Category Archives: Dinner

Broccoli & Garlic Pasta

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Broccoli and Garlic Pasta

I’m always on the look out for a new family favorite. I really enjoyed this dish. Ethan thought it was too spicy and Thomas is not a huge fan of garlic. I guess this won’t be gracing our table as often as this or this, but I will be sure to make it for myself from time to time. If you are in the mood for some delicious pasta, give it a whirl.

Broccoli

Here’s a way to use up the stalks of broccoli that we usually just toss into the compost.

broccoli garlic and red pepper flakes

The sliced stalks along with chopped garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes are sautéed in olive oil. This is combined with cooked broccoli and spaghetti to make a delicious main course. And go right ahead and add lemon chicken breast to the mix. You’ll be happy you did.

Broccoli and Garlic Pasta

Print Broccoli & Garlic Pasta Recipe

  • Large bunch of broccoli, cut into florets and the stalks sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • Half pound of spaghetti (half a box)
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • Juice of a lemon
  • 2 Tbs. parmesan cheese

Place the broccoli florets into a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove florets from water with a slotted spoon and place in a colander. Run cold water over broccoli. This will stop the cooking process. Remove the florets and pat dry.

Place the spaghetti into the same pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente, according to package.

Sauté the garlic, sliced broccoli stalks and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Cook on medium low about 7 minutes. Add broccoli florets and stir to coat with olive oil.

Drain the pasta and add to the broccoli mixture. Stir to coat with the olive oil. Increase heat to medium-high and season with salt and pepper. Pour lemon juice and mix to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

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Meat and Veggie Loaf

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It’s been one of those rainy, lazy, sickly sort of days. Ethan may or may not have the flu. Everything else is irrelevant when he’s sick. We’ve been pushing the liquids. Lots of tea, water and ginger ale. Vernors, that is. Thomas had the priviledge of tasting Vernors Ginger Ale in North Carolina while visiting with some very gracious friends. He tasted the sweet, barrel aged ale and knew he had to buy some when he got home for us to try out. Apparently, it’s the oldest surviving brand of soda in the US. It was created in Detroit by a pharmacist in 1866. The thing is, we have to order it online and have it shipped to us. Ethan loves it so much, he asked Santa for Vernors for Christmas. Santa came through with two 12 packs. That should last a couple months. (I hope!)

Dinner time came and we decided on meatloaf. Everyone has their own way of making it. There are many variations around the world. This recipe has been devised over several years to become one of Ethan’s favorites….who would of thought?

It starts with the vegetables. I use whatever’s in the fridge. Tonight, it was carrot, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini.

veggies

Then add ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper.

The rest

I like to use panko bread crumbs but ran out. I just toasted up some sandwich bread and diced it small.

Now the thing that makes this meatloaf is the ketchup and sugar mixture on the top and sides.

ketchup topping

Enjoy it with even more veggies and I’ll take those end slices…thank you very much!

dinner

Turkey and Vegetable Meatloaf

  • 1/4 cup each, diced carrot, onion, mushroom, green pepper, and zucchini
  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Combine with your hands and shape into a rectangle on a sheet pan.

Cover the top and sides with ketchup mixture (1/4 cup ketchup and 1 tsp. sugar)

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 50-60 minutes.

I think the meatloaf helped because as I type, Ethan is bopping balloons and humming the New Super Mario Bros. theme songs. It’s the small victories in life that matter.

How do you make your meatloaf?

Venison Stew

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Some people won’t eat venison simply because it’s deer meat. We conjure images of Bambi and just can’t comprehend using this beautiful creature as sustenance.

The meat I used to make this wonderful stew was a living 160 lb. doe just two days ago. I received this harvest from a co-worker who is an avid hunter. He shot, gutted and butchered this animal with respect and I am grateful for the many meals it will provide. This stew is very easy to make. It is flavorful and nutritious.

Place 2 Tbs olive oil in a stock pot or dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Coat the stew meat with flour and drop into pot. Brown on all sides. You might want to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pot.

I make this stew in a crock pot but you could continue with the pot on the stove.

Place the browned meat into the crock pot. Pour a 48 oz. can of beef broth and 1 cup of water over the meat. Place the crock pot on high.

Into that same pot, place 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped celery stalks, 2 diced potatoes and 2 large chopped carrots. Saute for a couple of minutes and transfer to the crock pot.

Add a tsp of pepper and a tsp of garlic powder and stir. Cook for 4 hours on high, stirring every hour or so. At the end of four hours, add a Tbs of cornstarch or flour that has been dissolved in about 1/4 cup of water to thicken the stew.

Marcy was hanging around for a while, hoping I might drop something :)

The Meatball

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The meatball was once a mystery to me.

After many failed meatball meals, I have found the ingredients to make the best meatballs. They make a great sandwich as well as a steller pasta dish.

The Meatball Recipe

  • 1 lb. ground turkey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup zucchini, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
  • 4 small button mushrooms, finely diced
  • handful of fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients and form one inch balls. Brown the meatballs on all sides in a medium heated skillet. Transfer the meatballs to a casserole dish and cover with your favorite tomato sauce. Bake in a 350F oven for about 25 minutes.

Inspired Chili

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Like so many families, my parents divorced before I was old enough to remember them as a couple. The same holds true for my grandparents. My Gram remarried before I was old enough to know that “Grandpa” wasn’t my mother’s father. Of course, as I got older I was told this but he was and always will be, Grandpa.

My grandparents did a lot for us grandkids growing up. They took us to all the children’s theme parks in New Hampshire, like Storyland, Santa’s Village and Clark’s Trading Post.  They brought us for twist ice cream cones with rainbow jimmies at Dairy Queen in the summertime.

For Easter one year, they bought me my first bicycle. A purple Cabbage Patch Kids bike with training wheels. Grandpa taught me how to ride it.

In the picture you can see his truck in the driveway with a plate that says “I’d rather be dancing.” They used to love to go dancing. They liked going to the casino and playing the slot machines. Grandpa used to take Gram for Sunday drives to Maine to see the light houses.

My Gram made most of the meals but Grandpa had his chili. He made great chili. I once asked him for his recipe. I make mine with his in mind.

He was also the designated homefries maker for breakfast on the weekends. Now, everytime I make homefries, I’m striving to make them as tasty as he always did.

He was a heavy smoker for nearly fifty years and now has COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for him, is the occurance of chronic bronchitis in which the airways of the lungs become narrowed. He is on oxygen therapy full time. He has had some tough days and my Gram is always there taking care of him. There is no cure and he is tired a lot of the time. That is one of the symptoms along with shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, excess mucous production and a persistant cough. He isn’t able to do a lot of the things that you and I probably take for granted. He still has that smile that lights up his eyes though. I love you Grandpa and I’ll always be your ”turkey”.

In honor of your great chili Grandpa, I’m sharing my recipe, which was inspired by yours.

This chili can be made in the crockpot or stove top. I’ve been using my crockpot a lot lately. It’s such a great invention :)

Start by browning a half pound of ground turkey. Add 2-3 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp black pepper and a shake or two of red pepper flakes.

Place the browned, seasoned ground turkey in your pot. Now just pile in a small onion, half a green pepper, large can of diced tomatoes, 1/4 cup of good quality homemade style salsa, a can of black beans and a can of red kidney beans.

If you’re using a crockpot, place it on high for 4 hours and stir every hour or so. If you’re using a pot on the stove, simmer for 2 hours on medium heat, stirring every so often. If you like your chili spicy, add a few drops of tabasco sauce.

You could serve it straight up or with shredded cheese and tortilla chips. Thomas likes his with saltine crackers. However you choose to eat it, I’m sure it will become a staple, especially in the winter months. Enjoy :)

Homemade Pizza with chicken and broccoli

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Like most kids, I loved pizza when I was growing up. My dad always made homemade pizza topped with ingredients like sausage and hamburg.  I was  fascinated with the idea of making your own pizza dough. I have tried over the years to make homemade pizza taste better than store bought but I have always come up short…that is, until now.

The dough for this pizza can not be simpler. You put everything into a bowl and mix. There’s no starters or sponges. It’s just 3 3/4 cups bread flour, 2 1/2 tsp (a package and a half) yeast, 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Whisk the dry ingredients and then add the water. Mix with a wooden spoon and than your hands until it forms a dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 2 hours. After it’s doubled in size, cut it in half. (This will make two pizzas)

Grease a jelly roll pan with canola or olive oil. Spread the dough out and add your toppings.

I chose chicken and broccoli with mozzarella cheese and store bought sauce.

Place into a 450F oven for 15 minutes. Let cool for a bit before cutting and enjoying.

Even your kids will love it :)

Inspiration and dough recipe came from Joy the Baker and her Spicy Sausage and Sweet Pepper Pizza.

Chicken Soup with Rice

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My boy has gotten his first cold of the season. With the beginning of school a few weeks ago, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the sniffles and coughing started. One thing that is comforting when we’re sick is a steaming bowl of chicken soup. I make this particular recipe regularly in the winter as it’s an easy and nourishing meal in just one dish. Sometimes I make it in the crockpot and other times on the stove top. With just six ingredients, you might even have them all in your pantry right now. Cooked chicken, carrots, onion, celery, stock and rice.

This book here, Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak is the inspiration for the soup. He authored over twenty books and illustrated maybe four times that. He has received a number of honors, including the Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are. He has received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the National Medal of Arts, and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. He died this year at the age of 83.

The ingredients:

  • (2) 32oz. cartons of chicken stock
  • 2 cups of cooked chicken
  • 3 large carrots, chopped
  • 3 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup of brown rice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a crockpot and heat on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. You could alternately place everything in a pot and cook on the stove top for a couple hours.

macaroni and cheese with beans

Where does your protein come from?

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Last weekend while we were trying to stay dry during our camping trip, we found ourselves perusing the aisles of a cyber cafe/book shop. Thomas found a book by an author he knew of. The book was called The Search by Tom Brown Jr. He has authored 10 books about his philosophy and 7 field guides. He is a naturalist (I love that term) and outdoorsman. His backyard while growing up was the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. From the ages of 8 to 18, he was taught how to track, hunt, fish, build and survive off the land as the Indians had for thousands of years by is boyhood friend’s grandfather, Stalking Wolf, an Apache Indian.

Thomas read this book in a day and really enjoyed it, so now I am. It is very interesting to me. It has magnified my dream of having a bit of land with a small cabin, a large garden, orchards and peacefulness away from the worrying, fretful, and accumulating society that we live in. Life has become too manufactured and marketed.

I’ve been studying wild edible plants and how to use the resources around us before going out and buying something off of a shelf. I’m reading up on canning and preservation of food. One thing I know for sure, if I had to kill an animal for meat, I would most likely become a vegetarian.

Thankfully, the proteins we require are also readily available in plant form. Beans are a great source of protein. Take this macaroni and cheese with beans for instance. I made it last night. It’s super easy and delicious. We all had two servings.

Macaroni and Cheese with Garbanzo Beans (Recipe adapted from Deceptively Delicious)

  • 1 1/2 cups pasta of your choice (I used shells)
  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup canned beans, such as garbanzo, navy or white beans; rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup shredded chedder cheese
  • 1/8 tsp each of garlic salt and pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Combine milk and beans in a blender or food processor until pureed.

Add bean mixture to a medium heated pot and stir until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese and cook until melted and creamy.

Stir in salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and enjoy!

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Four-Cheese Chicken

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My amazing husband is a jujutsuka; which is to say he practices traditional japanese jujitsu. He has been training for years and is testing for his brown belt this coming weekend. Leading up to that day, I want to provide him with the best nutrition to fuel his body. He will surely need it. It will take all he’s got to complete it and I know he will do great. We have been by each other’s side for more than half of my life and I probably know him better than he knows himself. I know he likes this chicken dish and it’s packed with protein and iron. It’s also a great source of calcium. Using low-fat cheese means fewer calories for those of us watching our waistlines.

Serves 4

  • 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup chopped cooked spinach
  • 4 chicken cutlets (4 oz each), pounded 1/4 inch thick
  • 1 tsp butter or margarine

For the Sauce

  • 3/4 cup skim milk
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 Tbs cornstarch
  • 1 tsp butter or margarine
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. Mix well.

Drain spinach well. Spread 1/4 cup of spinach over cutlet. Spread cheese mixture over the spinach. Starting with the short end, tightly roll up cutlets, jelly-roll style.

In a medium nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add cutlets; cook turning frequently, until browned, about 2 minutes.

Place in a baking dish.

To prepare sauce, in a small bowl, stir together milk, broth, and cornstarch. Melt butter in same skillet over medium heat. Add milk mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar. Pour over cutlets.

Bake until browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Serve chicken immediately.

          

Recipe from Healthy Meals in Minutes

Calories: 310        Carbohydrates: 7 g          Protein: 40 g         Fat: 12g

mmm..

Bison & cheese with mushrooms & mayonnaise

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There are those little hole-in-wall food spots that you remember from your childhood. We try to replicate those flavors ourselves and too often come up short, but there are those times when we just might get lucky.

I grew up in a small town that had a population of about 7,000 people. Amongst the 30 square miles of land was once a gas station by the name of Gus’s. It has been re-named so many times since I was kid but the one thing it had was one heck of a steak and cheese sub. Some call it a grinder or a hoagie or a hero…I had mine with mushrooms and mayonnaise. It was delicious and filling. My husband also enjoyed his share of this exact sandwich during childhood. Of course, many sandwich stores have steak and cheese sandwiches but they haven’t even come close in comparison.

As I have stated in other posts that we use ground bison in place of beef. One day I made bison cheeseburgers. I decided to have mushrooms on mine and there it was. The flavor was reminiscent of that steak and cheese sandwich of long ago.

So, I got some rolls and toasted them in the oven, browned the ground bison and threw in some sliced mushrooms. I melted american cheese on top and nestled it in amongst the mayonnaise on the toasted sub. One bite brings you back. Now that’s nostalgia at it’s tastiest.

Do you have a favorite food from childhood that you’ve tried replicating?