Grilled Chicken Strips, Smashed Potatoes, Zucchini, and Coconut Cream Pie

Tonight was my turn for dinner, so I thought I would go simple. First of all I will break down what I spent. The chicken strips were $6.99 for a 2 lb bag at Grocery Outlet, one bag last Jake and I through a few meals. The potatoes were a great deal, I got a 10 lb bag at the 99 cent store, for 99 cents, one bag of potatoes last us a while. The veggies again were brought to me from a friend. The pie was probably the biggest expense. It was made as an early birthday pie for Henry's bday on Tuesday. The crust was $2.29, the pudding was 2 boxes $2.60, I already had the coconut, the container of whip cream was $1.69, and the chocolate ready whip was $1.49.

First of all for the pie, it's simple! You need 1 graham cracker crust, I used 1 box of coconut cream pudding, and 1 box of cheesecake flavored pudding, 2 cups of milk, 1 container of whipped cream (I like the extra creamy, if you are having something like this go for the fat!) 1 cup of shredded coconut. Mix the 2 boxes of pudding with 2 cups of milk, stir until well blended, then add 1/2 container of whipped cream, and 3/4 cup coconut, mix well, place in the crust, refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Before serving top with the rest of the whip cream, and toasted coconut.

  For dinner I marinaded the chicken in 1/4 cup olive oil, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic seasoning. I let it set for 30 minutes. I cut the potatoes into cubes, rinsed, then placed them in cold water, along with 4 cloves of garlic. I heated the George Foreman grill, then started the potatoes to boil. The chicken only takes about 4 minutes to cook on the grill, and this time I over cooked the chicken, It was dry, but Henry and Jake seemed to like it. For the potatoes I added butter, milk, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. After the chicken was done, I put the zucchini and star burst squash on the grill.

Shrimp Skewers, Tomato, Basil, 3 Cheese, Ravioli, and Squash

Since today was Jake's day off, he made dinner. We haven't been cooking as much lately as normal. With the heat and Jake's work schedule it just isn't worth it.

We had bought the pasta at Grocery Outlet for $1.99, the shrimp was $3.99, and a good friend Robyn brought the veggies over today.

First of all he, marinated the shrimp in olive oil for 30 minutes, then he placed them on wooden skewers. Greek seasoning, basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. then he got a large pot of water boiling for the pasta, He also preheated the George Foreman grill.

He heated a deep skillet, added 1 tbs olive oil about 10 cherry tomatoes, and salt, then covered it until the tomatoes burst then added 1 chopped red onion, 3 mini carrots grated, 4 mini sweet peppers chopped. Next he added 1/2 cup white wine (wine was bought at Grocery Outlet for $1.99). He let the wine cook off then added the juice of 1 lemon, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 tbs butter, 4 cloves minced garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper, Greek seasoning, and 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg. He let that simmer until reduced by 1/2.

Meanwhile, he placed the Ravioli in the boiling water, then placed the shrimp skewers on the grill. For him dinner is done, but just for me he placed some zucchini and sunburst squash on the grill. For the squash he put it in some olive oil, oregano, basil, and Greek seasonings.

Cheese Steak Stuffed Bell Peppers

I was scrolling through fb today and say a recipe for the stuffed peppers, and thought I would give it a try for dinner tonight. Of course I made a few changes.

First of all was the prep, I sliced about 1 cup of mushrooms (1 container was $1.88), 6 mini orange and yellow sweet peppers sliced thin (I get a bag of them for $2.99 at Grocery Outlet), it didn't call for the sweet peppers, 1 medium red onion (30 cents), I cut 4 bell peppers in half, and seeded them ($2.00 for the 4), and I sliced a package of thin steak (purchased at Grocery Outlet for $2.50), the recipe called for 1 lb of thinly sliced roast beef. A good tip for slicing steak thin is to place it in the freezer to stiffen it up and it makes it easier to slice. I also minced 3 cloves of garlic.

To cook, I placed 1 tbs of olive oil and 1 tbs butter in a skillet, place the onions, sweet peppers, and mushrooms in the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, I also added some Greek seasoning, cook until they are tender. When they are almost done add the garlic. Remove to a bowl. Next add 1 tbs of olive oil to the hot pan, cook the steak, do it in batches if the skillet is crowded. After the steak is cooked add the veggies back in, heat through. In the bottom of the bell peppers place a slice of pepper jack cheese (it was $2.99), then a good helping of the steak onion mixture, top with more cheese, I did a mixture of colby jack cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven until the bell peppers are tender, and the cheese is bubbly and brown.

                                                   The pictures are not that great sorry.

Grilled Shrimp, Squash, and Couscous

 We did cook the last 2 nights, but I didn't take pictures. I made a roast, with potatoes, and carrots in the slower cooker. Then last night Jake reinvented it. He chopped up the roast, placed it back in the slow cooker, with some BBQ sauce. He made bbq beef sandwiches. It has been way too hot to cook.

Tonight was my turn. The cooker was fixed, so I decided to fix something fast.

For the shrimp, I shelled and deveined it, placed it in a glass bowl with canola oil, chopped fresh parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, from 1 lemon, Greek seasoning, and chopped garlic. I then covered it, and placed it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, I prepped my veggies for the couscous. I chopped 2 small mini red peppers, 2 mini orange peppers,  1 yellow mini pepper, 2 chopped green onions, and 3 cloves of garlic minced. Then I sliced my zucchini and yellow squash.

I then heated my George Foreman G5 grill. While that was heating up, I placed the shrimp on wooden skewers (don't forget to soak the skewers in water before use or they could burn), and set them aside.

I cooked the zucchini and squash first. Meanwhile I started the couscous. I placed olive oil in a pot, then added my peppers and onions. I let them cook until tender, then added the garlic, cooked just until it was fragrant. Next, add 2 cups of chicken stock, then added, dried thyme, basil, and oregano, bring to a boil, then add 1 cup of couscous, cover, let simmer until liquid is gone about 8 minutes. When liquid was gone, I finished it with the juice of 1/2 a lemon.

When the zucchini was done, I placed the shrimp on the grill, and cooked for about 3 minutes. That's it! It must have tasted good, because Jake had seconds. Well, of course not of the veg, because he won't try my zucchini.

Pasta

We all know that by now that it should be Jake's turn to cook, but he has had a lot of excuses this week, so it's been all me.

Tonight I decided on a chicken pasta. I took the 3 chicken thighs Jake laid out 2 days ago, sprinkled salt, pepper, and a new garlic seasoning on them, placed them in a deep hot skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. I browned it on both sides, then let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until done. I took it out of the skillet and placed it on a plate. Next I put a pot on to boil, and dropped the penne pasta. Then I added 1/2 chopped yellow onion, 1 chopped stalk of celery, and 1 small chopped carrot, to the pan. I cooked those until it was tender, then added 2 tbs. butter/margarine, a little bit of flour, I let the flour cook for a minute, then deglazed the pan with chicken stock, then added 2 minced cloves of garlic, dried thyme, oregano, basil, some Greek seasoning, and 1 can of diced tomatoes . I let that simmer until thickened. I then added 4 oz of  Neufchatel (low fat cream cheese) and 3 tbs. of Taco Bell chipotle sour cream (I found it at Grocery Outlet for 2 for a dollar), Next, I added 3 cups chopped fresh spinach, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. I drained the pasta and added it to the sauce, and that was it! I served it with a little more parm.

I also want to share this great little gadget Henry bought me when we were in Monterey. We got it a garlic store. I love this thing. It's probably used more than anything in the kitchen, besides the coffee pot...lol

                                                              It fits in my small hands.

 Just place your peeled garlic inside. If the cloves are large, I cut them in 1/2 first,
                                                               but you don't have to.

Place the 2 sides together, give it a few twist and you're done!

Sicilian Chicken with a Butter Garlic Pasta

 Since Jake had school today, I made dinner. There wasn't anything good, I didn't have to cook in the house except cup of soup, so I cooked. I used a recipe from a new book, Robin to the Rescue. It was sent to me from a dear friend, LeAnn, for Mother's Day.

 This was pretty easy. It called for 4 skinless boneless chicken breast, but I used chicken thighs, skin on, and bone in, that's what was in the freezer. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, then dust it with flour. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large deep skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides until it is golden brown. Then add 1/2 cup white wine, cook for a minute, then add 1 14 oz canned, diced, tomatoes (mine had garlic and rosemary in them, also add 1/2 cup of sliced, pimento, stuffed, green, olives, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp dried oregano, and it called for 1/4 cup golden raisins (I didn't have them, so left them out). Stir well, reduce heat to a simmer, 1/2 cover and cook until chicken is cooked through. Add chopped fresh basil, and I topped with chopped fresh green onions.

 Meanwhile, boil a pot of water for the pasta (don't forget to salt the water well). When the chicken is almost done, cook your pasta, whatever you have on hand. Then, drain the pasta, add 1/2 stick of butter/margarine, 3 cloves of garlic minced, 1 tsp dried thyme, oregano, and basil.

I placed some pasta on the plate, then the chicken, and some of the pan sauce, and topped it with chopped green onions.

Mahi Mahi with Brown Rice

Tonight was my night, it was between chicken and fish. We have had a lot of chicken lately, so I went with the fish.

Earlier in the day I took the mahi mahi, and marinated it. In a food processor I combined 1 roughly chopped red onion, 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 green onions/scallions chopped, 1 tsp all spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbs white pepper, 1/4 tsp, ground nutmeg, 2 tbs, olive oil, and 3 tsp, sea salt. It also called for 1 jalapeno chopped, but I for got it. Pulse until everything is combined, as a paste. Spread over the fish, then refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

For the rice I took 4 small, sweet, mini peppers and chopped them, along with 1 large mushroom, and 2 green onions. I sauteed them in a pot, along with 1 tbs olive oil. Next, I added 1 cup of brown rice, and toasted it. Then, I added 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp Greek seasoning,  a pinch of saffron, and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cook until the liquid is gone and the rice is tender.

The fish only takes a few minutes on each side, so when the rice was almost done, I heated up my cast iron grill pan. I sprayed it with canola oil, the grilled the fish for about 3 minutes on each side. That is it.

I forgot to make veggies tonight, but there were some in the rice so, I figure I am good.

Fried/Baked Chicken with Biscuits, Gravy, and Rainbow Chard

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. I really think he was missing his grandma tonight. He came out of the room and said he was going to try to make grandma's biscuits, and do it the way she did it. My mom never measured anything. He also asked how would grandma cook the chicken if she made biscuits and gravy? I told him, she would have made fried chicken and fried potatoes. He said okay but I think I will bake the chicken, and we are out of potatoes,  we didn't want to go to the store, so  he didn't make them.

For the biscuits, he used about 2 cups of flour, maybe 1/4 cup canola oil, and added lactose free milk until the dough came together. He then turned out on to a floured surface, kneaded it a few times, rolled it out, and cut out rounds with a cup, just like my mom would have done. Then he placed them on a greased cookie sheet, and baked them for 18 minutes, in a 350 degree oven. He was disappointed when they came out of the oven, because they didn't look like grandma's, but I told him that they were fine.

For the chicken, he took 4 chicken thighs (bone in skin on), dipped them in a mixture of 1 egg and a little bit of milk, then into a mixture of flour, bread crumbs, and Greek seasonings. He placed them on a cooling rack that was in a deep cookie sheet, put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.

Last was the gravy, he took about 2 tbs of butter, melted it in a deep skillet, added about 2 heaping tbs. flour, salt, and pepper, he let that cook for a bout a minute, just to cook the flour, lastly add about 2 cups of lactose free milk, and cook until thick. Salt and pepper to taste, we tend to add a lot of pepper.

The greens were in a microwave bag, so I followed the directions.

 I do believe my mom would be so very proud of how Jake cooked this dinner. He said he was going to keep trying the biscuits until he perfected them. I am sure he will. The funny thing is, he does a better job than I do at this.

Shepherd's Pie Knife and Fork Burger

Tonight was my night, but I was actually thinking of this burger when I went to sleep last night. So, I had to make it tonight for dinner. This is a Rachael Ray recipe.

Start out by chopping your veggies 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 4 baby bell mushrooms, 1/2 of a small onion, 3 cloves of garlic, and 6 large potatoes cubed.

Heat a skillet with 2 tbls olive oil, then cook all veggies, except the potatoes, until they are tender. Set them aside to cool.

Meanwhile, boil the potatoes.

Combine, 1 1/2 ponds hamburger with the cooled veggies, 3 tbls worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Then, heat a grill pan (I placed them in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes), cook the burger patties for 10 minutes, turning them once, for medium.

Drain the potatoes, mash them with 2 tbls. butter, 1/4 cup milk (we used lactose free), 2 tbls sour cream, salt, pepper, 2 tbls. horseradish, 1 egg yolk(I didn't add this, this time), and chives (I forgot them at the store and didn't want to go back.

Next, melt 2 tbls. butter in a deep skillet, add 2 tbls flour, cook for a minute, next whisk in one can of beef stock, 1 tbls. dijon mustard, 1 tbls. worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.

Lastly, toast some type of bread, I did hamburger buns, because they were on sale for 58 cents, then place a burger patty on top, then, place a mound of mashed potatoes on top of the patty, then place it under the broiler until the potatoes brown (I didn't do this tonight), then top with the mustard sauce.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Tonight was my night to cook dinner, and I took a lazy way out. I reinvented last night's dinner.

I took the left over pork roast, chopped it into small pieces, then put it in a mixture of bbq sauce (1 bottle of your favorite), 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic gloves, 1 tbs sriracha garlic sauce, and 2 tbs honey. I let it simmer for 20 minutes, just to get the flavors to develop.

 I toasted the bread (I found some dairy and soy free rolls at Grocery Outlet), placed sliced pickles on the bottom, thinly sliced red onions, then a heap of the pork, then added some lactose free Monterey Jack Cheese, and finally spinach. Fast and easy, Thanks to Jake for making the roast last night.

Pasta and Pork

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. He decided to cook a small pork roast and pasta, because we found some diced prosciutto at Grocery Outlet for 2 for a dollar.

For the pork, he put on a rub of salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary. He then seared it in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then he placed it in the slower cooker, covered it with red wine and chicken stock, then let it cook for 4 hours.

For the pasta, he started a large pot of water boiling (don't forget to salt the pasta water), he dropped the pasta when he started the sauce. . He then took a deep skillet, placed 2 tbs olive oil, 1 small red onion chopped, 3 cloves chopped garlic, a few chopped mini carrots, 1/2 of a green bell pepper chopped, and 1/2 a yellow bell pepper chopped. He cooked those until the onion was transparent. He then deglazed the pan with 1/2 cup white wine, and 1 cup chicken stock. He brought it a boil, added thyme, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. He let it simmer until the pasta was done. He then drained the pasta and placed it in the sauce and tossed.

Baked Chicken Tenders, Smashed Potatoes/Cauliflower, and Salad

I usually do not cook on Tuesdays or Thursdays, due to Jake being at school, and me home alone, but Henry was here, so I had to cook.

These are 2 more recipes in my new cookbook.

For the chicken, first, heat the oven at 450 degrees, next take a deep cookie sheet, line it with foil, then place a wire rack in the pan. Next,I took 6 chicken tenders, salted and peppered them, then set aside. Then, I placed flour in one deep dish, then, 3 egg whites in the next one making sure to beat them until they are very fluffy, but not stiff peaks, and lastly, in the 3rd dish I put a combo of Panko bread crumbs, and Mediterranean seasoning, mixed until well combine. Take the chicken dust it with the flour, shaking off the excess flour, next dip it in the egg whites, then into the bread crumbs. Spray the the wire rack with canola oil, place the chicken on top of the wire rack, before placing them in the oven, spray the chicken with the spray oil. Cook until the chicken is brown and crispy. 2 tenders equal 198 calories, I only ate 1.

Next for the potatoes and cauliflower, I cubed 4 potatoes, then placed  them in a deep pot, with 3 cups of cauliflower, and 3 whole cloves of garlic. I boiled them until the potatoes were soft. Drain them, add 2 tbls. spoon margarine/butter, 1/2 cup of Greek plain yogurt, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, smashed the potatoes, and mix all ingredients well. You can't tell there is cauliflower in them at all. It's a good way to sneak a veg in your dinner. Henry didn't notice, lets see if Jake notices when he gets home from school. That will be the real test. Only 101 calories per cup.

For the salad, I took a bag of dark greens, carrots, sweet peppers, pea pods, celery, radishes, and cucumbers and tossed. I served it with Italian dressing on the side. I was the only one who ate it.

Fettuccine Alfredo Shrimp and Veggies

Tonight was my turn for dinner. I tried another recipe from the "Now Eat This" book. Of course I changed up a few things. It calls for peas, but I don't like peas, so I added 1/2 onion diced, 1 small orange bell pepper diced, 1/2 a bunch of asparagus cut into small pieces, and 2 mushrooms diced. It also called for whole wheat fettuccine, but our 2 stores didn't have any, so I used whole wheat spaghetti.

First, get a large pot of water boiling. Then start your whole wheat pasta. Don't forget to salt your pasta water.

 Next in a large deep skillet, add 2 tsp butter, and 1 tbls olive oil, cook your shrimp, just until pink. Remove shrimp from pan, and cover. Next, add 2 more tsp. butter, then add the onion, pepper, and asparagus then add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add  3 cloves minced garlic, and mushrooms, then cook another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl add 2 tsp. cornstarch, 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg, and 1 cup of chicken stock, mix until it's smooth. Then add, it to the veggies, cook on high until it thickens. Next add about 1 cup of parmigiano- reggiano cheese, stir until melted, then turn off heat add in 1 cup plain greek yogurt, mix until well blended. Add the shrimp back in. Place the pasta in a large bowl, pour sauce on top and toss. Serve with extra cheese.

All veggies were bought at the 99 cent store, so none of them cost more then a buck. Pasta was $1.28, shrimp was bought at Grocery Outlet for $4.99, cheese was also bought at Grocery Outlet for $1.49. The yogurt was sale at Safeway for $3.50, for a large container. A Good dinner at a good buy.

Quiche

Tonight was Jake's night to cook. He decided to use some of the many eggs we have in the fridge. He wanted to make a quiche, one of the only ways I can get him to eat eggs.

He started by making a pie crust from scratch, I am unsure of what recipe he used, because I was at work. I am sure a store bought one would work just as well.

 He cut up, green onions, red and yellow sweet mini peppers, grated 2 cloves of garlic, sliced about 2 cups of baby spinach, and shredded 2 cups of swiss cheese. He also cooked 6 slices of bacon.

First, heat oven to 375 degrees. He mixed 6 large eggs, with 1 1/2 cups of milk (it called for heavy cream, but he used 2% lactose free milk), then added thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and paprika. Whisk until well blended.

Next, spray the bottom of pan with a spray canola oil, then roll out your dough, place it in a quiche pan, or improvise like Jake did. He used a round cake pan. Then layer all your veggies and bacon into the pan. Lastly pour the egg mixture over the veggies/bacon. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the eggs are cooked. Our eggs were still runny, so he put it back in for a little longer. Lactose free milk tends to make baked foods runnier.

Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Torta

 I got this recipe out of Rocco Dispirito's Now Eat This! Diet book. I thought I would be the only one home tonight, but Henry showed up. I was planning on making this for myself, because I knew Jake had school and wouldn't eat it. It's not actually very hard to make and very healthy.

First heat your oven to 425 degrees, place a grill pan in the oven to heat it. Next place foil on a deep cookie sheet, then spray with canola oil, lay 4 low carb tortillas on it. Slice your eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds, season with salt and pepper. When the grill pan is hot, take it out of the oven, and place on the stove top, over medium high heat. Spray with a non stick spray.  Place the eggplant on the grill pan, grill about 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until it's tender, you may need to do it in batches, then lay on a plate. Next place spray the top of the tortillas with the canola oil spray, then place in the oven until they are brown, and crunch.

Meanwhile I took 1 large red bell pepper, placed on the gas burner, and charred it until it had black blisters on all sides, then set it in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Let it sit for a while, then take a paper towel and wipe all the skin off the pepper, lastly slice it into slices.

After the tortillas and eggplant is done, layer each tortilla, with shredded mozzarella, some tomatillo salsa, one of the eggplant rounds, some of the red peppers, sliced fresh mint, some of the juice from a lemon, then finally more cheese. Place in the oven until the cheese is melted. When you take them out of the oven place 1 on the tortillas on a plate, then top with another one.

                                            Henry said they were okay, and I really liked them.

Baked Salmon, Brown Rice, and Veggies

Tonight was Jake's turn to cook, I cooked last night, but didn't post. I got the grill going. I made steak, potatoes with onions, zucchini, and compound butter.

 For the salmon, he used, thyme, oregano, basil, and Mediterranean seasoning, along with lemon slices. He also poured white wine, and chicken broth over it. He then added a bag of fresh cut broccoli, carrots, and onions, along with mini sweet peppers. He covered it with foil, placed it in a 425 degree oven, and cooked for 20 minutes.

For the brown rice, he placed the rice, chicken broth, onion, sweet peppers, and garlic in a pot, brought it to a boil. He then covered it and let it simmer until the liquid was gone.

 As you can see. he doesn't always cook everything very good. I asked if he could cook some of my asparagus, he forgot about it, and it burnt.

FYI: I bought all the veggies at the 99 cent store in Chico. They have produce for a buck, great deal!

Chipotle Chicken Alfredo

To night was my night and this was very easy.

First, I got a large pot of water boiling for the pasta. I then cubed some boneless skinless chicken tenderloins, put some salt and pepper on them. I heated a large deep skillet with olive oil, placed the chicken in the skillet, and let it cook until it was no longer pink.

When I started the sauce, I dropped the pasta. I used what I had in the cabinet, part thin spaghetti and fettuccine, there was just a small amount of each left.

For the sauce, I melted 2 tbs. butter, added 3 cloves of garlic, and 6 mini sweet peppers that I diced, then let cook for about 3 minutes. Next,add  1/2 cup milk (I used low fat lactose free), 4 oz cream cheese ( I used neufchatel  it's lower in fat), and 1 tbls. of a chipotle puree (I took a can of chipotle in adobo sauce , put it in the blender, and pureed it). Side note, after you use the amount of chipotle in adobo sauce you need, you can put the rest in either ice trays, or a freezer bag and freeze it for a later use. Let that cook long enough for the cream cheese to melt. I added in some baby spinach, let it wilt, then added in the pasta, and 1 ladle full of the pasta water, tossed it, then added the chicken back in. That's it!

 

Jake said this is a keeper!

Chicken Parm Sub

 Tonight was Jake's night to cook, so he decided on making something simple.

 First preheat the over to 500/ or use your broiler.

 He started by making the sauce. He took 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of deiced tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and of course chopped garlic, he let that simmer for 15 minutes.

 For the chicken, he took boneless, skinless, chicken tenderloins, sprinkled on some Mediterranean seasoning  on both sides, then seared them in a tbs. of olive oil.

 For the bread, he used sourdough rolls, then smeared a little bit of margarine on each side, then grated  garlic over both. Then placed them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven to slightly toast the bread.

After the bread was lightly toasted, he placed some of the sauce  on the bread, then the chicken strips, then more sauce, and lastly Parmesan cheese on top. He placed it back in the oven to melt the cheese, and that's all!

 I did not eat all of this, nor did I eat all of one side of it.

Grilled Ahi Tuna, Cilantro Lime Rice, and Rainbow Chard

 I know it's been a while since I have posted, but being 2 months out of brain surgery, and can't concentrate all that great.

It was my turn to cook, so I chose to make the ahi tuna. We bought it at Grocery Outlet for $2.50 each.

 For the fish, you first make a rub for it. Take 1 tbs. olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic minced, 1/4 tsp. dried oregano, 1/4 tsp. basil, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 tsp. salt, place it in a small bowl and whisk it together with a fork, let it sit for 5 minutes, so the flavors can marry. Next, dry your tuna, then place in a shallow dish. Brush the rub on both sides of the tuna, and let sit for another 5 minutes. The recipe said to grill on an outside grill, but I used a cast iron skillet with the raised grill marks on it. I got it very hard, used a tbs. olive oil on the pan, then cooked the tuna about 3 minutes per side.

For the rice, I heated 1 tbs. olive oil in a deep skillet, added 1/2 of a medium onion. Let that cook for 3 minutes, then I added 1 cup brown rice, and cooked for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, so it doesn't burn. Next, I added the zest of 2 limes, and the juice from 2 limes, 2 cups chicken stock, brought it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes. When there was a little liquid left I added 1 mini red and orange sweet pepper, diced, for color. Right before serving add a few tbs. of chopped cilantro.

Lastly I just took a bag of frozen rainbow chard, placed in in a microwave bowl, added 2 tbs. water, covered and cooked for 8 to 9 minutes.

Unfortunately, I cooked the tuna just a little over. 

Tandoori Naan Chicken Sandwiches

 Tonight was Jake's night to cook, and I asked him to do something with the naan bread I bought last week. He figured out what he was doing, but when I went to look at the bread it was bad. I went to the store and bought some garlic naan to use. The following is the recipe we started with, but we made a couple of changes. Instead of the vegetable oil, he used olive oil. Instead of 1 tbs of garlic he minced 2 cloves of garlic. We didn't use the tomatoes, because of my allergy. Instead of raw onion, we sauteed 1 red onion, with some sweet mini peppers, and carrots, in some butter/margarine and olive oil. We also spread some artichoke and jalapeno dip(I bought at Costco) on the bread. It took some of the heat away from the spice on the chicken, which was really good.

1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

1 pound chicken tenders, patted dry

4 medium plain or garlic-flavored naan breads, about 4 oz. each

2 tablespoons butter 

2 medium tomatoes, sliced 

1/2 cup thinly slivered red onion 

4 ounces feta cheese, sliced 

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1. Whisk together yogurt, seasonings, and oil in a medium bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let marinate 20 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler. Spread chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and broil until cooked through, 8 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with recipe.

3. Dab naan with a little butter on each side, spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and place in oven on rack below chicken; cook until toasted and crisped, about 8 minutes.

4. Cut naan in half crosswise and make sandwiches with naan, chicken, tomatoes, onion, feta, mint, and cilantro. Cut each in half if large.

The bread was large, so I cut it in half, then just folded it like a soft taco.

Pan Seared Ahi Tuna, Couscous, and Rainbow Chard

Tonight was Jake's turn for dinner. He decided to cook the ahi tuna I bought at Grocery Outlet. They were $2.99 per steak. He used the following recipe.

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
2 limes, juiced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pinch sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (6-ounce) block sushi-quality tuna
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, and sliced

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture into the pan to coat the fish. Serve the seared tuna with the sliced avocado and the remaining cilantro sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

He changed it by not using the avocado, Because his mom is allergic to it, and adding green onions instead. He used 1 whole jalapeno, but seeded the whole thing (I wish he would have left some of the seeds, I like the spice).

For the couscous, he added 2 cups of chicken stock/broth, green onions, red sweet peppers, thyme, rosemary, basil, and oregano. He brought that to a boil, then added  1 cup of the couscous pearls. He cooked it covered until the liquid was gone.

The rainbow chard was easy, he took a bag of frozen rainbow chard, put it in a microwave safe bowl, added 2 tbs water, covered it with a towel, placed in the microwave for 8 minutes.

                     Perfectly seared tuna, topped with lemon slices, and flat leaf parsley.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

 My day again. I decided on these pulled pork sandwiches. I have made them before. It's a recipe I got out of the Rachael Ray cookbook, but this time I didn't follow the recipe...I know what's new. It's hot here in Northern California, so I didn't want the oven on all day. 

 I seared a small pork roast, then placed in the slow cooker on high. Next, I roasted 2 red bell peppers, and 2 large jalapenos. When they were nice and charred and blistered, I placed them in a larger bowl covered tight with foil. When it is cool, take paper towels or gloves, and peel the skin off., the slice them in half and remove the seeds. If you like spicy leave in the seeds of the jalapeno, I did on one of them. I also. roasted a whole large head of garlic. For that, take the head of garlic and remove all the loose peel, next cut off the top of the head, exposing all the cloves of garlic, place it in foil with salt, pepper, and olive oil, wrap it tight, place on a cookie sheet, and put it in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle clove shows it's soft. I took 1 large white onion, sliced it, then seared it in a little bit of butter.

 In a blender, place 1/4 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tsp of dried rosemary, 2 tsp dried thyme, 1 handful of flat leaf parsley, squeeze all the garlic gloves out of the head, 1 of the red bell peppers, and the jalapeno with the seeds. Blend it until it's a thick paste (like a pesto). 

 Later, I took the roast out of the slow cooker (after it was done), placed it in the dutch oven, I poured the sauce I blended over the pork, added some of the drippings from the slower cooker in the pan around the pork, then poured 1- 28 oz can of diced tomatoes over the sauce, place the lid on the dutch oven, and placed it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

 After I took the pork out of the oven, I set it aside to let it rest. Meanwhile, I placed 2 split sandwich rolls on a cookie sheet, with provolone cheese on them, placed them in the oven until the cheese was melted. After that I shredded the pork, and placed it back in with the sauce. To serve, place the pork on the roll, put some of the red bell peppers, jalapenos, sauteed onions, and fresh spinach on top of them. It was a huge sandwich that I didn't finish. I didn't make anything to go with it.

 

 

Chicken Sandwiches with BBQ Onions

 Tonight was suppose to be Jake's night to cook, but I did it anyway. He claims when he said, "How about anything night?" It was getting him out of cooking.

 I made chicken sandwiches. I took boneless skinless chicken thighs, dipped them in egg and milk, then into flour, which was seasoned with salt pepper, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Then I fried them, until done.

 For the BBQ onions, I started with small piece of chorizo, I cooked it through then added a little bit of olive oil, next I sliced 1 small red onion, added it to the chorizo and oil, I then added 1 bay leaf, covered it. I let it cook until the onions started to caramelized. After they were caramelized, I removed the bay leaf, added 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tbs. Worcestershire sauce,  2 tbs. honey, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. I covered it, and let it reduce into a thick syrup.

 To serve, I placed pepper jack and cheddar cheese on top of the chicken patty, I toasted the buns, placed a few tbs. of the onions on the top bun, placed the chicken patty on the bottom bun, and topped it with a spring lettuce mix. I served some tater tots on the side.

Here is a picture of the BBQ onions, I know it looks gross, but they were good!

Enchilada Casserole

 Tonight was my turn. I of course, wanted something easy and quick. I wanted enchiladas but didn't want to take time putting them all together. I thought I would try a casserole.

 I chopped 1 small yellow onion, 6 mini orange peppers, and 6 mini carrots. First I sauteed the onion, peppers, and carrots, until they were tender. I then added 2 cans of green enchilada sauce and 6 boneless skinless chicken breast tenders. I let it cook until the chicken was tender and falling apart. Next, shred the chicken. Place 1/4 of the sauce on the bottom of a deep baking dish, then 2 flour tortillas (taco size), then a layer of the shredded chicken, a layer of shredded spinach (fresh with stems cut off), a layer of onions, and yellow peppers, a layer of cheese, and lastly some of the leftover sauce. Keep repeating the layers until everything is used up.

 Place it in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Then let sit for 5 minutes, cut into squares. I served it with sour cream.

Roasted Chicken, Potatoes, and Carrots

 I forgot to post this yesterday, so I thought I would post it tonight.

 Jake made this last night. He took chicken legs, potatoes, and carrots, seasoned them with rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. He placed them in a deep baking dish, and cooked them for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Chicken Strips, Couscous, and Spinach

 Tonight was my night to cook. Of course I wanted something really fast and easy, I went with chicken strips.

  For the chicken strips, I used skinless boneless ones. I dipped them in an egg wash (2 eggs and a splash of milk (lactose free 2%), then rolled them in some panko bread crumbs, seasoned with lemon pepper, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, basil, and oregano. I then placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I baked them in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.

  To go with them I made couscous. For it, I sauteed 1/2 of a small red onion, 1/2 of a red bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 of shredded carrot, in some olive oil. I then put the sauteed veggies in a small pot with 2 cups of chicken broth. Let that come to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes (this lets the flavors combine together). Then add 1 box of couscous, cover, and remove from from heat, let set for about 7 minutes.

  For the veggie tonight I wanted creamed spinach, but it's filled with a ton of calories, so I thought I would try to make it healthier. I took 1/2 bag of fresh spinach and roughly chopped it, set aside. In a deep skillet I melted 2 tbs butter (margarine) with 2 tbs olive oil, then added 1/2 chopped red onion, 2 cloves minced garlic, and 1/4 chopped red bell pepper, saute until onion and pepper are tender. Next, I added the spinach and stirred until the spinach shrinks. Lastly, add seasoning, salt, pepper, freshly grated nutmeg (1/4 tsp), the zest of a lemon, the juice of a lemon, and 1 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 cup 2% lactose free milk, and 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese. Simmer until sauce decreases by 1/2.

Hamburger Soup and Homemade Bread

 I have been lazy and not posting lately, but haven't been feeling great. Last night Jake made a fish chowmein.

 Tonight was a joint cooking night. Jake made the bread and I made the soup. I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman on Food Network yesterday, but of course I changed it up. I didn't feel like going to the store today, so I used what was in the house.

 For the soup I chopped 1 medium size onion and 4 large cloves of garlic. In a large pot cook the hamburger (she started with 2lbs, but I used 1, and mine was lean) along with the onion and garlic. After this is all browned, drain any grease. It then called for 2 tbs. of tomato paste, which I didn't have (I guess I need to restock my pantry), so I made a roax to help thicken the sauce, I added 2 tbs flour to the grease, cooked out the flour for about a minute, next I added 4 cups of beef stock, 1 small can of tomato sauce, 1 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes (she used whole tomatoes and then squished them up), then I added 4 potatoes that I cubed, 10 to 12 mini carrots cubed (she added 2 large carrots cut on a diagonal), 6 mini sweet orange peppers (she used 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 green bell pepper chopped). Next, I added 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 1/2 tsp basil, and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. I let it come to a boil, turned it down to medium covered it, and let it cook until the potatoes were soft, about 30 minutes.

 For the bread, Jake did a country loaf. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 package yeast in a large bowl. Add 2 cups very warm water. Beat with wire whisk, or elcetric mixer for 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.Cover tightly with plastic wrap for 1 hour. Add 2 tbs oil, and 2 tsp salt. Stir in enough flour until soft and smooth. Next knead the bread for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is springy. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and set aside for 1 hour. Place the dough on a greased cookie sheet, shape. then cover with plastic wrap for 45 to 50 minutes. Place in a 425 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes, place an 8x8 pan on the lower oven rack filled with water.