Peach Banana-Berry Smoothies

Silas, my five year old, has just discovered his first loose tooth.  Loose teeth really give me the shivers. They are just plain creepy.  He is constantly wanting to show me its wiggly progress which makes me cringe.  His loose tooth has given him a bit of trouble when eating.  As the nice mother I am, I made these smoothies to give him an easy to eat breakfast (although maybe to expedite the loose tooth falling out process, perhaps I should be serving him whole apples to bite into...).

This recipe is obviously just a starting point.  Smoothies are a great opportunity to use just about any combination of fruits (and vegetables!) you have available.  Feel free to mix, match and customize!  I've gotten used to throwing in a handful of fresh spinach leaves and a spoonful of ground flax seeds to sneak in even more nutrition.  Those little extras are completely optional, but I can assure you that they blend right up and don't affect the flavor a bit.

Also, as I've been highlighting quick, weekday breakfasts, a smoothie recipe definitely needs to be included! 

Peach Banana-Berry Smoothies
makes about 3 cups
1 banana, peeled, frozen and broken into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 whole peaches or nectarines, pit removed and cut into chunks
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds (optional)
1 handful fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried (optional)
milk or fruit juice as needed

In the pitcher of a blender, place in order: yogurt, peaches, blueberries, banana chunks, spinach and flax seeds (basically, you want the more juicy kinds of fruit and any liquid on the bottom.  Blend on high speed, stopping and scraping down any stubborn pieces of fruit as needed, until smooth.  If mixture is especially thick, you can add a splash of milk or juice.  If it is too thin, a few ice cubes can help. Pour into glasses and enjoy, drinking through straws preferable. 

Note: I like to put any fruit that is starting to get close to past its prime into smoothies.  If I'm not going to use it right away, it's great to freeze it in chunks and have it ready to throw into the blender at a moment's notice.  Once bananas are overripe, I will peel them, place them in baggies and throw them in the freezer. 

Also, lots of surprising fruits are great in smoothies---try whole grapes, chunks of cantaloupe or honeydew, kiwi, peeled oranges, pineapple, kiwis, mango...I know a friend who always throws a few baby carrots into hers and another friend who puts raw beets into her smoothies (I hear they make it a lovely pink color, but I've yet to try). 

Antipasti Salad

I put this salad together after I had a whole lot of toppings leftover from my grilled pizza adventure a little while back.  I hate to waste leftovers and always try my best to maximize ingredients.  I figure, if you're going to buy that $2.99 can of artichoke hearts, it's helpful to have some other ideas on how to use them...

Anyway, since we are in the "dog days" of summer (and not yet "over" as stated by the  Florence and Machine song that naturally starts playing in my head as soon as I think of that phrase--also embarrassing confession: I know that I am officially old when I hear songs first covered on the show Glee and then hear them by their original artists, but I digress...), this salad is light yet flavorful and happens to use some things that might happen to grow in your garden right now (not mine, I get all my stuff from the store...curse you, black thumb.).  Feel free to improvise and add other goodies to this as well--sliced cucumber or zucchini, cubed salami or pepperoni pieces, cooked cooled pasta to bulk it up, you can even substitute another kind of Italian cheese for the fresh mozzarella.  Make it your own and eat those dog days away.


Antipasti Salad
1/2 can quartered artichoke hearts (about 1 cup)
1 cup grape tomatoes, larger ones halved
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed into bite sized pieces
1/2 can whole black olives (about 1 cup)
1 cup white button mushrooms, quartered
1/4-1/2 cup favorite Balsamic vinaigrette or Italian style dressing (see below for optional recipe)
1/4-1/2 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced, reserving some whole ones for garnish if desired

Directions: Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl except for the dressing and basil leaves.  Stir in desired amount of dressing.  Gently fold in shredded basil and garnish with additional basil leaves as needed.  Can be served immediately or allowed to marinate for up to 24 hours (keep basil off until ready to serve).



Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette:
    4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
    pinch of salt
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    2-4 tablespoons olive oil
   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
    fresh ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a plastic container with a lid.  Shake vigorously until ingredients are combined.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.  Shake again immediately before using. 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Sandwich

It's been a light cooking week.  Things have been busy and we were out of town with more travel on the horizon which has meant a rather empty fridge.  Usually when we're busy or just get home from a trip, one of our "go-to's" is a rotisserie chicken.  It's a great convenience food.  I don't think it's going to be long before my hungry boys will be able to polish off one of those in one sitting, but for now, we usually have at least a small bit leftover.  This sandwich ended up being a great use for the leftovers.  Crispy outside, creamy melted Swiss on the inside paired with tangy homemade honey mustard and salty ham and chicken, it was a great quick lunch.  I have quite a few uses for leftover rotisserie chicken, but this one will definitely be remembered. 
   
Chicken Cordon Bleu Grilled Sandwich 
Per Sandwich:
1 English muffin (or bread, hard roll or croissant)
about 2 ounces (about 1/4 cup) shredded cooked rotisserie chicken
2 slices deli ham
1 slice (about 1 ounce) Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon brown or Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons butter

In a small bowl, stir together mustard and honey.  Spread on inside of English muffin.  Layer chicken, ham and cheese.  Squish both sides of sandwich together.  Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Cook sandwich in skillet, pressing down with a spatula until browned on each side and cheese is melted (about 2-3 minutes on each side).

Easy Fried Rice

I know I have mentioned this before, but growing up, my very few experiences with restaurant food was almost entirely relegated to Asian take out.  What can I say, my Dad hasn't met an egg roll he didn't like.  Fried rice was always a staple of our order and it always seemed like a real crowd-pleaser.  I have just realized that I imagine Chinese restaurants are very happy when people order fried rice.  Why, you ask?  Because it's best made with LEFTOVER rice!  What a great way to cut down on product waste!  That said, it's a delicious use of leftovers and so unbelievably simple to recreate at home, it makes me think twice about ordering it in a little paper box again.  

Easy Fried Rice

(makes two large meal sized portions or four sides)
2 cups leftover cold cooked rice
3 eggs
cooking spray
salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup pea pods (optional)
1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1-2+ tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup bean sprouts (optional)
3 green onions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
1/2 cup leftover cooked meat of your choosing, cut into bite-sized pieces *see note*
 
Lightly beat the eggs and scramble with salt and pepper in a wok or large frying pan coated with cooking spray.  Once eggs are scrambled, break up into bite-sized chunks (if they aren't already), remove from pan and set aside.  Return pan to stove and over high heat, add diced carrots and pea pods (if using) and 1/3 cup water.  Boil vegetables uncovered until water evaporates and vegetable are crisp-tender (watch closely so they don't burn, the water will be gone quickly).  Remove from pan and set aside with the eggs.   Return the pan to high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and sesame oil so you have a decent film over the bottom of the pan.  Add the rice and stir fry for a couple minutes, stirring frequently to break up any chunks of rice.  Once rice is heated through, add soy sauce to taste.  Return eggs and vegetables to rice mixture.  Add frozen (the heat of the rice will thaw them quickly) peas, bean sprouts (if using) and any diced, cooked, meat desired to the pan and cook an additional minute, stirring frequently, until mixture is heated through.  Serve immediately, chopsticks optional. 

*Note: If you like meat in your fried rice you have a lot of potential options.  I used leftover chicken from a chicken and broccoli stir fry I had made the night before but pork chops basted with hoisin sauce is a really delicious addition and brings back happy memories of when my mom would make "Young Jewel Fried Rice" from the LeeAnn Chin Chinese Cookbook--was that just a Minnesota think?).  Really, just about anything works--you could even use leftover Thanksgiving turkey (I have done it and it turns out great!).

*You could even make fried rice from leftover restaurant take out (if you have any left--we always seem to have leftover white rice that starts to petrify in its little paper box).  And, you can use some remaining meat from an entree to turn your fried rice from side to main dish.  

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

"Waste not, want not" I think is how the saying goes and although it's cliche, some really great meals have come out of trying not to waste food.  Hence, this particular enchilada dish.  Leftover rotisserie chicken, leftover taco shells and leftover onion dip mixed with the new Philly Cooking Creme (savory cream cheese sauce ready to be mixed into quick meals) I scored for free with coupons.  It's not very highbrow, but it was met with raves from the family and the urgent insistence from my husband that I record the recipe.

As for the new Philly Cooking Creme, I am pretty impressed and think that it's something to keep on hand for throwing together quick meals and I am excited to use some of the other flavors in different dishes (and, I was not prompted to say that by any means...although I would be happy to say nice things for some means--just in case anyone from Kraft is reading... : ). 

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
12 Hard taco shells, broken in halves (or use broken tortilla chips)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (great time to use leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 can black beans, drained
1 12 oz. jar salsa verde, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 container Philly Cooking Creme (plain or Santa Fe flavor) (or one 8 oz package cream cheese, softened)
1 cup French onion sour cream dip (or 1 cup sour cream)
1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese, divided
Shredded lettuce, diced tomato, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream etc. for garnish (optional)

Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish.  Layer half of broken taco shells in bottom of baking dish.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine chicken, black beans, half of salsa verde, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder.  Stir to combine and pour into baking dish on top of taco shells.  In same bowl, mix together Cooking Creme, sour cream dip, remaining salsa verde and half of shredded cheese.  Pour half of Creme mixture over top of chicken mixture, and spread evenly.  Top with remaining taco shells.  Spread remaining Creme mixture over taco shells and top with remaining shredded cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and browned on top.  Or, if you're in a big hurry (not me, I ALWAYS plan ahead!), microwave on high until casserole is heated through (about 10 minutes) and then brown in 400 degree oven for about 5 minutes. 

Ham and Spinach Strata

I love brunch foods.  I love breakfast foods.  I could eat morning foods anytime of day.  This is a dish that is especially versatile.  A strata is a savory egg casserole using day old (read: stale) bread and this time, it's filled with Mediterranean style flavors--spinach, red bell peppers, feta cheese and diced ham to make it even more substantial.  The lovely thing about a strata is that it's begging for you to use any fillings you have on hand (read: a great way to use up leftovers--see my note below for some suggestions).  Simple, economical and able to be assembled ahead and popped into the oven whenever you're ready, this is an excellent dish to keep in mind for upcoming brunch-centered celebrations (read: Easter, Mother's Day, Baby Showers) and also lazy Saturday mornings. 

Ham and Spinach Strata
6 cups cubed (or torn into bite sized pieces) bread: day old French bread is lovely, croissants are elegant, you can even use leftover hot dog buns if that's what needs to be used up--sometimes they do!
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 12 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups (1 8 oz package) shredded cheese (Italian blend is nice, feel free to experiment)
1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)
2 cups diced ham
8 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions: Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the dish.  Set aside.  In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium high heat.  Add onion, and saute, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened (2-3 minutes).  Add bell pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes longer or until bell pepper is crisp-tender.  Stir in chopped spinach and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Spoon spinach mixture evenly over bottom layer of bread pieces.  Sprinkle cheeses over spinach layer and cover with remaining bread cubes.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Stir in dry mustard and season egg mixture with additional salt and pepper.  Pour over casserole.  At this point, you can cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. 
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350.  Bake uncovered until puffed and golden, about 45-55 minutes. 

note: Experiment with different combinations depending on what you have on hand: Chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese, breakfast sausage and mushrooms, asparagus and Swiss cheese, green chiles, corn and pepper jack...the possibilities are endless.

Tamale Pie

Well, after the toothache we must all have after eating a whole bowl of cookie dough from the last post, I thought I would post something healthier.  I really love making this tamale pie because it's really more one of those concept recipes--meaning it's easy to vary the filling based on what you have on hand.  What makes the "tamale" part is a soft polenta made from regular, old cornmeal.  Then, the filling possibilities are endless--taco meat, shredded beef, refried beans, fajita style chicken, you get the picture... For this particular night, I made a vegetarian version filled with black beans and green chiles to pair with some really delicious Chicken Green Chile sausages I picked up (thank you, new Sunflower Market, for opening up right near my Thursday morning Bible study!). 


Tamale Pie (Black Bean variation)

Polenta
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken base (I love "Better than Bouillon" brand--or bouillon cube)
1 cup yellow corn meal (the kind you make cornbread with)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, divided

Black Bean Filling:
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (or 1 can Rotel), drained (or substitute salsa)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 cup (or one small can) diced green chiles

Garnishes as desired: shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, black olives, jalapenos, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To prepare filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally and keeping warm while preparing the polenta. 

To prepare the polenta, in a medium sauce pan bring water, milk and chicken base or bouillon cube to a boil (watch it very carefully as it will boil over very quickly with that milk in it.  I am not sure why milk boils over like crazy given the opportunity, but you do not want to clean that mess up!).  Immediately whisk in cornmeal and lower heat to medium low and continue to whisk until all the water is absorbed and the mixture is thick and bubbly (about 1 minute).  Stir in cheese to melt.  Working quickly, as the polenta will firm up quickly, pour half of polenta mixture into a greased baking dish (8x8 or round casserole).  Pour filling over top of bottom layer (or spread over any desired filling), sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese, and spread remaining polenta over top of filling topping with the remaining cheese.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese on top is melted and browning and filling is bubbly. 

To serve, top individual servings with desired garnishes.

Who Knew Rice and Beans Could Be This Good?

Having celebrated Easter not too long ago, we were on a serious ham kick (actually it was awhile ago, but with how quickly time seems to be flying maybe it just seems like it was a recent event). I was snagging them for under a dollar a pound and our poor house church was being subjected to every kind of ham dish under the sun. They’re such good sports. I am loathe to let a good ham bone or turkey carcass go to waste, and boiling the ham bone to make pinto beans is my most recent favorite application (for making turkey stock, my Minnesota roots demand to make Turkey Wild Rice Soup, but that is another post for another day…).

Pinto Bean and Brown Rice Bowls
1 ham bone
1 medium onion, quartered
1 pound bag dried pinto beans, washed and sorted
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons minced garlic, (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste, add just before serving

For serving:

hot, cooked brown rice
cilantro, chopped
shredded cheese
salsa
sour cream

Directions: In a large pot of water, boil ham bone and quartered onion for several hours until all the meat falls off of the bone. Strain through cheesecloth (or paper towels work pretty well too!) in a strainer into a large bowl or another pot. You can also pick through the meat and add any back to the broth, if you like. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim off any fat that has solidified at the top. Now, you have ham broth!

**you can also use chicken broth or water and a couple boullion cubes and skip this step**

For Beans: Wash and sort beans to remove any foreign debris. Soak beans according to package directions (I prefer the “fast” method of bringing beans and water to a boil, boil for one minute and then remove from heat and let soak while covered for an hour, although you can ). Drain water and rinse several times until water is clear. This will remove a lot of the “hard to digest” compounds.

In a large pot, combine broth, soaked beans, thyme and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until beans are tender (about an hour). Once beans are cooked through, add salt and pepper and adjust any other seasonings (garlic powder, cumin, etc.). Occasionally, I’ll add some chili powder to taste as well.

To serve:
In a bowl, layer cooked brown rice, pinto beans and desired toppings.

Topping ideas: shredded cheese, salsa, diced avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, lime wedges

Other ideas for the beans (since they make a large pot and there’s only so many rice and bean bowls you can eat in a week–no matter how tasty they may be! : ):
use as a topping for nachos
filling for burritos
in chili
put in a gallon ziploc bag, lay flat and freeze

A speedy tip: Just use a can of pinto or black beans. Stir in a teaspoon of cumin, a half teaspoon of garlic powder and a squeeze of lime juice. Heat and serve over rice and top as you wish!

True Pantry Living

Ok, this is a long time in coming. I always have billed myself as a “bargain” cook and now I really have to put my money where my mouth is. Due to some new financial constraints, I am hesitant to spend money and, thus, go to the store right now. That means, it’s time to be extra resourceful and cook with what I have on hand at this moment. We went to a Birthday party this afternoon and gorged ourselves on Chik-fil-a (did you already know how delicious their chicken salad sandwiches are? I had no idea…I pity the fool who has no access to a Chick-fil-a!) and I managed to eat BOTH Jay’s and my dessert last night when we were out celebrating our eighth (EIGHTH!) anniversary at a Mexican restaurant (apparently, I DO have room for both churros and flan after eating an enormous vegetarian burrito. Shameful.). Anyway, the point of all that is I am thankful I don’t have to come up with something too substantial for dinner tonight. Here’s what I’ve managed to come up with:

Maple Roasted Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad with Bacon Mustard Balsamic Vinaigrette
6 oz. Bag of pre-washed baby spinach (love the stuff!)
6 slices of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces and pan fried until crispy, reserving 2 Tablespoons of the drippings
1/4 c. red onions, sliced (soak onion slices in ice water for 10 minutes to remove the bite)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (slice 1/2 inch rounds and then quarter)
2 T. olive oil
kosher salt
2 T. maple syrup (thank you, Cracker Barrel and your adorable leftover bottles–it’s been a long time since I’ve been to Whole Foods to get bulk maple syrup)
1/2 cup blackberries, washed and dried
1/4 cup toasted pecan pieces

dressing:
2 T. stone ground mustard
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. bacon drippings
1/4 t. garlic powder
4 T. balsamic vinegar
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast sweet potatoes for 25 minutes, or until browned and tender, turning once. Drizzle maple syrup over potatoes and roast for 5 additional minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

For dressing: in a glass measuring cup, whisk together mustard, syrup, drippings and garlic powder. Once combined, whisk in balsamic vinegar. Finally, slowly drizzle in olive oil until dressing is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble salad:
Layer spinach, sweet potatoes, onions and blackberries. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Sprinkle bacon pieces and toasted pecans over top.

And the verdict…Silas told me it was the “best dinner ever!” but I think he’s becoming very adept at trying to butter mommy up.

Also, I made spaghetti pie to bring to church tomorrow for lunch. Gotta love re-purposing the leftovers! Sorry, the picture is u-g-l-y...it really did taste better than it looks! I have a lot of room for growth in my food photography! Try as you might, a fresh basil leaf sometimes does NOT dress things up enough!



Spaghetti Pie:
1 lb. spaghetti, broken into thirds, cooked al dente
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

4 cups leftover spaghetti sauce
(jarred marinara, 1 lb. extra lean ground beef, 8 oz. frozen spinach thawed and drained, 1/2 package sauteed, sliced baby bella mushrooms)

1 c. Italian blend shredded cheese

Stir cream cheese into warm pasta. Beat together eggs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir into pasta until noodles are thoroughly coated. Pour into greased round casserole dish. Level out the pasta. Spread sauce mixture over pasta and top with shredded cheese. Bake, covered at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 additional minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.