My go-to afternoon snack as of late! A Chicken Salad that satisfies.
In a medium size bowl mix:
1/2 of an apple {Honeycrisp are exceptionally good!}
1 stalk of celery {chopped}
1 small handful of walnuts {chopped}
6-8 oz of chicken breast {chopped}
1-2 tsp. Vegenaise {Mayo works too, of course}
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Serve alone OR with hearty crackers OR wrap in Boston Lettuce leaves.
Whoa! The weather has taken a turn. A turn toward cold, dark and WET! I seem to be entering hibernation mode. All I want is my sweats, big cups of coffee and comfort food. Last Friday I decided a pot roast was the key to my happiness. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe for the Perfect Pot Roast. Using one pot and simple ingredients {chuck roast, vegetables, beef stock, and herbs} it fit all my criteria for a great recipe. The meat was so moist and tender it fell basically fell apart when I sliced it. I will warn you. It cooks 4+ hours in the oven. With busy weekday schedules, it is most likely a weekend or Sunday dinner. But it so worth the wait! Plus, we had a huge amount left over. It gave us a bonus meal of French Dip Sandwiches {using this au jus recipe}. Who doesn’t love bonus meals?
Stay warm and dry.
So I have found that in two weeks time, I am able to try 5-6 new recipes. The rest of the days are linked together by leftovers, family favorites, old standbys, and [yes] frozen pizzas! I hope to post In the Kitchen-A Weekly Plan twice a month. If you like them and find them helpful, please share them with friends. This week it was finally time to admit I have a “small” problem with butternut squash. I seriously cannot get enough of it. My new motto, “It’s always better with butternut squash! Even tacos.
I hope you find at least one meal to add to your weekly menu. Have a lovely weekend.
1. Barbecue Chicken Sandwich With Sautéed Corn, Edamame, and Pickles
My husband voted this his top meal! And it take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. The sauteed corn, edamame and pickles was surprisingly delicious.
Homemade tomato soup. Simple ingredients, but full of taste. I only used 1 cup of basil and it was plenty. This is dairy free as well, so win-win for us! {Only 103 calories per serving} Served these with grilled ham and cheese.
3. Pasta with Bacon, Squash and Sage
I loved this pasta. My husband thought the sage was bit overwhelming. I didn’t mind. The bacon on top was full of awesome.
4. Butternut Squash and Bean Tacos
Yes, another recipe with butternut squash. [Remember, these were our meals over two weeks. I keep myself in check and only serve it once a week]. These were hearty and filling. Great fall comfort food.
5. Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken Parmigiana Sandwiches
SUNDAY DINNER! You have to make this. It took me minutes to prep and it cooked all day. The sandwiches were full of flavor. We had a ton of leftovers, so we used it as pasta sauce the next night.
6. Grilled PB & Banana Sandwich
WEEKEND BREAKFAST [or late night treat]. This grilled sandwich is to-die-for. Butter and cinnamon come together to make magic. Please try this….
Spicy and sweet. A fantastic combination! Real Simple strikes again with these, easy yet tasty, spicy glazed brussel sprouts. Rock star ingredients = ginger, jalapeno, and honey. I happily ate all of my veggies.
I’ll be honest. Halloween is not my favorite. Lucky me, my kids think it is the greatest holiday ever, aside from Christmas. An easy way for me to show some spirit is to break out the cookie cutters. Using the all-time best sugar cookie recipe, I make the dough while they are at school. Once we are ready, I roll and they do the cutting. But, of course, decorating is where the fun is at. I stick to an extremely simple frosting -just powdered sugar and milk {recipe is included with recipe}. I love AmeriColor food coloring for their vibrant colors-including black. I give the boys five or six cookies to frost. We store them separately and those are theirs to eat. {This way, I don’t have to worry about them licking the knives and believe me they do!} New this year are these darling candy eyes. The boys loved them and they are a super easy way to add that little something extra!
Baking and frosting cookies is a pretty great way to spend an afternoon with my crazies. Plus, the cookies are damn good!
The Basic Sugar Cookie (with a few tips)- from Everyday Food | Holiday ’06
2 cups flour
½ tsp. Baking powder
¼ tsp. Salt
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
Whisk together flower, baking powder and salt. In mixer, beat butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, add dry ingredients gradually. Beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic. Freeze until firm-at least 20 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough and let stand for 10 minutes. Roll dough and cut out shapes on floured surface. (First tip is to roll dough thick. This makes softer cookies.) Bake for 10-18 minutes. (Second tip is to pull cookies from oven when edges are JUST golden. You don’t want to over bake your cookies.)
Easy icing:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbs. Milk.
Whisk together. Add food coloring if you would like. Frost cookies and let set, about 20 minutes.
It has been a long while and it was time to bring back In the Kitchen-A Weekly Plan. Life is busy! [That is an understatement.] If you value eating a home cooked meal with your family like I do- you need a plan! This is our week of dinners. It is my hope that you can find at least one meal to put on your menu.
A few things to know:
1. I usually make my plan for the week on Saturday.
2. I do all the cooking in my family.
3. My #1 criteria for weeknight meals is quick and easy. No meal I post [unless a Sunday Dinner or a slow cooker meal] will take more than 45 minutes to prepare.
4. All meals are 100% gluten free. Most are dairy free. [Because we are fun like that!]
5. My kids do not eat everything I serve. [And that, my friends, is an entirely different post.]
Meal 1: Quick Chicken Noodle Soup
Quick is an understatement. A deli-rotisserie chicken makes this homemade soup come together in minutes! [Kid approved.]
Meal 2: Apple + Goat Cheese + Pecan Pizza
I made this for our mid-week pizza night. Fresh ingredients and unexpected toppings make it a winner.
Meal 3: Pumpkin Shrimp Curry
A perfect fall comfort food. Pumpkin and roasted butternut squash give a great spin to a classic curry. Don’t be afraid, it is easy to make.
Meal 4: Tuscan Chickpea Stew
A hearty to stew with simple ingredients. Cooks in minutes on your stove top.
Meal 5: Pulled Pork + Coleslaw
SUNDAY DINNER! Throw the pork in the slow cooker in the morning and enjoy delicious sandwiches and coleslaw in the evening. My kids love eating these on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. Plus, plenty left over for Monday night. [It is always a plus if you don’t have to cook dinner on Monday!] I have also made this slow roasted pulled-pork recipe. It is delicious, but takes a bit more prep.
Let me know if you try a recipe. I love feedback! Contact me by commenting on this post, via Facebook, or directly at denise@whereisjune.com.
{images via myrecipes.com and bon appetit}
Pizza night. Who doesn’t love it? It is the all time favorite meal in my house. My boys love a delivery [or a DiGiornio] pizza. Keep it simple-that’s what they like. However, I love to try new toppings- that at first might seem unusual for a pizza. This Apple, Goat Cheese, and Pecan Pizza is the perfect example. The fresh ingredients make it savory with a little sweetness! It has it all. If you are superwoman, make a crust from scratch. I don’t have superpowers on a Wednesday night. I use Udi’s Gluten Free Pizza shells [trust me, anyone who tries them loves them!], but you can use any pizza crust.
Start with a layer of thinly sliced apples. Top with goat cheese and fresh thyme. {So pretty, isn’t it?}
Once out of the oven, scatter pizza with toasted pecans. Finally top with baby arugula dressed with honey dijon- citrus dressing. Dig in!
I am so excited to be bringing back the series In the Kitchen-A Weekly Plan! Please check the blog tomorrow for a week’s worth of dinner ideas.
Yep! Pinterest strikes again. I saw a pin for cooking hash browns in a waffle iron and I was immediately intrigued. I love finding new ways to use appliances that are stored in my cupboards. Put them to work. I had frozen hash browns, but I think fresh shredded potatoes [like Simply Potatoes] might work even better.
I tossed the frozen hash browns with a small pour of olive oil, Lawry’s seasoning and salt & pepper. Then made a fairly thick layer of hash browns on a hot waffle iron. I had mine set to the highest setting.
A few minutes later, I had perfectly done hash browns. Crispy on the outside, but still moist! There is nothing like a plate of crispy hash browns and a cup of coffee on a rainy Sunday morning. Enjoy.
Ok, the title is a little misleading. The basic recipe to this “cookie” is two ingredients: quick oats and bananas. And….they are called cookies for the lack of a better name. With no added sugar or sweeteners, it is just like eating a bowl of oatmeal with mix-ins. The recipe for {2 ingredient} Oatmeal Cookies could not be more simple and easy to follow! I have made these several times over the last couple of days and I have discovered that VERY ripe bananas and quick oats make the best cookie. However, all the batches were good and I ate them all myself. [Note: These are great after school snacks, but even better mom-on-the-run snacks!]
Simply mash up 2 RIPE bananas, dump in 1 cup of quick oats, and your choice of mix-ins. I threw in a handful of chopped walnuts and a handful of mini-chocolate chips. Mix together. Bake on a GREASED cookie sheet @350 for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm.
Quick breakfast, easy snack, late night dessert. It all works! Enjoy.
I am back and ready to answer that age-old question. “What’s for dinner?” During the busy weekdays the slow cooker is a family’s best friend. It is equally as great on the weekends. Fix it in the morning and enjoy your time together.
Give this Thai-Style Pork Stew a try this weekend or put it on your menu for next week. It uses nothing but simple ingredients-including creamy peanut butter! Don’t forget the green onion, chopped peanuts, and limes to put on top. They make this dish fantastic.
Have a great weekend!!
Need another slow cooker idea? Try Pulled Pork!
