Pasta and Easy Italian Meat Sauce

This will be a quick post, because I got a nanny job yesterday (YAYYYY) and I have to go to work at 12.  So I'm fitting this in quick while I drink my coffee.  Last night was another easy dinner...I've been pretty lazy lately, not sure what the deal is with that considering I haven't been doing much.  OH WELL!  I promise next week I'll be better about my blog posts.  This is a super easy spaghetti recipe that was really good.  I think spaghetti always tastes better when you make your own sauce, vs. the Ragu from a jar.  Even if it isn't slow cooked, its still delicious!   Try this one out on a night when you really don't feel like cooking, thats how easy it is.  ENJOY!

4T butter

1T olive oil

1 carrot, grated

1 onion 

2 garlic cloves

3/4lb ground beef

1 28oz can whole tomatoes

1/2cup milk

1 bay leaf

1/2tsp dried thyme

1/4tsp nutmeg

S&P

1lb fettuccine

parmesan for serving

Heat butter and oil in a saucepan(I used about 2T oil and 1T butter).  Add the carrot, onion and garlic sauté until soft.  Add the beef and cook until browned, about 5 min.  Add the tomatoes and their liquid, crushing them in the pan.  Stir in the milk, bay leaf, thyme, nutmeg and 1/2tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile in a large pot of boiling water cook pasta until al dente.  Strain and add to sauce, toss and serve with parmesan. 

Logan Rating: ***

Back to normal...Beef Bulgogi

This is a Korean dish that I've only ever had at a Korean restaurant in Bozeman, but it was extremely easy and quick to make at home.  It tasted just like I remember, but felt much lighter when served with lettuce cups.  Sorry about the jumble of posts recently, we had a couple of house guests back to back.  So we did a lot more eating out than usual and it just through off my cooking routine a bit.  I'm back at it now and am ready to tackle some more recipes.  This one was very delicious and it really was fast.  We got home at 7 last night and from start to finish this only took 30min, which is always nice, especially when you are getting a late start.  I thought it was interesting that although this dish is traditionally served with lettuce leaves, many Korean  restaurants serve it with either noodles or rice.  I prefer lettuce personally, feels MUCH healthier!  ENJOY!

Beef Bulgogi

1 1/2 lbs rib-eye steak (I used a flank steak, way cheaper and still delicious, also I only use enough meat for the two of us in order to save money so I halved the meat as this recipe serves 4)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1TBS hot chile sesame oil (add dash of red pepper flakes to 1TBS toasted sesame oil)

2TBS dark brown sugar

6 garlic cloves

1TBS fresh ginger

2 medium red onions (red or yellow is fine)

1 green bell pepper

4 tsp vegetable oil (or olive oil)

1 small head Boston lettuce (I used romaine)

Freeze beef for 20 min; transfer to a clean work surface.  Slice diagonally into 1/8 in thick strips.  In a small bowl whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.  Place onion and peppers in a small bowl; toss with half the soy marinade.  Toss steak in remaining marinade, let stand for 15min.

Heat 2tsp of oil in skillet.  Add onions and peppers; cook until softened.  Transfer to plate, wipe skillet clean with paper towel. Heat remaining oil and cook meat until browned.  Add onion mixture and heat through.

Serves 4

I'm still playing with the layout as I post these blogs...it's hard to get them to look right sometimes.  

Logan Rating: ****

More BBQing...German Potato Salad

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday.  While I did make banana bread it was not out of either of the cookbooks that relate to this blog and I was unable to get a picture of it before my dog devoured the whole thing...bummer.  I did have a little piece and it was pretty delicious.  I don't make banana bread very often so I tend to forget my dog will do just about anything to get it off the counter...I accidentally left it out and BOOM...GONE!  Oh well, I may tackle another loaf again today.  It's a weight watchers recipe, if I get some pics I just may put it up here for you guys.  Onto other food things, I had another BBQ with our good friends Kate and Dave yesterday.  They have a new place (as earlier mentioned) and I helped Kate with some gardening before we decided a BBQ was a fantastic idea.  I brought this German potato salad (isn't it funny that it tells you to capitalize German...as if that is the actual nationality of the potato salad ...weird side note) and it was different for me but I actually did like it.  I am definitely more of a mayonnaise girl than mustard, so this was a stretch for me.  I ended up toning down the dressing with some sour cream, just because I thought the mustard flavor was quite overwhelming.  That really did the trick.  I also had no bacon, so that was left out of the recipe..I'm sure it would have been amazing with some meat candy.  And lastly instead of using new potatoes I used some russet potatoes that I had leftover from another recipe, which worked fine, but just looks very different from the picture in the book.  Oh well it's not like my recipes ever turn out like the picture in the book anyway.  If you like mustard, I predict you will love this potato salad.  

German Potato Salad

1 1/2 lbs new potatoes

3 slices bacon

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 TBS white wine vinegar

3 TBS grainy Dijon mustard

S&P

In a large saucepan bring 1in water to boil; add salt and potatoes, and reduce to a simmer.  Cover; cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 25-30 min (less if they are cut up).  Drain.

In a small skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar and mustard.  Toss bacon mixture with warm potatoes.  Season with S&P.

Logan rating coming soon...
Logan Rating: ***

Backyard BBQ (Spinach with orzo and feta)

Well, I managed to kill two birds with one stone again, which is great.  We were invited to a backyard BBQ at some very good friends new house, what a blast we had!  The theme was baseball and BBQ so anything that related to either one was game.  I decided that a pasta salad sounded great so I ventured into my cookbooks to find one.  I had no luck finding your run of the mill, everyday pasta salad, but I did find something that I thought everyone would enjoy.  And they did!  I made a double batch and I only came home with a few spoonfuls, that has to be a good sign right?  Logan on the other hand was not as big of a fan, but in my defense he only had one bite RIGHT after it was done, so it was still hot...oh well his loss! :)  Hope you all enjoy, this is a great summer salad!

1/2 lb orzo pasta
1 lb spinach, trimmed and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-2TBS fresh lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
S&P

In a large pot of boiling water, cook orzo according to package directions.  Stir in the spinach until wilted (I actually sautéed the spinach with some S&P, olive oil and garlic).  In a large bowl, toss the orzo and spinach with the remaining ingredients.  Season with S&P.

We were in a hurry so I was only able to snap this one quick picture...it will have to suffice.

Logan Rating: **

Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce

Another great meal here at the Cashman-King residence!  We have a house guest, a good friend Amy, so it was fun to have a guest for dinner.  I was getting some criticism about the Logan ratings (from my dad of course)...he says he thinks they are skewed.  He can't believe that all the things I've made so far could be 3 or 4 stars out of 5...he thinks that maybe Logan is not being allowed to share his true opinion.  I was thinking maybe he is right, so I told Logan to be brutally honest.  He said he has been...and that everything has been really good so far.  Who knows maybe he's just afraid of not being fed...so says my dad...its a distinct possibility.  Oh well we will just continue trusting his ratings I suppose.  Anyway onto the food...this was a very easy and very delicious meal, in my opinion.  I have yet to do something very time consuming out of this book, which is awesome!  This one a put it in the oven and forget about it kind of a thing...I suppose you could do it in a crock pot too and then you could really forget about it.  ENJOY!

1 TBS olive oil
2 pork tenderloins (1lb each)-I used one large 3 pounder
S&P
1/4 cup whole-grained mustard
2 TBS Dijon
2 TBS reduced fat sour cream (or fat free)

Heat the oil in a skillet.  Season pork with S&P, cook until browned on all sides, 5-6 min.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover and cook turning the pork occasionally, until an thermometer reads 150, about 20-25 min.  Let meat rest for 10 min.  (I didn't follow these directions....I just seasoned my meat and put it straight into the oven at 450 for about an hour and 15).
To the skillet add both mustards, sour cream and any pork juices from the pan, whisk over medium heat until heated through.  Add water if sauce is too thick.

Mixed Green Salad with Citrus Dressing
2TBS fresh orange juice
1TBS honey
1TBS minced shallot
2tsp white-wine vinegar
S&P
2TBS olive oil
Mixed greens
I added soy nuts

Combine all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until emulsified.  Toss with mixed greens.

Logan Rating:**** (Even after our discussion! haha)

Orange Cornmeal Cake...NOT a disaster!

I can't believe it!  I made it through my first real baking experience unscathed...and the cake tastes pretty good too!  I'm usually NOT a baker at all, so I figured this recipe would be a disaster.  Little did I know, if I just use some measuring cups and a timer things tend to work out in my favor.  So here it is...my first baking adventure, with many more to come.  I must admit this was pretty easy...just mix up the batter and put it in the oven...not much to it.  But still an accomplishment for ME!  I thought for sure I would open the oven and the cake would cave in on itself...but NO...it was NOT a disaster. :-)

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for pan
(if I had some I would have substituted apple sauce here, I've heard it tastes the same with WAY less calories...next time)
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (I did 1/2 cup white and 3/4 cup whole wheat)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
zest of 1 orange
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for topping (I used splenda)
1/2 cup dry white wine or orange juice (I used OJ fresh squeezed)

Preheat oven to 375.  Coat pan with oil.  Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and orange zest together.  In another bowl whisk together oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar and wine/OJ until smooth.  Add flour mixture and whisk gently to combine.
Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle evenly with remaining sugar.  Bake until cake begins to pull away from pan, about 35-40 min.
Cool in pan 20 min.

No Logan rating yet...he's been at work all day, but I'll put one up as soon as he scarfs down a piece!

Logan Rating: ****

Pizza Pizza! (Roasted root vegetable pizza)

I am a huge fan of utilizing leftovers for new meals.  Not only does it save me time, but money also and those are two things that I love to save!  So this week I decided to turn last night's roasted vegetables into a pizza... OK so the cookbook helped me decide this, but I'd like to take some of the credit.  This was so quick and easy and turned out to be a very filling pizza, even without meat!  I feel like I could never go wrong with pizza...there are 3 more recipes in the book that I know of for pizza so I will be able to test that hypothesis for sure.  Hope you all enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Pizza
1lb pizza dough
8oz mozzarella
6 cups roasted veg (I used what was leftover which was NOT 6 cups...maybe 2)
1 cup ricotta (fat free if you want)
1 TBS fresh rosemary (I used a little dried and it was perfect)
S&P
olive oil

Preheat oven to 475.  Stretch dough into an oval or whatever shaped desired.  Sprinkle dough evenly with half of the mozzarella.  Scatter veggies on top, then dollop with ricotta.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and rosemary.  Drizzle with olive oil...or skip if you don't want the extra calories.  Season with S&P.  Back for 20-25 min or until crust is golden.

I just tackled my first baking recipe out of the book...it turned out great!!!! More to come on this one...
Logan Rating: ****

More Stuffed Stuff...Almond Apricot Chicken

Apparently stuffing is really not my strong point, because like with the french toast, stuffing this chicken was not an easy feat.  This is definitely a recipe that I would normally never make, mostly because of the apricots, but in the spirit of this blog I decided to do it.  I had fears that it would be disgusting and Logan would look at me after the first bite and wonder what the hell I was thinking?  But that did NOT happen, it was actually quite delicious.  I really enjoyed the apricots, Logan liked them, but said he liked the bites with less apricots better, which is definitely a success in my book!  I served the chicken with some roasted vegetables, which were AWESOME!  Roasted veggies are on of my favorite things, I can thank my uncle Dug (who taught me pretty much everything I know about cooking) for getting me started on basic roasted veggies in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper.  This roasted veg recipe was actually in the book, so I was able to kill two birds with one stone here, SWEET!  I have to finish up this blog quickly now, because I have a hair appointment in an hour....so no more blabbing!

Why can't I ever get my food to look like the pictures in the book?  False advertising!

Roasted Root Vegetables

1 butternut squash

2lbs potatoes 

1lb red onion

1lb carrots

5 garlic cloves, crushed

3TBS olive oil 

S&P

Preheat oven to 450.  Divide veggies and garlic between two baking sheets, toss with olive oil and S&P.

Roast until veggies are tender and beginning to brown, about 40-50min.  Toss veggies and rotate sheets from top to bottom halfway through.

Almond Apricot Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup sliced almonds ( I used a lot less)

2 oz goat cheese (I used feta because I had it on hand)

4 dried apricots cut into 1/4in pieces

S&P

1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 large egg

1TBS olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 (I started the veggies ahead of time so they were done by the time I had to put the chicken in).  Cut a slit in the side of each breast to create a pocket.  

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup almonds with goat cheese and apricots.  Stuff each breast with the mixture, season with S&P.  

On a plate combine bread crumbs and remaining almonds.  Dip each breast in the egg, then dredge in bread mixture.  

Heat oil in a large ovenproof non-stick skillet (I had to transfer mine from the pan to a oven-safe dish).  Cook the chicken until golden 3-4 min on each side.  Transfer to the oven and bake about 15 min or until cooked through.  EAT! :) 

mmmmm mmmmmmm GOOD!

Logan Rating: ***

JUMBO shrimp!

Something you should probably know is this new food kick that I am on.  Previously I had always been the kind of person who stuck up her nose at "organic" and "all natural", because I thought it was just a ploy for the grocery store to get all my money!  Well recently I watched the documentary "Food Inc." which I would suggest you all take the time to watch.  It was very interesting and opened my eyes to a lot of things that are pretty scary.  While it was about the mistreatment of animals it was also about all the nasty stuff they put in our food (hormones, steroids, etc.), mainly our meat as well as how a few companies really monopolize the food industry. SO I haven't gone out of control, don't worry.  I have just decided to make a more conscious effort to not only cook healthy but use fresh, local ingredients that aren't chalked full of hormones!  So this leads me to the fact that I have been shopping mainly at the good food store (local organic grocery store) for mostly all our groceries.  I'm impressed with the fact that I am able to spend about the same amount of money per week on groceries.  This is helped by the fact that I recently also got a Costco membership, which really helps out with the bulk items...SO long story short I found the most amazing HUGE shrimp at Costco the other day for a GREAT price.  I will never go back to the frozen itty bitty shrimp again, these were plump and delicious, I felt like I was eating at a coastal restaurant...but it was my own kitchen! :)  Wow that was a random rant..hopefully you could follow that!  On to the food...Logan and I both LOVE curry so I knew this one would be a hit...

Curried Shrimp
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño chile, finely chopped
2 TBS tomato paste
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
4 plum tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups water
1 lb shrimp
1/4 cup sour cream (i used fat free)
1 TBS fresh lime juice
cooked rice (i used brown)

Heat oil in a large skillet, add onion, jalapeño and 3/4 tsp of salt.  Cook until onion is soft.  Add tomato paste, curry powder, and ginger.  Cook about 1 min or until fragrant. 

Add tomatoes, cook stirring about 1 min.  Add the water; simmer about 5 min.  Add shrimp and cook until opaque, about 3-5 min.  Remove from heat.

Add sour cream and lime juice, stir to combine.  Serve over rice. 

Finished product...TADAHHHHHH

Logan Rating: ****

Mmmmm Breakfast!

There are a few breakfast recipes in one of the cookbooks, so I decided to tackle one for mother's day!  Since I'm not a mother yet, I figured it was still OK for me to cook...someday I will be expecting breakfast in bed. :-)  French toast was both easy and delicious so I decided that would be a good jumping off point.  This was jam stuffed french toast, which I've never had, but was very good.  I wish I could have shared this meal with my mom, but for now phone calls and skype conversations will have to suffice...maybe someday mom! ;)  Anyway after sleeping in a bit and making my mothers day call I got started on breakfast.  This meal, like all of the recipes I've posted on here so far, was pretty quick and simple.  I substituted a loaf of whole wheat bread for the french bread and raspberry jam for the apricot....you could use any kind of jam, switching it up would be fun!  While I don't normally buy regular bacon, I decided to humor Logan this week and get him some manly meat candy...he was very pleased!  I do love this stuff, I mean come on who wouldn't love meat candy?  But the calories kind of disgust me, so don't be expecting many bacon recipes from me in the future.  So I served this with bacon and if I would have had some fresh fruit that would have definitely been on the plate.  The only other substitution that I made was using "I can't believe it's not butter" spray instead of butter for the pan.
I hope everyone had a fantastic mothers day, mothers and non-mothers alike!  ENJOY!

Jam-Filled French Toast
8 slices (1 in thick) Italian bread
3TBS apricot jam
2oz cream cheese (I used fat free)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4tsp cinnamon
2TBS butter
syrup, bacon, fruit salad (optional)

Cut a horizontal slit in each bread slice to form a pocket.  Stir together jam and cream cheese.  Spoon 1TBS mixture into each pocket.  Whisk together eggs, milk and cinnamon.  Melt butter in pan, coat bread slices with egg mixture, letting the excess drip off; place in skillet and cook until golden brown.

All stuffed and ready to go!   The stuffing was actually quite difficult, I think next time I would cut bigger slices so I could make the opening larger...just a thought.











There is the delicious egg bath...

                                                   Sizzzzzle sizzzzle

Finished product with a little syrup and meat candy! Delicious!











Can't forget the most important part....Logan Rating: * * *