Our Sloppy Jake's

I know it's been a while since I have posted but we still do cook. If fact Jake made Christmas dinner. He did a beautiful rib roast, roasted potatoes, carrots, and he made a wonderful caramel coffee cheesecake. Last night he made a great sauce to go with the tortellini we had in the fridge.

Tonight I asked what we should have for dinner and he answered he didn't know. I suggested going to the grocery store and looking at the meat case. As we were looking I asked if he wanted chicken, burgers, or steak. He wanted steak, so my next question was, what should we do with it. I got the answer of I don't know. We threw out some ideas, then I said what about a sandwich dripping with some kind of sauce. Then, Jake said and spinach, I added peppers and onions. I went off to get the onion, bell pepper, and spinach. He went and picked the bread, some fresh rolls and of course chips (Jake could live on nothing but chips).

I came home, heated my dutch oven, sliced the the bell pepper, onion, and of course garlic. I put a couple of tablespoons of canola oil in the bottom of the pan, then put the onion and pepper in. I cooked those down a little before adding the garlic. Next, I patted the steak dry, seasoned with salt and pepper. I removed the onion and pepper from the pan, then I seared the steaks. After that I returned the onion and peppers to the pan on top of the steaks, then I poured a bottle of the store brand sweet and tangy honey bbq sauce, and a 1/2 cup of water over the steak. I then placed the pan in the a 375 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours. I removed it from the oven and let it rest. While that was resting Jake took the rolls, split them in 1/2, smeared them with butter/margarine, placed them in the oven after cranking it up to 500 degrees. I took the steak and cut it in small thin slices. We took the bread and smeared some horseradish on both sides, placed some sliced colby cheese, then added the sliced steak, then some of the sauce, onions and peppers, finally topped it off with the spinach. It was definitely a knife and fork sandwich!

 

Pork and Pasta

Jake and Dakota cooked dinner tonight. They made pork chops with an onion and  basil butter sauce. They also made a butter and basil pasta. They did a great job but kept what they used under wraps...lol I do know that I bought a red onion and fresh parsley, Jake also took some garlic, thyme, and fresh basil. They seared the chops in the basil, garlic, and butter (it was suppose to be sage but Jake is allergic to that so they used basil), they then finished it off in a 425 degree oven until the pork was done. They were thick cut pork chops, in the pic it's just 1/2 of the chop. For the pasta they used basil, butter, garlic, dried thyme, and fresh parsley. The pasta could have used some more sauce and flavor. Dakota insisted on plating everyone's plates.

Crock Pot Sweet Garlic Chicken

I thought I would try this tonight. I did change  one thing. I used chicken quarters instead of the breast. I had the chicken quarters in the freezer already and didn't feel like going to the store.

Crock Pot Sweet Garlic Chicken - Delicious! Dare I say... better than the baked version 

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Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (diet or regular)
2-3 Tablespoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 Tablespoons water
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken (frozen, thawed or fresh) inside slow cooker. Mix together brown sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper together. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Take chicken pieces out of slow cooker (mine basically fell apart) and pour remaining sauce into saucepan. Place saucepan over high heat. Mix together corn starch and water, pour into saucepan, and mix well. Let sauce come to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken and turns into a glaze. Remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two (it will continue to thicken as it cools down).

Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top if desired. This can be served over rice or noodles, I also like it with a baked potato on the side (It's good on top of the potato too!)

Chicken Tortilla Crock Pot Soup

I saw this recipe the other day online and decided yesterday I would try it today. I know it's kind of weird making soup when it's still 90 degrees outside but it looked yummy.

Here's the original recipe. I will explain what I did differently. I used a green enchilada sauce instead of the red only because that's what I had in the cabinet. I used more garlic, because everything needs more garlic! I also didn't measure any of the spices. Overall it was a really good recipe and it came out yummy. It's a keeper. In the pic I didn't have the tortilla strips on top but I did make them. We topped it with grated colby cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.

Chicken Tortilla Crock pot Soup

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Directions

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches/Waffels

Troy asked if I could try making this recipe he found so of course I said yes. I changed up the recipe a bit. It called for frozen waffles, which I don't buy. So I made my normal waffle recipe. It also called for cottage cheese which I didn't use.

2 large eggs beat well, add 2 cups of flour, 1 3/4 cups milk(I used lactaid), 1/2 cup oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix just until everything is mixed(lumps are ok). I then use my George Foreman g-5 grill (waffle iron) to make the waffles. I then mixed 8oz of cream cheese with a couple of tablespoons of raspberry jam. Then, I cut the waffles into squares, spread the cream cheese mixture onto 1 slice of the waffle the placed another piece on top of it. Then I put them in a skillet that had melted butter in it, and browned them on each side, last I topped them with powdered sugar.

Cavatelli with Sausage, Eggplant, and Saffron Cream

Tonight was suppose to be Jake and Dakota cooking but Dakota didn't help much, so I ended up cooking with Jake.

He went back to the Rachael Ray cookbook. I was really surprised he picked this recipe since he doesn't like eggplant. What you will need is 1 pound of pasta (it called for Cavatelli but we used what was in the cabinet) 1/4 cup  olive oil, 2 pinches of saffron, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 3/4 pound ground pork (we used turkey since it was in the freezer), 4 cloves garlic chopped, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 egg plant, cubed and only peel 1/2, 1 tsp thyme, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and parm or romano cheese.

First start you water for your pasta. Then cook the pasta until aldenta.  Next heat a large deep skillet with 1/8 cup of olive oil, add the fennel and saffron over medium high heat. Add the turkey, cook until it's browned. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, then season with salt and pepper.  Push the meat to the sides of the pan, add the rest of the olive oil, then all of the egg plant to the center of the pan, season with salt. Cook until the eggplant is tender about 5 minutes, combine it with the meat. Add the thyme and toss, then stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the cream and reduce the heat to low. Taste and season if needed. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss the cheese into the pasta until well combined. Add some of the pasta water if needed. Serve with more cheese.

I didn't get a picture tonight. We did add a lot more seasoning to it only because we like a lot of flavor.

Fajitas and Cupcakes

Tonight it was Troy and I, before he ran away to hang out with a friend. I don't have a clue why a 22 year old would prefer to hang out with friends and not his mom on a Friday night...lol Of course he waited until after dinner to leave.

I ran to the store and found some discounted steak, a top sirloin for $3.00. I then decided to pick up a green bell pepper,a red bell pepper, and an onion. Fajitas it was! I came home and cut up the veggies I bough along with a jalapeno, and 4 cloves of garlic. I then patted the steak dry and salt and peppered it, then drizzled it with oil. I seared the steak, then while it was resting I sauteed the veggies. When the veggies were almost done I added a small can of green enchilada sauce for flavor. That was it dinner was done. Fast and easy.

Since the boys left me home by myself(I have Nibbler here but he doesn't count) I got bored. I needed to find something to do. I didn't feel like cleaning so I decided to bake. I took my normal homemade chocolate cake recipe and added 2 packets of caramel macchiato cappuccino mix. Then in a separate bowl I mixed a 6 oz container of cream cheese(it was at the Dollar Tree), sugar, and vanilla until smooth. I then placed about a tablespoon of the cake mix in the bottom of the muffin tin, then I added about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mix, then topped it with more cake mix. I put them in the oven on 350 degrees. Some of them I over filled and the cream cheese ran out of the cupcake. I know I made these with a strawberry mix before and they turned out great, but oh well. They still taste great, and that's all that matters!

To get the swirl frosting I took a pastry bag, placed some chocolate frosting in it and some butter cream frosting then piped it on.

Burger Patties

For the first time in a long time, tonight was actually cooking with Jake. I jokingly asked Jake what he was fixing for dinner. He answered with, I will figure it out when we get back from the farm. I guess working with his steer made him think of burgers, and he's had this new(but good) obsession with spinach. So he decided he would make spinach. cheese, and garlic burgers.

He took a small package of hamburger and added some shredded romano cheese, 1/2 of package of spinach(which I wilted in a skillet with garlic and some butter), about 5 cloves of grated garlic cloves, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. He cooked them until they were seared then placed them in a 400 degree oven to finish.

He also through some french fries in the oven to cook. I forgot the picture yet again.

Fried Chicken

Jake and Dakota thought they would cook tonight since they haven't done it in awhile. We have all been really busy. Someone has been cooking but I have been forgetting to post it.

My sister had some chicken out so they decided to do fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn.

Jake asked me to do the coating for the chicken. I mixed 2 part flour, 1 part bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cornstarch, salt, pepper, and paprika. ( I would normally put cayenne in it but my sister's family doesn't like spicy). They then dipped it in some beaten eggs and milk, then in the flour mixture, then repeated. They then fried it to a golden brown in canola oil, then placed it on a cookie sheet with a wire rack and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

I helped by prepping the potatoes. I cubed them and soaked them in water. They boiled them, drained, mashed with butter, milk, and grated garlic.

The corn was the easy thing. They opened 2 cans of corn, drained them and added butter. They microwaved them.

Oh, I almost forgot the gravy. They took the skillet they fried the chicken in, removed all the oil, melted 3 tbs of butter, then added 3 tbs of flour, they let that cook out, then added about 3 cups of lactose free milk. They cooked it until it thickened. They did an excellent job!

London Broil and Stir Fry

I had no clue what to fix for dinner. I did however know there wasn't anything really in the house I wanted. It was off to the grocery store looking for a good deal. I headed to the meat department( I think it should be in the front of the store instead of the back since that's where I start when I don't know what to fix) for the reduced for quick sale. I found a great looking london broil for only $4.00. I then headed to the produce to have a look around. I decided on an onion, celery, a zucchini, and a green bell pepper. I had also found a package of thinly sliced pork for $2.35( not in the reduced area), so that's dinner for tomorrow.

I let the steak come up to room temp, I patted it dry, put salt and pepper on it, then drizzled it with canola oil (I normally use olive oil but I am out right now). I heated the cast iron skillet on medium high heat and turned the oven on to 425 degrees. I seared the steak on all sides for about 5 minutes each side, or when the meat released from the pan. I then put the skillet in the oven and let it cook for about 10 minutes for medium.

Meanwhile I heated a non stick skillet with some canola spray. I put all the veggies in there then stir fried them until tender but not mushy.

That's all I fixed.

Hamburger, Rice, and Green Beans

I laid out some hamburger this morning but wasn't sure what I was going to do with it until I decided to cook dinner.

I took the hamburger added 4 cloves chopped garlic, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons Safeway's steak and chop marinade. I mixed all of that together, placed a cube of pepper jack cheese in the middle then formed patties. I cooked them in a frying pan until the doneness I wanted.

Meanwhile, I took a box of Rice A Roni parmesan chicken rice, and cooked it, and put a bag of steamable green beans in the microwave.

Pasta, Steak, and Bread

On the spur of the moment I laid out some thin steak but didn't have a clue what I was fixing to go with it until about an hour before dinner time. I have a lot of pasta and potatoes but didn't feel like potatoes tonight. Pasta it was.

I took 2 cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes in tomato juice put them in a skillet with 4 cloves of diced garlic, and some diced squash I had frozen about a month ago. I let that simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile I started the pot of water for the pasta and got the cast iron skillet ready for the steak. I dried the steak then sprinkled on some salt, pepper, and the sweet steak rub. On a side note be careful picking up those cast iron skillets I think I pulled something in my side doing this the other night. When I dropped the pasta I drizzled some EVOO on the steak and placed it in the hot skillet, just long enough to get a good sear on it, it only took a few minutes per side since it was thin. When the pasta was done I added it to the sauce along with about 1/2 cup of the pasta water. I served the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Sandwiches and Chocolate Cake

I wanted something fast and easy tonight. I always do. We went to the store to see what might be good for dinner. Jake has band camp all week and is worn out after therefore doesn't want to cook. We started again at the meat case looking for something cheap. I found 2 chicken breast for $4.35....perfect. I decided to make chicken sandwiches.

I took the chicken and pounded it out. I then breaded it by combining flour, breadcrumbs, with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. I dipped the chicken in that then into a bowl with eggs and a little bit of milk, then back into the flour mixture. I then fried it until it was golden brown. It gets done so much faster when it's pounded out.

 Meanwhile I toasted some sandwich rolls. After toasting I took a clove of garlic and rubbed the bread with it so the bread had some flavor. We placed 1/2 of the chicken breast on the roll with some colby cheese and bbq sauce.

On the way home from the farm I mentioned I really was craving chocolate but I really needed to go home and ride my stationary bike. Well, Jake suggested I still make something yummy then ride my bike. He won. We went back to the store and found a box cake mix on sale( not like us to use a box mix) it was $1.62 and the frosting was about the same amount. I made the cake and put it in the oven, then got on to my bike.

Swai, Rice, and Salad

I told my sister I would bake fish for dinner and some make some rice. Zach asked for chicken flavored rice I said ok specially since I had some rice a roni in the cabinet. She said she would make a salad.

For the fish I drizzled some EVOO on it the sprinkled it with salt, lemon pepper, rosemary, thyme, fresh green onions, and thinly sliced onions. I let that marinate for a little over an hour.  I then placed it a 425 degree oven for about 25 minutes. For those of you that didn't know swai is an asian catfish.

Meanwhile I made the ric a roni following the directions on the package.

Steak, Baked Potatoes, and Veg

This afternoon I told Jake lets go to the store and see what we want for dinner. I hadn't laid anything out but knew I had to fix something. We went in and the first place I went was to the meat section, I think it's the best place to start, then you can build on that. I went to the reduced for quick sale. A lot of people tend to shy away from this section because they feel the meat isn't any good over there. As a single parent I tend to go there because I can't afford much other than that, and we get tired of eating chicken. Today they had a lot of steaks that looked really good. I decided on some top sirloin, 2 great size ones for $8.50.

I took the steaks, dried them, and then rubbed them with a sweet grill mates rub. Next I seared them on all sides(about 8 minutes on both sides) in a cast iron skillet that has the grill shape at the bottom.

I then placed them in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. I took it out and let it rest.

Meanwhile I put 2 potatoes in the microwave for about 8 minutes (poke holes in them first). Then I threw a bag of steam-able veggies in the microwave for 6 minutes. I also sauteed 1 red onion, chopped mushrooms, and 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic, then added 1 bottle of Heinz chicken and ribs sauce.

This was so good, even though I didn't touch the potato. I ate the veggies and steak.

Breakfast/lunch

We all went to bed very late, and I know I didn't sleep much at all, so we all got up late this morning. So the 3 of us got together and made breakfast. Troy chopped up the potatoes and jalapenos, Jake shredded the cheese, and I cooked it all. We had a good breakfast of potatoes, scrabbled eggs, and sausage.

Tonight I will be making some ground turkey tacos at my sister's house.

Steak Sandwiches

Jake said he wanted Subway for dinner but I didn't want that for dinner nor did I want to drive to that side of town again. So I suggested going into the store where I saw some steaks in the discounted meat section earlier. I grabbed an onion, some sandwich rolls, and the sirloin steaks. There were 2 perfect roll size steaks in the package for only $4.77. So in totally for our steak sandwiches it cost me $7.50 where that would have been the price just for 1 foot long at Subway. 

I took the steaks dried them off, used a sweet and smokey rub on them, then threw them on my George Foreman  G-5 grill. Meanwhile I sliced and sauteed the onion in some margarine. I toasted the rolls in a skillet. We put the some bbq sauce on the rolls, then when I pulled the steaks off the grill I put some pepper jack cheese on them so it melted until it was melty. We placed that on the rolls and I topped mine with the onions. It was a sandwich you had to use a knife fork with. 

Chicken, Rice, and Squash

Jake came back from camp last night and slept for 17 hours straight. He said he would make dinner tonight because it was my bday.

He took boneless skinless chicken breast and rubbed it with Chinese 5 spice, baked it for 20 minutes, then he made some fried rice to go with it( it was the chicken helper fried rice), he also sauteed some of the squash that Robyn brought me. It was a really good dinner.

Fish

I know I haven't posted in a few days but I haven't been cooking and Jake is away at camp. Tonight though I really didn't "cook". I took some of the Joe's Crab Shack microwave meals to my sister's house. Each bag contains 2 pieces of fish(tonight it was cod and tiliapia. It was 2 bags) veggies(tonight one had squash and the other had green beans and red peppers) and both had orzo. The cod came with a dill shallot sauce and the tilapia came with a lemon butter sauce. It was actually really good.

I probably won't do any more cooking the rest of the month, if I am lucky. Jake will be home Saturday then on Monday we are off to my sister's in Oregon because she's getting married.

Chicken Tacos and Peach Cobbler

Tonight my sister said she was cooking. She made chicken tacos. they were good.

I made a peach cobbler today from some peaches a friend brought me yesterday. They were very yummy peaches but they gave me blisters in my mouth, I should know better.

Ingredients
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups milk
Ground cinnamon, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water in a saucepan and mix well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Put the butter in a 3-quart baking dish and place in oven to melt.

Mix remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk slowly to prevent clumping. Pour mixture over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Sprinkle top with ground cinnamon, if using. Batter will rise to top during baking. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes.

To serve, scoop onto a plate and serve with your choice of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Egg Noodles with Bolognese Sauce and Vanilla Souffle

So tonight was suppose to be Jake and Dakota, but things happen and Jake was stuck cooking with me. They had planned on cooking these 2 things so I was just there to help. For the pasta we did the following, heat 2 tbls EVOO in a large dutch oven then we added 1 pound of ground turkey( the recipe called for 1lb ground beef, and 1 lb ground veal but my sister can only have chicken and turkey) you cook that until the turkey is dry and very well brown and crusty. Then add 1 finely chopped carrot, 1 rib finely chopped celery, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 to 3 large cloves of garlic thinly sliced (I suggest 4 to 5), 1 bay leaf, salt, 1/4 cup mixed herbs( parsley, rosemary, thyme ans sage) (Jake is allergic to sage so we used basil)and pepper, cook until veggies are tender. Then add 2 tbls tomato paste. Add 1 cup dry white wine, 1 28 oz diced tomatoes, add 1 cup milk(we used lactose free milk) and a pinch of ground cloves. Put in on simmer for a good 45 minutes, we did about 30.

Meanwhile boil a large pot of water, salt then add the egg noodles. Drain add 1/2 of the sauce to the noodles, toss well, Serve wit sauce on top of it along with freshly grated Parmesan.

Jake also sauteed some of the fresh squash that Robyn Slye brought us today, he added some of the cucumber(it wasn't great in there, but what does a kid that doesn't eat veggies know).

Dakota and Jake started the souffles this morning because the custard had to sit.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/3 cups whole milk, divided
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, separated
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting
• Fresh berries

Preparation:

How to make vanilla soufflé:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a large soufflé dish and roll 1/4 cup of granulated sugar throughout the dish, making sure to cover all the interior surfaces. Set aside the prepared soufflé dish.

Bring 1 cup of the milk to just steaming in a medium saucepan set over low-medium heat. Stir together 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, and the remaining 1/3 cup milk until it forms a smooth batter.

Slowly whisk half of the hot milk into the batter, making sure to combine the ingredients until they are completely smooth. Add the tempered batter back to the hot milk in the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Stir and cook the mixture until it has thickened, for about 1 minute. Stir the butter into the mixture and allow it to cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites on medium high speed until they become foamy, and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Continue beating the egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff glossy peaks.

Gently stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the vanilla mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whipped egg whites. The vanilla mixture should be evenly colored and light and bubbly, without egg white streaks or marbling.

Spoon the soufflé mixture into the prepared dish and allow it to rest, covered, for up to 30 minutes or bake right away for 25 to 30 minutes (slightly longer at high altitudes) until the soufflé has risen with a crusty exterior. Serve the soufflé with a dusting powdered sugar and a few plump berries, if desired.

This vanilla soufflé recipe makes 6 servings.

This one started deflating as soon as it came out of the oven.

Chicken, Potatoes, and Veggies

My sister cooked a good dinner tonight. She roasted 2 whole chickens. She also roasted potatoes, carrots, and broccoli. It was good especially since I didn't have to cook. I am not sure of spices she used other than garlic, salt, and pepper.

The night before I made some grilled chicken tacos, and the night before that I bought a Little Ceasers $5.00 pizza. Jake and Dakota are cooking tomorrow night, can't wait!!

Chicken Burgers and Oven Fries

I decided I would make chicken burgers. Here's what I did... I took skinless boneless chicken thighs, chopped them into small pieces, then in small batches I put them in my blender (I don't have a food processor) along with a small amount of olive oil, then pulsed it until it was broken up, then turned it on the icy drink button and blended until it was smooth. Then in a bowl I added egg, bread crumbs, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix that together, make them into patties, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. A few minutes before I took them out I put sliced colby  cheese on them to melt it. I served them with sauteed onions and mushrooms.

I also made oven fries/wedges. I cut the potatoes into wedges, then coated them with olive oil, and seasonings, salt, pepper, paprika. Placed them on a cookie sheet and cooked them in the 425 degree oven for about 35 to 45 minutes.

Grilled Chicken

Since Henry had to go back on the road and I didn't want to be here being sad about that I thought dinner with Elena and the brats. I looked in the freezer to see what I had. I found a big package of leg quarters I had picked up because it was cheap ($5.20 for a pkg of 6). I asked Elena if she wanted to bbq. She said yes.

I took the chicken out then marinated it in some garlic and herb marinade. I also decided I wanted to make either a potato or pasta salad. I chose the pasta because I wouldn't have to peel all those potatoes. I ran to the store to pick up stuff for the salad, pasta was only $.75. I can home and made it. I boiled the full pound of pasta, and 3 eggs(with the eggs I bring them to a full boil, remove from heat, and cover for 13 minutes, it makes perfectly boiled eggs). Meanwhile I cut up, 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, 1 small jar of pickles, 1 can of olives. When the pasta was done I mixed the chopped eggs, olives, and pickles along with some mayo (reduced fat made with olive oil), dijon mustard, salt and pepper. I pulled some of that out of the bowl to be nice to my sister's hubby who doesn't like onion or peppers. Then I added in the onion and peppers. I had Jake taste it and he said I did a good job.

At my sister's house Jake started the grill (her hubby won't because he set himself on fire before). Then Jake put the chicken on the grill when it was ready. It was a pretty good dinner. My sister made some corn on the cob (I don't like corn) and baked potatoes. I didn't get a pic.

Beef Gyros

I need something I could make without having to stand over the stove with the heat. I put a roast in the slow cooker and set it on low all day. An hour before dinner time I added onions, red and green peppers to the slow cooker. I served with a sauce made of 1 cup plain yogurt, 1/3 cup chopped seeded cucumber, 1 clove of garlic minced, 1 tsp sugar, and 2 tbs diced onion. I also had out lettuce, tomato, and green olives.

It was definitely fast and easy!!

Chicken Sandwiches

Tonight there was chicken left over so I said I would cook again...I know 2 nights in a row. I am really on this quick and easy thing, so what easier that chicken sandwiches...I know ham. Anyway...

I took the skinless boneless chicken thighs seasoned them with garlic pepper, salt, paprika, and breaded them. I dipped them in eggs, then bread crumbs (some of the chicken I breaded with bread crumbs seasoned with chili powder and crushed chili flakes. I then placed them on a sprayed cookie sheet and baked at you guessed 425 degrees for 15 minutes. I served them with baby spinach (for lettuce), red onion, tomatoes, and lemon cucumbers, oh and some store bought coleslaw too.

FYI, I did not eat this whole sandwich!

Creamy Chicken Cups, Rice, Black Beans, and Coconut Cream Pie/Cake

I found this recipe on face book and decided to try it. It wasn't in my new easy and fast world, but I think it might be a keeper. It would be much faster if you had leftovers.

I took 10( I was cooking for 6 people) medium sized tortillas cut them into the size of a muffin tin, I got 4 circles out of each tortilla (the size of Jake's ramekins). I sprayed the muffin tins, placed the tortillas in the muffin tins being careful to shape and try to make them even, then brushed a little oil over the tortillas, placed them in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Take out and place them on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile I roasted 6 chicken thighs, boneless skinless of course, and made a box of spainsh rice. After the chicken cooled, I shredded it, put it in a bowl, added a 1/2 bag of shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup rice, 2 tbls sour cream, 2 tbls salsa, 1/4 can of black beans, and the juice of one lime. I mixed it all together. Then I placed about 1 tbls. of the mixture in each cup, and topped it with some shredded mexican 4 cheese. I then took it to my sister's placed them on a cookie sheet and baked them for about 5 minutes at 425 or until the cheese was bubbly and heated through.

The recipe called for some chopped cilantro but I didn't add because my sister is allergic. Also for my nephews I only put the chicken and cheese in the tortilla cups. It also called to put a layer of refried beans on the bottom but I decided just to serve that one the side. Serve it with your favorite taco toppings.

I also found this easy recipe for a coconut cream pie on fb last night and just had to try it. It actually makes its own crust.

Coconut Custard Pie
This makes its own crust
2 cups milk 
2 1/2 cups flaked coconut 
4 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour or bisquick
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or butter softened

Combine all ingredients mix well and pour into 9 inch buttered pie pan.
Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted in the center comes out clean..

However I do not own a pie pan so I put this into 2, 8 inch cake pans.

Dakota and Jake's Awesome Dinner

It was Saturday so it was Dakota and Jake's turn for dinner and family game night.

So they started out peeling potatoes for their "fancy" mashed potatoes. (I should mention Zach helped too) Yes, he is trying to peel potatoes with a butter knife dressed in his bike helmet and  a scarf as a belt. He insisted on helping.

They did a great job making chicken cordon blu. They pounded out some skinless boneless chicken thighs, added a slice of honey ham, and a slice of swiss cheese. Zach helped Jake mash the potatoes while I gave Dakota a lesson on making gravy. For the gravy we melted a couple of tablespoons of sherry butter(I had made it for steaks a while back) which consist of butter/margarine, parsley, dry sherry, garlic, and other spices, blended until smooth. To that we sprinkled a couple of tbs and let that cook for about a minute, then added about 2 cups of chicken broth, and a tbs of spicy ground mustard. We let that hang out to thicken. Of course these two hate veggies so none was on the menu. I grabbed some squash I had blanched and froze. I placed the frozen squash, in the bag into the microwave and steamed it that way. Dinner was very yummy and fattening. 

For dessert they made an Earl Grey cake. It's a cake batter infused with Earl Grey tea, Jake's favorite tea. It was the first time Dakota has made a cake from scratch and again he did a great job. I only helped getting the cakes out of the pan on this one.

Chicken, Potatoes, and Mac and Cheese

Elena said she had dinner again and I was like ok. I know I should rename this blog cooking with the family, but it is what it is. I went over there and she was done with everything. She made chicken with my squash relish, baked potatoes, mac and cheese and BBQ ribs. I didn't try the ribs but the boys loved them.

Turkey Nachos

Elena called and asked if we wanted to come to dinner, of course my answer was yes. If she cooks then I don't have too. She asked if turkey nachos was fine, I said OK. She cooked some ground turkey added some garlic and taco seasoning. I put some pepper jack cheese on top of the chips heated in the microwave then added the turkey, tomatoes, onion, and olives. It was fast, easy and good!!

Salmon and Mahi Mahi

I never usually buy frozen prepackaged fish. I was at Grocery Outlet and saw these 2 things that interested me. They were Joe's Crab Shack. The first one was ginger sesame salmon with sweet potatoes and snap peas. The second one was Mahi Mahi, with coconut rice, and green beans. Tonight I thought we would try them because 1 I promised to go to Dakota's game and 2 Jake was at a friends house and can't have the sesame salmon. I really didn't believe that these would taste any good but it really surprised me. Te veggies were crisp and tasted really fresh, the rice was good. I am not sure about the sweet potatoes because I don't like them but my sister said they were good. The Mahi tasted really good, it came with a salsa to go over top, my sister and her husband said the salmon was good too. I would definitely but this again. The other plus is that each bag was enough for 2 people and only cost $3.99.

Baked Chicken, Baked Potatoes, and Veggies

So when I left my sister's house last night Zach(age 7) swore he was cooking tonight. He had his menu all planned out, chicken and french fries. I showed up there tonight and Doug was cooking, so I asked Zach why are you not cooking? He said they wouldn't let him cook his chicken nuggets and french fries. I thought it was funny but he didn't.

Doug fixed a pretty good dinner and easy too. He took a packet of  Kraft Mesquite chicken packet, coated the boneless skinless chicken thighs(I left there last night because I took to much for Jake and Dakota), placed them on a cookie sheet, and put them in 375 degree oven for 25 minutes (I think). Meanwhile he put some potatoes in the microwave to "bake". Then I brought over a package of steamed veggies, of cauliflower, snap peas, carrots, and cranberries. I let him cook those to.

Chicken Parm, and Pasta with Spinach and Garlic Butter

Tonight was Jake(17 yrs.) and Dakota's(12 yrs) night to cook dinner as is every Saturday, it is also family game night.

I actually started it last night by making them bread crumbs. They wanted me to buy some but why buy something you can make...right? I took some stale bread cubed it, drizzled it with olive oil, dried basil, oregano, and garlic pepper. Put them on a cookie sheet, and in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Let them cool place them in a zip lock bag and crush.

Tonight they took skinless boneless chicken thighs, dipped them in 2 beaten eggs, then into the bread crumbs, placed them on a cookie sheet that had been sprayed with cooking spray, put them in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes or until crisp. They took them out placed them in a baking dish, covered it with pasta sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan , but them back in the oven until the cheese was melted and bubbly and chicken was cooked through.

Meanwhile they put a pan of water on to boil, cooked a 1 lb of penne. While that was cooking they took a large deep skillet melted some butter(they would not give me the amounts), along with 5 or more cloves of chopped garlic, basil, and oregano,  then wilted a large bag of baby spinach. When the pasta was done, they drained it and added it to the sauce, Toss it together.

The for dessert they made a smore's brownie. First the crushed up 1 package of graham crackers, added a couple tbls melted butter,(no garlic this time...lol) about a tbls sugar, and a tsp of vanilla. They pressed that down in the bottom of a 9x9 pan. They cheated and used a box of dark chocolate brownie mix, they put that on top of the graham cracker crust, put chocolate chips(rice chips) on top of that, put them in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes, they took them out and put mini marshmallows on top and put them back into the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Then take them out and let cool slightly( with us we like warm brownies). They topped it with whipped cream before serving.
They made another great meal!!!

Shredded Chicken, Rice, Cheese Enchiladas

I was of course watching a food show (The Chew) and someone made enchiladas. That sounded great since we haven't had them in a long time I had my idea for dinner. I am not like most people and plan ahead for dinner. I decide when I wake up in the morning what might sound good for that day. I am also one of those people that buy the basics and then have to run to the store to get whatever else I need every day or just about. But today I actually had everything I needed(I surprised myself)

I started by boiling some boneless skinless chicken thighs in water seasoned with cayenne pepper, black pepper, salt, and garlic pepper. I cooked it until it was falling apart. Then let cool, then shredded it, set aside.

I then started the spanish rice, from Rice A Roni of course(I don't know why but lately I have been using boxed stuff which usually don't), but instead of the water I used 2 1/2 cups of the water/broth that the chicken cooked in.

I opened a large can of green enchilada sauce and poured it in a shallow baking dish/bowl, 1 can sliced olives, and 1 package pre shredded mexican 4 cheese, and some shredded rice cheeses. I had an assembly line set up.

First I dipped a medium size flour tortilla in the green sauce, then put in some shredded chicken, about 1 tbls rice, and some cheese, rolled it up and placed it in the baking dish. Keep repaeating this until you make the amount you need. I did put rice cheese in some them for Jake, then for Zach and Dakota I skipped the sauce and just put chicken in cheese in them. I then topped all of them with red enchilada sauce, cheese, and olives.
Placed them in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is melty and they are heated through about 15 to 20 minutes. Of course that rice cheese just never seems to melt.

Dog Treats

I haven't been feeling very well at all today, so I wasn't going to cook dinner. Again my sister invited me over for dinner, just some Italian sausages. That was fine with me. But I had promised my nephew I would help him make his dog some treats, he is 7 and autistic and if you know me you know I don't break promises!  So I went over there tonight prepared.

You take 1 egg, 1 cup of peanut butter, and 3/4 cup low fat milk, whisk it together until smooth. Then add 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 tbls baking powder, mix until well blended, you will probably need to mix it with your hands at the end (it will be the consistence of biscuits). Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut into shapes and size you want or need for your dog. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and put in a 325 degree oven for 20 minutes, take them out and turn them over and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Roast, Potatoes, and Veggies

Tonight my sister said she had dinner and that worked wonders for my new fast and easy dinner every night. It was much easier for me than here. I didn't do a single thing...LOL

I am not sure what marinade she used, although I am sure it was from Lawry's that her marinade of choice. She put the roast in my dutch oven (so look I did help out) along with potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. She put that in a 350 degree oven for 3 hours. It was a very good dinner!

Fish, Rice, and Veggies

I was at Safeway getting water. They had a great deal, a 24 pack for $1.99. I was walking around looking to see what else they had. I found some fish I hadn't cooked yet, swai. Which I just learned is a kind of catfish.

I took the fish put it in a baking dish, poured a marinade of olive oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper, garlic pepper, dried thyme, and dried basil. I covered it with foil, put it in the fridge for about 1 1/2 hours. Then  placed it in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes ( I only cooked it fast because we were at Zach's game, so dinner was late, besides we were hungry).

Meanwhile, I fixed a box of chicken and mushroom Rice A Roni. Then steamed a bag of mixed veggies.

Another simple easy dinner and I actually ate the fish so it must not have been too bad.

Baked Chicken, Potatoes, and Steamed Veggies

Tonight as every night I really like to make things as easy on me as I can. I looked in the freezer to decide what would take the least time or something I didn't have to stand over the stove due to it's way to hot for that.

I found some chicken quarters that already had adobado seasoning on it, so there it was. I put them in a baking pan lined with foil, added a little bit of water, and covered it with foil, put it in the oven for about 1 hour until done. 10 minutes before it was done I removed the foil so it could brown.

Meanwhile, I sliced the potatoes almost all the way through, topped them with some butter, 1 clove grated garlic (1 clove per potato), and some sliced onion (I usually use red onions but this time I used a yellow one since that's what I had), wrap them up in foil, like you would a regular baked potato, I placed them on a small cookie sheet and threw them in the oven with the chicken.

While the chicken rested I put a bag of veggies (cauliflower, snap peas, carrots, and dried cranberries) in the steamer bag in the microwave for 5 minutes. The cranberries gave it a very good flavor, a sweet taste for your veggies.

While things were cooking I took 3 green apples diced them, added 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, and a little bit of nutmeg grated right over the bowl( I am using nutmeg because I knew Jake would not touch this dessert). I let that sit for about 15 minutes. I then made a pie crust, this is my most feared thing to make. I have never been able to make a decent pie crust. 2 cups flour,  1 tsp salt, 2/3 cups margarine, and 6 to 7 tsp very cold water. Cut the butter into the flour and salt, so it looks like sizes as big as peas, then add the water 1 tsp at a time until the dough is moist and comes into a ball. I rolled it out then use a large cup to cut into circles. Place the apple filling (about 1 tbs) on half of the circle. Fold them over crimp the edges with a fork, place on a cookies sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. poke small holes in the top of the pies, and brush the tops with egg whites. Place in a 425 oven for about 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Sausages

Today has been a nice quiet day for us. We started out by going to the farm to feed the steer. We came back and went back to bed. I slept off and on and finally crawled out of bed at 12:30. I was totally shocked! I got dressed, went out to the cemetery to take dad some flowers. After that I went out to the casino (thanks to Henry for letting me use his card to have the free $15 for Father's Day...it would have been taken off his card at midnight...anyway he's not a father and I am!...LOL) I lost it with in about 20 minutes. I then went to Ride Aide to pick up a script and picked up some hair dye, it's way past time to get rid of the dye. I did some laundry, dyed my hair, and not much else.

Jake crawled out of bed around 3 pm. We took Troy to work and decided to go to the store to figure out what was for dinner. We decided we would just fix the sausages we had in the freezer. We picked up some hot dog buns, chips (for Jake, his obsession), and a chocolate cake for later(nice for my diet...oh well I will work it off later).

We came home and threw the sausages in the a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes. I topped mine with some of my homemade squash relish, it's not bad, just a little sweet for me, but it taste just like relish(I prefer the dill relish).

I plan to clean and move the kitchen around later when it cools off.

Tortellini

Since it was Friday it was Jake and Dakota's turn to cook. I had purchased some chicken and prosciutto stuffed tortellini from the deli section at Grocery Outlet for a really good price. They only had to make a sauce to go with it and they did an amazing job!

They started out with 1 chopped onion, and 4 cloves chopped garlic, they put it in a hot skillet with 2 tbs EVOO. They let it cook until the onions were tender. Next they added 16 oz of tomato sauce, salt, and pepper to taste. That's where the recipe they used said to let it simmer for about 30 minutes. Well those two thought it was pretty bland and opened the spice cabinet. They added 2 more cloves of grated garlic, a tbls of dried thyme, 1 tbls dried oregano, and 1 tbls dried basil. They let it simmer for about 15 minutes, then they added 1 cup heavy whipping cream (I told Jake it wasn't a good idea and he would probably be sick later but he insisted, we are however trying him on limited dairy and soy before his next scope). Meanwhile they boiled a large pot of water and cooked 1 lb of ground Italian sausage(if it weren't for the kids we would have  used a spicier sausage).

When everything was done they added it all to 1 pan tossed, then served with a little bit of parmesan  and fresh parsley. It was very good!

They also made a coffee cake for dessert. That was another weird thing about today they used a box cake something we just don't do around here, but it worked and tasted good. A Homemade one would have been much better.

Another Signature Burger

I love putting different things (mostly veggies) into my burgers. It's a good way to get Jake to eat veggies.

Tonight I used 93% fat free ground beef. I added 3 cloves grated garlic, 1 small finely chopped shallot( I just sat here for like 2 minutes trying to remember what that was called...thanks Chiari), salt, pepper, sriracha and a couple of tbls of my squash relish, that way I had the sweet to balance the heat. I made the patties put them on a cookie sheet baked them at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes, about 2 minutes prior to them being done I put sliced pepper jack cheese on top of them so it would get nice and melted.

I put some mayo(made with olive oil) on a sweet onion roll, tomato, onion, some mixed sweet baby lettuces, and some of my relish. I think it turned out pretty good, except it could have used more sriracha.

Blueberry Ice Cream Bars

For the last few weeks Zachary has been bugging Jake to make ice cream with him because he got the new popsicle molds. I had just happened to be watching Food Network this past Saturday and Jamie Deen was making things for a camp out with his son. He made these ice cream bars. They are easy to make and pretty healthy. The recipe called for strawberries but my sister has a lot of blueberries and all the kids like them...yes even Jake.

Zach and Jake took 2 cups maybe a little more blueberries put them in a bowl tossed them with 1/3 cup sugar (I am sure splenda or truvia could be used) and 1 tsp vanilla. They let it set for about 20 minutes so the juices would come out. To a blender or food processor add the blueberries with all the juices in the bowl and 1 cup of vanilla yogurt(they used about 2 cups to make it creamier). Puree until completely smooth. Divide between 6 popsicle molds, place in the freezer for 4 to 6 hours, they left them in the freezer overnight. They were very yummy.

Zach was very proud of what he got to make with Jake.

Baked Salmon, Wild Rice, and Squash

First of all, I found this really good deal on the salmon. It was frozen and at Grocery Outlet. It was an 11oz filet for $2.99. I grabbed 3 of them. Jake has really been wanting it so I thought I would be nice and fix it tonight. Robyn Slye gave me a lot of yummy squash so I thought it would go wonderfully with the salmon.

For the salmon, the recipe was for 2 6oz pieces, So I tripled it for what I needed, but here is the original recipe. In a medium bowl mix together 2 cloves of minced garlic, 6 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbs lemon juice, and 1 tbs chopped fresh parsley. Place the fillets in a medium glass baking dish, cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for about an hour, turning occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place the sealed salmon in a glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

For the side dish I went really easy. I used a box of Rice a Roni, the wild rice one. Then I cut up some squash, layered it in a glass baking dish, put some olive oil, chopped garlic, and covered it with foil. I baked it along with the salmon

Stay tuned tomorrow night for probably dessert only, brought to you by Zach and Jake. They made it tonight but they won't be set until tomorrow.