Pasta Night One

I have been on a pasta kick lately. Probably because I can't stomach anything related to chicken. Since I can't seem to eat chicken, what is the next best.....Well, really it's the best thing to me in the first place. PASTA!

I am the type of person that can eat pasta every single day. Example, on Friday, I went to an Italian restaurant and had pasta. Saturday, the husband and I went to lunch and guess what I had? Pasta. Yesterday, I barely ate anything, so that doesn't count. And tonight, guess what was on the menu? Yes, pasta.

The recipe below was actually made last weekend. I just have been lazy and haven't posted. Don't let my laziness fool you. The spaghetti and meatballs were delicious. I have only ever made turkey meatballs, so I had to hunt for a real meat meatball recipe.

Cue this one: http://ellysaysopa.com/2007/01/03/on-top-of-spaghetti/

I am ashamed to admit that I didn't make the sauce in her recipe. I was trying to use up some jarred sauce that I had in the fridge. I know, jarred sauce. I am not a snob. I eat jarred sauce on occasion. As long as it on PASTA I could care less.

Elly's recipe is very easy to make and just like it states, makes about 25-30 perfect, tasty meatballs. I also admit that I was singing "On Top of Spaghetti" while making these. My husband thought I was nuts, but I digress.

Not only are these easy, but I liked the addition of the parmesan cheese. The added a little something extra. Plus, there were enough for leftovers. Jason ended up eating them the next night with some mashed potatoes. He said that they could very easily have passed for meatloaf if formed into a loaf rather than a ball. Mental note: Try this next time.

I didn't have any breadcrumbs on hand, so I made my own. I toasted some old bread and then processed it in the food processor. It worked well, but next time, I will use actual store-bought breadcrumbs. It saves extra dishes, that's for sure.

You could easily substitute the ground beef for veal, pork, ground turkey or chicken. I imagine any combination of the above would be tasty too. Enjoy these! They were fun to make and even more fun to eat!

On top of spaghettiiiiiiiii, all covered with cheeseeeeeeeee......

Meatballs

from: http://ellysaysopa.com/2007/01/03/on-top-of-spaghetti/

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup milk

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh

1/4 parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, a pinch of salt, and cook about 2-3 minutes before adding parsley and garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes more and set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and milk in large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes, add the onion mixture, beef, egg, parmesan, salt, basil and pepper to the breadcrumb bowl. Mix well, but not for too long or you will toughen the meatballs. Form into 1-1.5 inch balls and place in a pan coated with cooking spray.

5. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until done.

6. Add cooked meatballs to pasta sauce and simmer a little, while pasta is cooking.

Is It Meatloaf or Chili?

That is the question of the day. The recipe is called Individual Chili Meatloaf, but the actual mixture could be a meatloaf, or it could be a chili. At any rate, this was dinner. It was good. Of course, almost all the recipes from Weight Watchers are good. I haven't found too many that aren't tasty. This had meat, but it also had all the elements for chili. The best of both worlds I suppose!

First off, I would like to say that this recipe lies a little. It says it serves 12. Well, I suppose that would be true if you baked the mixture in mini-loaf pans like it says, but who really has that many mini loaf pans lying around? I most certainly don't. But, the recipe did also say you could use muffin cups. Right on! I have plenty of those. Well, even after the mixture went into the pan, I had way more than 12 servings. I had almost 18. Oh well. Jason likes meat, so he will get the leftovers for a while. Also, the recipe doesn't tell you what to do with the veggies or beans. So, I assume you dice them and drain and rinse them. I added those instructions below.

Do yourself a favor. Don't be an idiot like me. I had never handled Poblano peppers before. I am wiser now, but I wasn't three hours ago. Don't cut a Poblano pepper and than not wash your hands afterwards. Better yet, use gloves! I still have the burn under my fingernails. It's not pleasant. Even after washing my hands, it still hurts.

Here is what the mixture looks like before adding the ground beef. See what I mean about chili vs. meatloaf?

Add some mashed potatoes, a vegetable and a salad, and your meal is complete. I prepared our's ahead of time since I had late errands to run tonight. So, I called Jason a few minutes before I was going to get home to preheat the oven. That way, I could stick them in when I got home.

They were tasty! Pretty spicy, so if you don't like a lot of heat, cut the peppers out completely, or maybe only use one.

Individual Chili Meatloaf

from: Weight Watchers

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 medium garlic cloves

2 cups onion, diced

2 large poblano peppers, small diced

29 oz. canned diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

15 oz. canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cups cilantro, chopped

2 pounds uncooked lean ground beef

sour cream and scallions, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12 mini loaf pans (or large muffin tins) with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds (do not allow garlic to burn). Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, both beans and cilantro; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring mixture to incorporate flavors from bottom and sides of pan, about 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool.

3. Place beef in large bowl and add chili mixture; mix thoroughly to combine. Place about 1 cup of the meatloaf in each prepared pan (or muffin tin). Bake until the juices run clear, about 35 to 45 minutes; let stand 10 minutes before turning out of pans. Top each meatloaf with 2 teaspoons each of sour cream and scallions.

These fell apart when I tried to take them out of the pan. Follow the directions and let them sit for 10 minutes before removing them. Of course, I am never one to follow directions.

The Whole Enchilada

Well, this isn't really an enchilada, but whatever. I say the whole enchilada because this recipe has got the whole package: Carbs, veggies, meat and dairy. It's the perfect balanced meal. Pssst. It's healthy too. Granted, it isn't healthy if you eat the whole pan, but if you stick to the serving size, it is. This casserole serves 8, and I must say, the portions are very large. You won't go hungry eating this dish.

Here's how it's healthy. You use very lean ground beef, and then to top it off, drain off what little fat is left. It's chock full of beans and tomatoes, which are high in fiber and vitamins. The cheese is low-fat. Don't scrimp and use fat-free. The result is a weird rubbery consistency. The 2% fat cheese works perfect. The tortillas are good because they are corn, which is lower in calories and fat than a flour tortilla.

It's tasty, it makes a lot and it's healthy! What could be better? Unless you like Tabasco, and then add some! We do and it's delish. Yes, I realize it looks strange in the picture. I have never met a casserole that looks pretty.

FYI, it's a short blog this week because I am getting over a cold and not feeling up to par.

FYII, I won't be blogging next week because I will be meeting the Mouse in DisneyWorld.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Layered Tortilla Bake

from: http://www.dwlz.com/

1 pound very lean ground beef or ground turkey

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, Mexican style

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles (mild)

1 package Taco seasoning mix

1 package (10 oz) corn tortillas

1 cup (4 oz) shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat in large nonstick skillet; drain well.

2. Mix in beans, tomatoes, chiles and taco seasoning. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes.

3. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut tortillas in half, place half of them in bottom of baking dish, overlapping.

4. Spoon half of meat mixture evenly over tortillas. Cover with remaining tortillas and then remaining meat mixture. Top with cheese. Cover; bake 25 minutes.

Mexican Again

I am not sure why, but it seems a lot of our meals lately are slightly Mexican in theme. First, there was the Tamale Casserole, last night it was the Chili Mac, and tonight, it's Mexican Meatloaf. Stay tuned next week when I make Tortilla Casserole by the way.

Maybe it's the spicy food that appeals to me in this cold fall weather. Maybe it's that it seems you get a lot more bang for your buck with Mexican food. All I know is that it's extremely tasty!

My husband being a huge meat eater, I wanted to make something that would appeal to him but was also healthy. This meatloaf is healthy, as long as you don't eat the whole loaf of course. Portion control folks! This whole loaf makes 8 slices of meatloaf.

Call me a weirdo, but I always like to mix my meatloaf. Something about squishing all the ingredients together is fun. If this grosses you out, wear gloves.

I wasn't sure if we were going to run errands tonight before dinner, so I prepared this meatloaf ahead of time. I combined all the ingredients and put them in my loaf pan and then stuck it all in the fridge. I took it out of the fridge about 30 minutes to rest before putting it in the oven.

Serve this meatloaf with mashed potatoes like I did, or you can get really creative and have Spanish rice. To go along with the healthy recipe, we also had green beans and a salad. You have to remember to eat those vegetables!

Maybe after a few weeks, my obsession with cooking Mexican food will pass. After all, there are only so many things you can make before you get tired of them. Although I do love a good plate of nachos.....Mmmmmmmm.

Mexican Meatloaf

from: Weight Watchers

1.5 pound lean ground beef (7% fat)

1 cup rolled oats

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 ounces canned green chiles, mild, diced

1 egg

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

8 ounces canned tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine all ingredients, except half of the tomato sauce, together in a large mixing bowl. Set remaining sauce aside. Spoon meatloaf mixture into prepared pan and smooth top.

3. Bake for 60 minutes. Spoon remaining sauce over meatloaf and cook 5 minutes more. Slice into eight pieces.

Dang it, why did the meatloaf have to fall apart before I could get a good picture of it?

Chili Mac Not From a Box

I have known lots of people who make chili mac. You know? The kind where you make a box of macaroni and cheese and stir in a can of chili? All the better if it's Kraft, with its nuclear orange cheese mix. I honestly never could acquire a taste for the stuff. I like chili, and I like mac&cheese, but not together. However, on my quest to find healthier recipes, I wanted to branch out. Try some new things. Go out on a limb. You get the picture.

What sold me on this recipe was the overwhelming amount of tomatoes it contains. Score! Me and my love affair with tomatoes should get some therapy. It's getting a little out of control. I could seriously eat tomatoes straight, and sometimes I do. I eat tomatoes for almost every meal. How do I eat tomatoes at breakfast you may ask? I toast an english muffin, scramble an egg with cheese and add a tomato slice. That's how.

But, back to the recipe at hand. This makes a ton. I almost didn't have room in my skillet to hold all the ingredients. I really started to worry when I added the macaroni. I thought for sure, I would have an overboard moment. I didn't though.

This is a very simple dish to make. It doesn't require much effort other than opening all the cans, and browning some meat. It's very healthy with all the tomatoes and beans. So, enjoy a big serving, because it's got tons of vitamins and minerals. Most of the ingredients are those you would have on hand. A plus for me, since I love using up what's in my pantry.

I am a happy girl, because I had so much leftover, that I will have simple dinners for the rest of the week! Just microwave, add a salad, and voila. Dinner.

Cheesy Chili-Mac

from: Weight Watchers

2/3 pound extra-lean ground beef

2 medium onions, chopped

29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, Mexican style

2.5 cups canned tomato juice

4 oz canned green chiles, diced, drained

2 teaspoons chili powder

1.5 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

31 oz canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

1. Coat a large skiller with cooking spray. Cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain off fat.

2. Stir in stewed tomatoes including juice, tomato juice, chiles, and chili powder. Bring mixture to a boil.

3. Stir in macaroni and beans; return to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 15 minutes. Spoon chili into bowls and sprinkle with cheese.

It's Been a While

Life has been hectic these past few weeks, which is why I haven't blogged in a while. I found out that we are expecting a baby, so I haven't done a whole lot of cooking. Instead, I have been finding myself sleeping and snacking a lot more. Blogging isn't fun when you are just posting about the strawberries or crackers you just ate.

Last night, I made a wonderful Taco Pie. It's from a Pampered Chef cookbook that I don't use very often, but it has great stuff in it. It's a paperback book and it's seen it's better days, but I still love it.

I felt like Mexican, and this pie appealed to me. I was surprised that the crust actually turned out. I was skeptical (aren't I always?!?) but pleasantly surprised. I usually don't do well with crusts or items that have a bread-like quality.

If you don't have a stoneware pan, don't fret. Do you have a pie plate? I am sure you could use that. I think this would be excellent with some extra salsa and sour cream also. We elected to have a salad with dinner, which is why you don't see any lettuce on the pie. I figure, there was lettuce in the salad, I didn't need to feel like a rabbit and add extra lettuce to the pie. You know what else would be good? Ground turkey for those people watching their diets.

Enjoy! I know I (and the baby) did!

Southwest Taco Pie
from: Stoneware Sensations by Pampered Chef

Crust

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cornmeal, divided

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Filling

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chunky salsa

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Colby Jack cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives

1. Preheat oven to 45o degrees. Lightly spray a stoneware pie pan, or pie plate with vegetable oil.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cornmeal evenly onto bottom and sides of prepared pie plate. For crust, combine the remaining cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add milk and oil; stir with a fork until mixture forms a ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Using floured rolling pin, roll out crust to 10-inch circle. Place in prepared pie plate; shape edge for form rim.

3. For filling, cook and stir ground beef in frying pan over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in salsa. Spoon beef mixture into pie plate; sprinkle with cheese.

4. Bake 12-15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Top pie with lettuce, tomato and olives. Garnish with sour cream and additional salsa if desired.

Mediterranean Feast

I saw this recipe in Real Simple magazine, which is my favorite magazine by the way. One of the main things that attracts me to a recipe is how it looks. I must admit, I am a sucker for good looking food. This recipe is surely good looking, oh, and I suppose taste should probably be a factor.

This meal was made even more special with the addition of some store-bought hummus and warm pita from the oven. One of these days I will have to break out my food processor and attempt to make homemade hummus.

The salad in this recipe was very refreshing. Even better, the whole prep time and cooking time took less than 30 minutes. This is a perfect meal for busy families. The only suggestion I would make is to add a little extra spice to the mini burgers.

Viva Mediterranean!

Spiced Mini-Burgers with Couscous Salad

from: Real Simple April 2008

1 box (10 oz) couscous

1 pound ground beef

kosher salt and pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6 scallions, trimmed and sliced

4 Roma (plum) tomatoes, quartered

1 seedless cucumber, sliced into half moons

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the couscous in a medium bowl and pour 1 1/2 cups hot tap water over the top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Form the beef into 12 small 1/2-inch thick patties. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the cumin and oregano.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook to desired doneness, 4 minutes per side for medium.

Combine the couscous, scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil in a large bowl.

Divide among individual plates. Serve with the burgers.

Thank You Paula Deen

A couple of weeks ago, my husband mentioned that he wanted me to make beef stew. I am not a fan of beef stew. I am not sure why. I just have never found a stew that I particularly liked. But, the things we do for love. I decided to make him a good beef stew. Stew is something that I would consider "southern" cooking. Don't ask me why. So, I consulted the Bible of southern cooking: Paula Deen. My mom gave me her cookbook for Christmas, and I hadn't ever made any of the recipes. Maybe it's the two sticks of butter in every recipe that made me leery. However, I found a stew recipe and decided to try it.


I don't think I made it correctly. First off, I think I cooked it too high. By the time it was done cooking, there was no broth left. I wasn't able to thicken the sauce, because there WAS no sauce. Oh well, live and learn. I know what to do next time. Second, I have no idea where the onions went. It's almost like they went to the same land that your mismatched socks from the dryer go. They literally disappeared.

Don't let me lack of stew making skills scare you. This was delicious! I just wish my husband was able to eat some of it. I slaved over the stove for a better part of the day, and the poor guy has food poisoning. Normally, he would eat a lot. But tonight, he had zero, nothing. I don't think he could even stomach toast right now. Oh well, more for me!


So, I thank you Paula Deen. This beef stew recipe was lovely. You have changed my mind about hating beef stew.

Old-Time Beef Stew
from: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook


2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
dash of ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
4 red potatoes, quartered
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots, potatoes, and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

Meat Pie

These are usually two words that I don't like to hear together. Mincemeat anyone? Blech. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com which never seems to disappoint. This dish is a spin off of steak and kidney pie that is popular in Great Britain. I choose to omit the kidneys for obvious reasons. Filtering organs don't belong on my dinner plate.

While this was simmering, the house smelled amazing! It was a savory, beefy, mushroom scent which made my mouth water. Notice all the ingredients are 1 of something. I suppose that would make it pretty easy to remember. I actually added a little more Worcestershire sauce, because I think it adds such a great flavor to cooking.

The recipe doesn't specify what size casserole dish, but with the size of the puff pastry, a 9x9 inch works just fine.

Serve this with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable and you have got yourself a tasty meal.

Now, I have a leftover puff pastry in my freezer. Anybody got any suggestions on what to do with it? Enjoy the Scottish themed dish below!

Steak Pie
from: http://www.allrecipes.com/

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound cubed beef stew meat

1 large onion, chopped

1 package (1 ounce) dry mushroom gravy mix

1 cup water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef stew meat, and cook until browned on the outside. Add the onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushroom gravy mix and 1 cup water. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the beef mixture to a casserole dish. Roll out the puff pastry to cover the top of the casserole dish. Press edges onto the rim of the dish to seal. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small cup using a fork. Brush over the top of the pastry.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.

Yet Another Crockpot Recipe

I am not sure why I have this sudden fascination with using my crockpot. However, it is winter, the weather is dismal and I like to smell dinner cooking all day. The recipe below was given to me by my mother (thanks Mom!) and it was a favorite in her household. I had never tried it before this evening, but I am glad I did.

Now, don't laugh, but I can't make mashed potatoes. Somehow, every time I make them, they manage to come out grainy, watery, and flavorless. Don't laugh. I know it's one of the simplest things on earth to make, but I just can't do it. This time, I didn't overcook the potatoes, I used my new KitchenAid mixer to make them fluffy, I added butter and milk and they turned out good! Until we went to eat them. Sigh. They were still a little more solid than I would prefer, but they were okay.

For the Barbeque Beef, you can use any type of roast. I would steer clear of pot roast, but a brisket, or a bottom round or even a top round would be excellent. The sauce isn't thick like barbeque sauce, and it made a delicious gravy to the meat as well as the potatoes.

This is definitely a recipe I will be making again! Even my husband, who had visions of shredded beef overloaded with sauce enjoyed it. I don't fix beef dishes very often, but I am very glad I did this time.

Enjoy!

Barbeque Beef

from: My Mom

2-2.5 pound beef brisket or roast

1 cup hickory flavored barbeque sauce

1. Place the beef in a slow cooker. Cover with 1 cup of the barbeque sauce.

2. Cook on high for 4-5 hours.

3. Cover with the remaining barbeque sauce and cook an additional 15-30 minutes.

Comfort Food

During the fall and winter months, many of us turn to comfort foods to ward off the dreary-weather blues. You know the food I am talking about: Macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, casseroles. Even though the weather is beautiful this weekend, I was hankering for some comfort food. What could be better than warm beef, sour cream and some mushrooms? You all know this as Beef Stroganoff.

Dictionary.com defines stroganoff as a dish of meat sautéed with onion and cooked in a sauce of sour cream, seasonings, and, usually, mushrooms. Some people choose to make their stroganoff with chicken, but I feel this is blasphemy. Why would you ruin a perfectly good comfort food dish with CHICKEN? Go all out people! Use the steak. It doesn't have to be expensive cuts of meat. As a matter of fact, I use stew beef for mine. For less than $3.00 for a pound, you can have the goodness of red meat.

I used to serve my stroganoff the traditional way: Over egg noodles. When my husband and I started dating, he introduced me to the concept of eating stroganoff over rice. It sounded bizarre to me, but you know what? It's REALLY good. I won't go back to egg noodles again.

Enjoy the comfort food weather! And enjoy my Beef Stroganoff!

Beef Stroganoff
from allrecipes.com with some slight modifications

1 pound sirloin steak, cut into bite size strips (you can also use leftover steak, or stew meat)
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 cups fat-free sour cream
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
steamed rice

1. Brown the beef strips in a large skillet over medium high heat and drain excess fat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, paprika and pepper.

2. Add the soup and mushrooms, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the sour cream, stirring well.

3. Prepare the rice. Serve beef mixture over the rice.