other stuff done.

Day 95, Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2010-03-05T19:51:00.004-06:00

I really thought this was going to be easier to make, but I suppose I needed to have the quick minute rice to have everything cook thoroughly.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

from the Campbell's website

1 can Cheddar Cheese soup

1 1/3 cups chicken stock

3/4 cup uncooked regular long grain white rice

2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables of your choice

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Stir the soup, chicken stock, rice and vegetables in a 12 x 8 inch baking dish. top with chicken, season chicken as desired, cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes or until done. Top with cheese.

Serves 6

I used my large frying pan to cook this in as I didn't have any aluminum foil to cover a baking dish today. I'm not sure if having the hot dish in a smaller pan made the difference or the fact I used good rice that normally takes 45 minutes to boil on top of the stove, but the rice still wasn't done an hour and 15 minutes into cooking it. I also cut up the chicken and it wasn't cooked all the way in the 45 minutes the recipe said it should take. I think if I were to make this dish again, I would cook the rice in the chicken stock before placing it in the baking dish. The chicken either should be baked whole on top of the rice dish or cooked in a frying pan before adding it to the dish. For an easy recipe, this took forever to make and I still wasn't satisfied with the dish. I substituted some ingredients from the original recipe so click on the link above to see the exact original recipe. I also placed the cheese on top right away knowing that cheese can be good in the oven for an hour as long as it's covered and that part went well, but it ended up being mixed in when I had to simmer the mixture to finish cooking the rice.

Flavor Rating: Good, once it was fully cooked, the ingredients were still a good combination.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, it should be an easy rating, but I had so many issues that I can't honestly give it the easy rating.

Day 94, Slow Cooked Short Ribs

2010-03-05T19:35:00.003-06:00

I saw that someone else was having ribs the other day and that prompted me to want some too.

Slow Cooked Beef Short Ribs

2 pounds Beef Short Ribs

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 (32 oz) box beef broth

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Place ribs in a large slow cooker. Pour beef broth and Worcestershire sauce over ribs. Spread remaining ingredients over ribs. Cook for 6-8 hours on high, until ribs are tender.

Serves 4-5

I made a roast with cinnamon on it one time and my husband wasn't sure why it was so yummy, so I stuck cinnamon on this too. I use preminced garlic so I can just throw a spoonful into whatever I'm making. These are simple ingredients, but oh so yummy.

Flavor Rating: Great, the cinnamon adds that little extra that makes them say hmm.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just toss in and forget until dinnertime.

Day 93, Open Faced Sloppy Joes

2010-03-03T20:11:00.003-06:00

This is another way to make sloppy joes, but still not the traditional way to eat them.

Open Faced Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef

1 can sloppy joe mix

6 garlic texas toast slices

Brown ground beef in a large frying pan over medium heat. Drain and rinse. Add sloppy joe mix and mix well. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Toast garlic toast in oven for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Place toast on plate; top with sloppy joe mixture.

Serves 6

I was out today so I left dinner up to my husband. He wanted sloppy joes and said he was putting it on texas toast. I forgot we had plain texas toast and though he was going to make the garlic toast, so I ended up cooking the garlic toast and placing the sloppy joe mix on them. It's always interesting when you are inventing food on a whim.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like garlic toast and needed the meat, so it was a good combination.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just heat and eat.

Day 92, Pizza Pasta

2010-03-03T19:54:00.004-06:00

I found some cute little pepperonis and wanted to do something with them. Pizza pasta is what I ended up with.

Pizza Pasta

1/2 box rotini pasta

1 bag mini pepperoni

1/2 jar pasta sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried oregano

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, add sauce, pepperoni spices and 1 cup mozzarella; mix well. Place mixture into an 8 x 10 inch greased pan. Add remaining cheese to top of mixture. Bake, uncovered 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden.

Serves 6

This would be good to put any of your favorite pizza toppings such as ground browned sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, black olives, etc. If you add extra ingredients, you may end up needing more sauce to cover the amount you use. I ended up taking it out of the oven at 15 minutes because we were in a hurry to eat, but everything was melted at that time and we were hungry.

Flavor Rating: Great, pizza and pasta, how can it be bad?

Ease of Preparation: Easy, there are a couple of steps, but not too hard. Be sure to precook ground beef or sausage before putting it in this dish.

Day 91, Au Jus Roast Beef Sandwiches

2010-03-01T19:02:00.004-06:00

It was my birthday today, but I still had to make dinner, so I just made sandwiches.

Roast Beef Au Jus Sandwiches

1 pound sliced roast beef

1 (32 oz) box beef broth

4 slices baby Swiss cheese

4 long buns, I used bollios today

Place beef broth and roast beef in a medium pot; bring to a boil. Slice buns, top with roast beef, add cheese if desired. Place some beef broth in a bowl for dipping.

Serves 4

I don't like a lot of salt in my meals, so I just used beef broth instead of Au Jus sauce. If you prefer, there are several brands of Au Jus sauce in the grocery store. I have used both condensed and dry mixes, but find them all too salty for my tastes. The roast beef is even a low sodium brand.

Flavor Rating: Good, I think the saltier sauce may have given it a little more flavor.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, nice and quick.

Day 90, Meatball Sandwiches

2010-03-01T18:20:00.003-06:00

I had some hamburger thawed out and wasn't sure what to do with it. This is what I found to make.

Meatball Sandwiches

1 pound ground beef

3/4 cup bread crumbs

2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg beaten

6-8 long buns of your choice: bollio, brat, etc.

olive oil

garlic powder

1 jar pureed spaghetti sauce

6-8 slices provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning Parmesan cheese and egg. Add ground beef and knead until mixed thoroughly. Shape into half-dollar sized meatballs, makes about 18. Place in a baking tray on a raised slotted broiling sheet to allow the fat to drip off. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile brush interior of sliced buns with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Place on a baking sheet and toast for 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted. This can be done in the oven with the meatballs for the last few minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the sauce in a small pan on the stove over medium heat. Spoon some sauce onto each bun, add 2-3 meatballs to each bun, spoon more sauce over each meatball to coat, place 1 slice provolone cheese on each sandwich. Heat the sandwiches open faced for 2-3 minutes more in the oven to melt the cheese. Let cool slightly so you can handle them, close the sandwiches and serve.

Serves 6-8

If you wish, place the meatballs into the warmed sauce to coat them instead of placing the sauce directly on the buns. I cut the buns so they were still attached on one side instead of cutting them all the way through. Making the meatballs with cheese mixed in allowed for a better cheese flavor. If you really like garlic, add some minced garlic in with the ground beef mixture. I always mix the dry ingredients with the eggs and/or milk before mixing with the ground beef for a moister meat. Placing the meatballs on a raised pan allows the excess fat to drip off and the meatballs to come out dry instead of sitting in the fat at the bottom.

Flavor Rating: Great, everyone loved it.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, you have to watch the buns so they don't burn.

Day 89, Shrimp Alfredo

2010-02-27T20:27:00.004-06:00

I had some shrimp I needed to use up, so I decided to throw some alfredo sauce on them.

Shrimp Alfredo

1 bag medium cooked shrimp, peeled, deveined and tailless

1/3 box spaghetti noodles

1 jar Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo sauce

Cook noodles according to packaging. During last 30 seconds of cooking, add shrimp to heat. Drain; add alfredo sauce and mix well. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serves 4-5

I had cooked shrimp because it's usually the cheaper choice. I managed to get this bag on sale with a coupon for 99 cents. You have to be cautious when heating cooked shrimp so you don't cause them to become too small. By only heating them for 30 seconds in the boiling water, it heated them up without shriveling them. The roasted red pepper alfredo was a different taste which I accidentally picked up one day, but it ended up being tasty.

Flavor Rating: Great, I really enjoyed this alfredo sauce.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, to take the tails off the shrimp, grip at the base of the tail and pull the end of the shell. It leaves the meat from the tail while taking the shell off.

Day 88, Chicken Jambalaya

2010-02-27T20:13:00.003-06:00

I made this from another box mix. I haven't ever had it before and would like to make it from scratch sometime, but making something from a box helps me know what it's supposed to taste like the first time.

Chicken Jambalaya

1 pound chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 box Zatarain's Jambalaya mix

2 cups water

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

Cook chicken for 8-10 minutes, until no longer pink in the middle. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer for 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Serves 6

I made the variation on the side with the tomato sauce instead of the all water version on the back of the box. This was also the lower sodium version that I picked up. Since the vegetables were dehydrated, I couldn't tell what they tasted like. Had I used fresh vegetables, I might have had more of a flavor of the vegetables. Having never had okra before, I'm not sure what they'll taste like. I might just have to try some someday.

Flavor Rating: Great, not as spicy as the other Zatartain's mix we had the other day which made it better for our midwestern taste.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, I had to add just a little bit more water because the rice was still a little hard when I checked it.

Day 87, BLT's

2010-02-25T20:04:00.003-06:00

I've always cooked my bacon in a frying pan, until today that is. I decided to bake my bacon so I wouldn't get grease splatters all over my arms. It worked out much better and crispier.

Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwiches

1 package regular cut bacon

12 pieces bread, toasted

1 large tomato, cut into slices

lettuce

mayonnaise

Heat over to 400 degrees F. Crinkle some aluminum foil, then spread it flat. Line a shallow baking pan with foil. Arrange bacon on pan, making sure not to overlap pieces. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until bacon is at desired crispiness. Check during last few minutes to prevent burning. Place bacon on paper towel lined plate to soak up extra fat. Repeat with remaining bacon if necessary.

Toast bread, spread mayonnaise on toast, layer lettuce, tomatoes and 3 pieces of bacon on each sandwich.

Makes 6 sandwiches

I liked making my bacon this way better than frying it in a pan. I didn't have to worry about burning myself. I was only able to make half the package at a time, so I placed the second half in the refrigerator while I waited for the first half to bake. When I fried the bacon, I always had to cut it in half to make it fit, but this way I am able to make my bacon without cutting it. By crinkling the tinfoil, I was able to let the fat drip off better than using flat foil. The bacon was also less likely to stick to the foil. The bread I used today I found at my Cub Foods bakery and it was a seasonal bread from Valentines day, so that is why it is swirled with red.

Flavor Rating: Great, nice crisp bacon.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, watch the last few minutes so it doesn't burn and you are able to tell how crispy it is. I found the baking bacon recipe at this link.

Day 86, Baked French Toast

2010-02-24T21:37:00.003-06:00

I've always had problems with soggy middles when I fry my french toast, so I decided to bake them today.

Baked French Toast

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 slices texas toast sliced bread

In a shallow bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Soak bread in mixture for 2 minutes, flip and soak an additional 2 minutes. Place on a shallow baking pan. Bake for 7-9 minutes in a 450 degree oven until golden brown. Top with powdered sugar, your favorite syrup or fruit.

Serves 2

I looked for a baked french toast recipe and they were all calling for french bread. Because I had texas toast instead of french bread I had to cut down the amount of time in the oven. The recipe I was looking at called for 10-12 minutes, but the bread I used didn't need as much oven time. This bread also soaks up a lot of the mixture, so if you're making this for many people multiply the recipe. I tried to make 6 slices from this recipe, but it only really was good for 4-5 pieces.

Flavor Rating: Excellent, I hadn't thought of adding vanilla to my mixture before.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just mix, soak and bake.

Day 85, Slow Cooked Marinaded Roast

2010-02-23T21:00:00.003-06:00

I had a new marinade and wanted to try it out. It was a slow cooker day. Unfortunately the two didn't combine well for me today.

Slow Cooked Steakhouse Marinaded Roast

2 pound chuck roast

1 bottle (12 oz) Lawry's Signature Steakhouse marinade

1 cup water

4 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small bag baby carrots

Place roast in a slow cooker, add marinade and a cup of water. Place potatoes and carrots on top. Cook for 6-8 hours on high.

Serves 4-6

I didn't add water today and ended up burning the marinade to the sides. That ought to be fun to clean... I think I should have also made the vegetables separately from the meat so it didn't all get the marinade flavor. This might have been good on just the meat, but it was very spicy. I was the only one that could finish my dinner today. Everyone else ended up having a salad.

Flavor Rating: Ok, it was way too spicy for us and wasn't palatable.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just toss in and forget until dinner.

Day 84, Hamburger Soup

2010-02-23T20:49:00.003-06:00

This is one of my favorite comfort foods. I used Barilla Plus elbow noodles to get some whole grains instead of using white noodles.

Hamburger Soup

1 pound ground beef

1/2 box (approx. 2 cups) elbow noodles

2 cans tomato soup

2 cups water

Cook ground beef until browned, crushing to make small bits. Drain and rinse ground beef. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packaging; drain reserving 2 cups water from cooked noodles. Mix all ingredients in pot you cooked noodles.

Serves 6-8

I like this as a quick throw together meal. It's filling and you could add cheese on top to make it cheeseburger soup. I like using the whole grain noodles, but I can only find the part whole grain in the elbows. Once you mix whole grain noodles into a soup or sauce, you can hardly tell the difference.

Flavor Rating: Great, a mild taste because I don't add any spices.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just cook and mix.

Day 83, Cashew Chicken

2010-02-21T19:31:00.003-06:00

I had a coupon for the Wanchai Ferry box mix and wanted to try it. I'm not sure if I'll do it again because I tend to burn my meat when I use coating on it.

Cashew Chicken

1 pound chicken

1 box Wanchai Ferry Cashew Chicken mix

2 cups vegetables such as carrots, pea pods or sweet peppers

2 tbsp cooking oil

Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces; dry thoroughly. Place chicken into a resealable bag; add dry mix from box. Shake until chicken is well coated. Make rice as directed on box. Heat oil in a large frying pan, add chicken when oil is hot. Add vegetables at same time as chicken if heating from fresh, add vegetables 2 minutes into cooking if from frozen. Cook as directed on box, add sauce package and heat for 2 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken.

Serve chicken mixture over rice.

Serves 3-4

I have a hard time cooking anything that has a coating and managed to burn this one too. I think I didn't wait long enough to allow the oil to heat plus I added frozen vegetables along with the chicken which brought the oil temperature down. Perhaps having heated the vegetables separately and using a bit more oil would have helped me. If only I owned a wok, stir frying would be a little easier. I was just going to julienne some carrots, but the ones I had in my refrigerator were bad so I ended up tossing those and using the rest of the peas and carrots I got for another recent recipe.

Flavor Rating: Great, despite burning the spice mix to the bottom of the pan, the meat came out relatively unharmed.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, I'm still working on proper oil temperatures.

Day 82, Cajun Dirty Rice

2010-02-21T19:22:00.004-06:00

I was in the mood for spicy and I found it in Zataran's Dirty Rice.

Cajun Dirty Rice with Sausage

1 box Zataran's Dirty Rice mix

1 pound ground sausage

In a large frying pan, brown sausage, pressing to crumble. Drain and rinse. Add rice and water as indicated on package. Simmer as directed on package.

Serves 6

This was a spicy mix. It really cleared the sinuses. I've usually used the Lipton dirty rice mix which is much milder. You could use sliced up sausage instead of the ground sausage. I usually use kielbasa or beef sausage in my dirty rice, but I felt like ground pork sausage today.

Flavor Rating: Great, I love spicy, but if you prefer something not as spicy, use the Lipton rice instead of the Zataran's.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, one pot ease.

Day 81, Sesame Ginger Chicken

2010-02-21T19:08:00.003-06:00

I like making stir frys, they're easy and you're able to stretch the budget with cut up meat.

Sesame Ginger Chicken

1 pound chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cups broccoli

1/2 bottle sesame ginger marinade

1 cup brown rice, dry

2 cups water

Place chicken in a resealable bag; pour marinade over chicken. Let set in fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 8 hours.

In a small pot, bring water to a boil, add rice. Cook as directed on package.

In a large frying pan, cook chicken until browned and no longer pink inside. Steam broccoli until crisp tender; add to chicken mixture and stir to coat.

Serve over cooked rice.

Serves 4-6

I like marinade, it gives a lot of flavor throughout the meat. You can use the cooked marinade, but be sure to throw out any marinade that was used to flavor the chicken. I don't use oil when using marinade because there is usually enough marinade in the pan to boil the meat.

Flavor Rating: Ok, I wasn't really thrilled by this particular flavor, but it was still edible.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, you can start the marinading process before you go to work.

Day 80, Fish Nuggets

2010-02-18T18:56:00.003-06:00

I liked the breaded fish I made before, so I decided to make them finger friendly. I added some spices this time too for a different taste.

Fish Nuggets

1 pound fish fillets, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup fish fry

1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp cooking oil

Mix the fish fry and seasoning in a bowl. In a separate bowl beat the eggs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place each fish portion into the egg then the breading. Fry each breaded portion for 2-3 minutes per side, until fish flakes easily and breading is crispy.

Serves 6-8

I serves this with small potatoes that I microwaved for 12 minutes. I then mixed some butter and a little freshly ground pepper into the potatoes. Serve the fish with tartar sauce.

Flavor Rating: Great, the kids loved it.

Ease of Preparation: Moderate, you get sticky handling the fish.

Day 79, Hot Ham and Cheese

2010-02-18T18:44:00.003-06:00

We had just a little time to eat, so sandwiches it was. Hot ham and cheese is kinda like a fancy grilled cheese sandwich.

Hot Ham and Cheese

2 slices deli ham

2 slices American cheese

2 slices bread

1 tbsp softened butter

Spread butter to edges on one side of each slice of bread. Place a slice of cheese on each slice. Add ham to center of sandwich. In a preheated frying pan, cook sandwich on medium for 30 seconds to a minute per side, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serves 1

I used the Ol' Farmers Ham from the WalMart deli. It's the least processed ham in the deli and tastes the most like a real ham. I like to use American cheese slices because they melt the easiest. If you want to use a different cheese, be sure to cover the pan while cooking for better meltability. Swiss cheese would taste good with this sandwich too.

Flavor Rating: Great, I like this ham, it's the best I've tasted. I'm very picky about my ham.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, be sure to spread the butter to the edges for even browning.

Day 78, Piglets in a Blanket

2010-02-17T14:35:00.004-06:00

I found some good cocktail wieners at Target this week. I love their brand, many of their items taste better than brand name items of the same type of product.

Piglets in a Blanket

from the Pillsbury website

1 (8 oz) can Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls

24 fully cooked cocktail wieners

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheet. Unroll dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles.

Place 1 wiener on shortest side of each triangle; roll up to opposite point. Place, point side down, on greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve with favorite dipping sauces, ketchup, mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.

Serves 8

I used the beef wieners for this recipe. The Target brand was on sale this week, so that's what I picked up. Having smaller hot dogs rather than big ones makes it easier to portion size for each individual. You could make these into cheese dogs by placing a cut to portion cheese slice between the hot dog and the wrap.

Flavor Rating: Good, for hot dogs, this was pretty good, try cheese slices for a variation.

Ease of Preparation: Easy, just roll and bake.