What's for Lunch? Curried Rice!

One thing I always enjoy is a good stir-fry.  Sometimes I actually plan it as a supper and plan accordingly with groceries, but often, the best stir-fries come from a lunchtime question of, "What am I going to do with all these veggies we haven't eaten yet??" 

The only thing that has always lacked for me when it comes to this type of meal is that the rice just seems a bit bland.  I've tried lots of different techniques - making it a head of time, cooling it, and frying it; using chicken broth instead of water, etc.  In the end,  I usually end up dousing the whole dish in soy sauce, which adds a huge amount of salt that I don't really need. 

The other night, though, I found the recipe to end all my rice frustrations.  It's called Curried Rice with Pineapple, and I found it on the back of a "Minute Brown Rice" box.  My whole family loved it, and next time I make it for all of us, I will most definitely be doubling the recipe. Today I tried my hand at it again for lunch and it was just as good as the first time.

I changed a few things to suit my family's tastes and preferences - for instance, the original version calls for pineapple chunks.  I don't know about anyone else, but my family tends to freak out a bit when there's fruit that is completely visible in a dish that is not very "fruity".  So last week it was pineapple tidbits, and today, all I had was crushed pineapple.  It worked just as well.  Here is my adapted version of this recipe.

Curried Pineapple Rice
1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits
water or chicken broth as needed (about 2/3 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive or canola oil
1 c. uncooked brown rice (instant)
1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds

Drain pineapple, reserving juice.  Add broth or wtaer to equal one cup liquid.  Set aside. 
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute curry powder and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
Add pineapple juice mix and tidbits and bring to a boil.  Stir in rice; cover and remove from heat.  Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Top with sliced almonds and, if desired, sliced green onion.

As I mentioned earlier, I make stir-fry quite often, and it's almost always a result of leftover veggies that need to be used.  On our trip to Costco, however, I found this bag of frozen veggies for a very reasonable price.  That's 5.5 pounds of stir-fryable greatness!!  Eat it the way it is or add some meat such as chicken or pork - it all works for me!

You could also add chicken directly to the rice to make it a meal, with some steamed veggies on the side.  But here is my favorite way to enjoy it - what we had for lunch today.  Fortunately we have about one serving left, and I just may eat it for a snack later this afternoon!

As far as my stir-fry sauce, I don't have a particular recipe to which I adhere every single time.  I think that there are some elements that are a necessity, though.

1. Something to slightly sweeten and counteract the saltiness of the soy sauce.  I've used brown sugar, pineapple juice, honey, mango juice, etc.
2. Soy sauce
3. Thickener - I prefer to use cornstarch as it works more quickly and you can use less than you would flour.

I've thought through what I use most often and here is what I've come up with for a recipe.

Stir-fry Sauce
1/4 to 1/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. water
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 T. cornstarch (more or less can be used, depending on how thick you prefer it to be)

Whisk with a fork and add to stir fry once veggies are done to your liking.  Let sauce come to a boil and allow it to thicken for 1-2 minutes.  Stir to coat veggies and meat. 

Even if you have never been a fan of or haven't even tried curry, this is a good dish to start out with.  I hope you and your family enjoy it just as much as we do!

Scones and Coffee, and a Really Good Friend

My original menu plan for the 4th of July included waffles, but I just wasn't in the mood when I woke up yesterday morning.  The whole family was still sleeping at 8:00 when I woke up (which, by the way, definitely sets a record for all of us ever since early-riser Julia came into the picture!), and I really wanted to try something different and fun.  So, I cracked open my trusty Better Homes and Gardens  Bridal Edition Cookbook that hasn't failed me in all its 5 years.

I flipped through it for a bit, focusing on the "Breads" section.  And then I saw it.  Scones.  I love them, and have always wanted to make them, so I thought I'd give it a shot!  Samuel woke up in time to help me roll out the dough, so he felt like they were extra special after he'd helped make them.

We had such a wonderful, leisurely morning sipping coffee and nibbling (okay, probably scarfing) scones, and the rest of the family enjoyed their fair share of sausage as well.  I just thought it was so picturesque - sitting in the morning sunlight in the kitchen while visiting.

On another but related note . . .

One of my very dearest friends, Heidi, is on her way home as I write after spending the past 2 years teaching in Peru.  She had spent a year prior to that as a student/missionary there.  I am really looking forward to seeing her next week sometime, and have been praying all day for her safety as she flies back to the United States!

Why is this a related topic?  I am picturing having much conversation with Heidi over morning coffee and a pastry!  The whole time I was making the scones yesterday, that was the picture I had in my mind.  So Heidi, when you read this, here is what you have to look forward to!

Scones - recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

2 1/2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. cold butter
2 beaten eggs
3/4 c. whipping cream or whole milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips, snipped raisins, or dried currants
Milk
Sugar

1. Combine flour, 2 T. sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut butter into pieces and, using a pastry blender, cut into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center of the mixture; set aside.

2. Combine eggs, whipping cream, and chocolate chips or fruit.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture and stir with a fork until just moistened.

3.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead dough by folding and pressing for 10-12 strokes or until nearly smooth.  Pat or lightly roll into an 8 inch circle.  Cut into 8 wedges.

4.  Transfer wedges to an ungreased baking sheet, placing 1 inch apart.  Brunch each wedge with milk and sprinkle with additional sugar (we thought coarse sugar would have been a nice touch). 

5. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden; serve warm. 

We also decided that next time, I will make a glaze using powdered sugar and milk.  I happened to have some leftover cake frosting which I may have dolloped on top this morning.  It was delicious.

This Week's Menu (June 12)

I didn't post the menu yesterday . . . because I didn't have one until last night!  What a month June is turning out to be already, with so much to keep us busy.  Yesterday I had an early morning OB appointment, and my mom and sister headed down to help me out with the kids.  It turned into an all-day event as we decided to do some shopping while we were in town. 

Next week we'll be on vacation, so I won't be posting a menu for then, either.  In case anyone wondered, yesterday's meals consisted of oatmeal, Red Lobster for lunch, and Panchero's for supper.  It was all delicious.

Breakfast:
cereal, toast/bagels x2
French toast, fresh fruit
eggs, sausage links

Lunch:
meat ravioli w/sauce, cooked carrots
cheese sandwiches, veggies and dip
leftovers x2

Supper:
Tomato Cheese Pie, lettuce salad, fresh fruit
Baked potato bar w/bacon, cheese, veggies
Nachos w/chili
Spaghetti, homemade bread, lettuce salad

Snacks:
pumpkin chocolate chip muffins
fruit cups
graham crackers w/Nutella
carrots & celery with dip

This week is filled with preparations for vacation, so everything we're eating is pretty simple.  Today already, I've made Chex mix, trail mix, and banana oatmeal muffins - all in the freezer and ready for next week!

Happy eating!

This Week's Menu

Have you ever heard of Money Saving Mom?  If not, I'd encourage everyone to stop over at her blog, http://www.moneysavingmom.com/.  Crystal has been a huge encouragement to me in so many areas - finances, family, loving God, and so much more. 

One of the things she always does is to make a meal plan for each week.  This is something I too have done for quite some time.  I have been pretty proud of myself for the small amount of money we've been able to spend every two weeks . . . and yet, I've been too proud to admit that we never have enough food.  "It's not possible," I'd argue with David everytime he mentioned it, "I plan every single week, every single ingredient." 

And then it dawned on me.  I make a bi-weekly supper plan.  I did finally get into the habit of buying a few things for David's lunches, but I completely neglected to plan for this pregnant lady and her two toddlers that are home all day eating a whole lot more than just suppers! 

So last week, I changed my habit.  I added to the list a daily plan for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  I was surprised at how much more time it took - though I really enjoy menu planning and since the morning sickness is significantly less, I can actually look at most foods without gagging now.  I don't think it'll take as much time from here on out, now that I have a basis.  I'd like to start sharing the menus I've planned here on our blog as both a way for others to possibly find suggestions for their own meals, as well as for a way to keep track myself of what we have from week to week.

Last week's menu worked out pretty well . . . so here is the one we'll be following this week:

Breakfast: Cereal and toast x2
                Baked Oatmeal x2
                Banana muffins
                Cinnamon Rolls and sausage links

Lunch: Egg salad sandwiches
           BBQ pork, leftover veggies
           lettuce salads
           Leftovers x2

Supper: Pork roast, potatoes & carrots, Rhodes rolls
             Crispy SW Chicken Wraps
             Fried potatoes, eggs, pancakes or waffles
             Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
             Dinner w/my parents

Snacks: Banana muffins
             Fruit cups (more on these in a later post!)
             Pretzels         
             Popcorn
             Steel Cut Oat Cups

I'm pretty excited about what we have on the menu this week.  If you have any suggestions for meals you think we'd enjoy, please let me know.  I'm always searching for new things to try!

Cheese Manicotti in the Month of May!

Happy Friday to all on this glorious "summer" day!  I just love May . . . it's the beginning of the summer season but usually not unbearably hot.  I love going to graduations and weddings, and all the newness and excitement in the air because of both.  I love opening the windows each morning to a cool breeze, yet having it warm enough that the kids and I can get outside well before noon.  I love the new life of flowers, grass, and trees - a reminder that God's mercies are "new every morning". 

Since I have not been able to stomach the cooking of meat as of late, my poor family has been suffering a bit.  David was less than thrilled to have banana pancakes and yogurt for supper the other night!  I've been trying to come up with new "meatless" recipes that I can handle making and that the family won't mind eating! 

Last night I made cheese manicotti, and was fairly surprised that it was such a big hit.  When I saw the recipe said, "manicotti shells", I got the shells part in my brain.  So that's what I bought - giant shells.  When I actually started making it, I remembered that I had made this recipe once before, right after graduating high school.  And I remembered that manicotti is the big tube pasta.  Oh, well.  It worked well and the kids enjoyed the shape of the shells!

First I boiled the shells to al dente so they would hold up during filling.  I started to line the pan with them, but I think next time I'll pull them from the strainer as I fill them. There was just too much going on when they were already in the pan.

Next I mixed the cheeses and herbs.  It said to fill the shells with a long spoon, but I tried it using a ziploc bag with the tip cut off - so much easier than I remember when I used a spoon years ago!  Just don't fill the bag more than halfway, or the cheese will spill out the top while you're filling the shells!

Once all the shells were filled, I poured spaghetti sauce over the top.  I found Prego onion and garlic flavor on sale this week for $.99, so that's what this is.  Also, though the recipe doesn't call for this part, I sprinkled about 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and a little garlic salt on the top.

Here's the whole meal - cheese manicotti, broccoli slaw salad, and homemade bread and butter.  mmm!

Cheese Manicotti

1 pkg. manicotti shells
2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
1 T. Italian seasoning
1 T. parsley flakes
1 1/2 c. Ricotta cheese
2 beaten eggs
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions, stirring often.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Stir together eggs, cheeses, and spices.  Fill manicotti shells with this mixture using a long spoon.  Arrange filled shells in large baking dish.  Pour spaghetti on top.  Bake, covered at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family did, and have a splendid weekend!  I think ours is going to include several hours outdoors!

A Savory Pie and Other News

Obviously, I have not posted in a couple of weeks.  So here's the deal.  Shortly after my last post, the whole "morning sickness" thing really got a hold of me, and I haven't even climbed the steps to the office more than maybe twice since then.  I had all these awesome recipes I'd been working on, with pictures and directions and everything . . . and suddenly, even the mention of most of them makes me start to gag.  My apologies for being unable to share them at this time.

Here's one that I just can't get enough of, though.  I have no problem making it and thinking and writing about it!  Behold, the Tomato Cheese Pie.

My grandma used to make one similar to this when I was growing up.  I ran across a recipe in an old cookbook the other day and couldn't seem to get the memory of it out of my head, so I had to make it!

Here's the recipe:

1 pie crust
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1 c. ricotta cheese

2 T. chopped onion

1 tsp. crumbled basil (I like more than that)
Parmesan cheese
3-4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced thin
salt and pepper

Line a pan with pie crust.  Prick with fork, bake 10 min. at 425.  Combine cheddar, mozzarella, ricotta, and onion.  Spoon into slightly cooled pie crust.  Topping: arrange tomatoes in a tightly overlapping circular pattern over the filling.  Sprinkle with basil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Bake 350 for 20-30 minutes.  Cool slightly before serving.

This is utterly delicious.  I wasn't sure how David would react but I didn't mention the ricotta, and he said he loved the pie!  I'm usually big on making quiche, so the family assumed it was a fancy version of that.  This is so easy to make - but you might want to do two because it goes fast.

In other news, we had our first OB appointment today.  It is always a relief to have that done and know that everything is okay.  In my case, I need that confirmation that I am indeed pregnant and I don't have some weird disease that makes me nauseated and turns the test positive (yes, I am crazy.  I realize this). 

We even got a few pictures, which I may post at a later date.  I am waiting to make sure our family gets a first peek. 

Yesterday we had a fabulous day for Mother's Day!  We had been running nonstop all week leading up to Sunday. David worked overtime and the kids and I visited family, ran errands, and attended graduations which meant very little rest for any of us. 

When I woke up yesterday morning, this is what I found:

I was so excited I screamed.  And I don't scream.  So far the past three days I have been feeling much better, so hopefully I will be able to use them all in the next week and have some great new recipes I can share!

We let the kids sleep late, then went to church, ordered a pizza for lunch, and watched movies all afternoon.  aaahhhh, happy Mother's Day to me!!

Hopefully that catches me up for a bit and I will be able to blog much more frequently from here on out!

Weeknight Apple Cake

I had made this recipe once before after finding it in a Taste of Home Cooking School edition magazine and decided to rename it from "Moist Apple Cake" to "Weeknight".  First reason: I'm not a huge fan of the word, "moist".  Second reason: since it's not terrible for you, you don't have to wait to the weekend to eat it! 

 

Samuel went on a walk with Daddy to pick up some ice cream - a reward for finishing his potty training - so Julia and I had some much-needed one-on-one time in the kitchen.  She helped by putting the diced apples into the bowl and helping me stir together all the ingredients.

You can put the cake batter into a regular 9x13 pan, or into a bundt pan, which is how I like to do it - the presentation is so much prettier!

When the boys got home we ate dinner, and then had an unexpected party.  We didn't really mean to have the whole shebang in celebration, but since David and Samuel were picking up ice cream and I already had the cake on the menu . . . we decided to have a party.



Happy Big Boy Underwear, Samuel! 

Weeknight Apple Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar (I only use about half that)

1/2 c. applesauce

4 c. (appx. 2 lbs) apples, diced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine sugar, applesauce, and apples in a large bowl.  Mix in eggs and nuts. 

In another bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add to apple mixture and stir until combined.  Pour into a greased baking dish.  Bake for 1 hour.  Sprinkle with additional sugar or powdered sugar if desired. 



Blackened Chicken and Beans

Here is one of our most favorite healthy recipes ever!  No allergens here, people!  Just chicken, spices, beans, corn, and some salsa.  And the best part: it can easily be recycled to make the leftovers into something totally different. 

I should have recorded the process . . . but it was such a nice day when I made these on Tuesday, here is what I was taking pictures of instead:

 

David brought the dump truck home so he could sleep a little later and not have to back track.  Samuel was one thrilled little boy, and I'm happy I got these and the chicken didn't burn!

Next time I make this dish, I think I'll double the bean and corn mixture.  My family really loved it so I only had one serving left, which I mixed in with taco meat today.  A little more would have been even better!  And the chicken - I made a little extra and saved half back immediately after cooking it, and I plan to use that for quick fajitas on Saturday.  I also cut the breast halves into strips so that it would cook a little faster and it would be easier for the kids to eat.

Blackened Chicken and Beans

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 c. frozen corn

1 c. chunky salsa

Combine the chili powder, salt and pepper; rub over both sides of chicken.  In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for abouat 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.  Remove and keep warm.

Add the beans, corn, and salsa to skillet; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve with chicken.

What a refreshingly simple and healthy dish.  Definitely a keeper - can't wait to make it again!

Skinny Enchiladas

I've been looking for at least somewhat healthy on Pinterest.  It's not that easy to find them sometimes!  After an enchilada experiment that had my whole family turning their noses (so the sauce was green, who cares?!), they were relieved when this one turned out quite well.  We had just enough left for lunch the next day!

I thought I turned this picture . . . oh well.  I started by grilling the chicken on our beloved indoor grill for great flavor!

While that cooked, I mixed up the sauce - just some salsa and some Greek yogurt.  So easy!

Shred the chicken with two forks.

Mix sauteed veggies with some Greek yogurt for the filling.

Fill tortillas, top with sauce and cheese, and bake!

So really, the only differences I made from the original recipe were in the cheese.  I used full-fat, because I'm not really a low-fat kinda girl.  And I also (obviously) used more than 1/4 cup on the top.  But all things considered, it was still a pretty healthy meal.  

Skinny Enchiladas

Filling:

1 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped bell pepper

1/2 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

1/2 c. low-fat shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese

Sauce:

3/4 c. salsa

1/4 c. nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 c. low-fat shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam spray

2. Saute onions and peppers in olive oil until onions are brown

3. Mix veggies with nonfat yogurt, chicken, and cheese

4. Spread appx. 1/4 c. chicken mixture in each tortilla, roll up, and place seam down in dish

5. Mix salsa and Greek yogurt in a bowl and spread evenly onto tortillas.  Sprinkle with cheese.

6. Place foil over dish and bake for 15-20 minutes.