We were out of town for a few days this week, so this is a shorter menu list and is a bit late…
- Garlicky kale spaghetti
- Freezer Meal: Baked Penne
- Zucchini and Chicken Salad
- English Muffin pizzas
The food our family eats
We were out of town for a few days this week, so this is a shorter menu list and is a bit late…
Somehow our family of 4 managed to finish off 2 gallons of milk this week, so when I went to make breakfast, the options were a bit more limited than normal. We had about 1 cup of yogurt leftover from the Chickpeas and Pita Casserole (which the parents really liked, but the kids found a bit garlicky), so I figured I could use that in something. We have tons of frozen blueberries still, so when I found this recipe at For the Love of Cooking, I knew I had a winner! I changed it up a bit, partially based on what we have in the kitchen. One thing I am always trying to add is flax seeds. Our oldest has fish allergies, so there goes one source of omega-3s. Flax seeds are another great source, and the Flax Paks make it really easy to throw into recipes.
Blueberry – Yogurt Muffins:
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Flax Pak
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup yogurt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tbsp sugar
Preheat the oven to 400. Mix the try ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients and stir into the dry. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Cook 18-20 min.
I adapted this recipe from this post at Former Chef’s blog, which was in turn adapted from Giuliano Hazan’s 30 Minute Pasta book. It’s a really fast, really good meal, especially if you cut up the squash in the morning so it’s ready to go a dinner time.
Rotini with Butternut Squash and Bacon
(Adapted from Former Chef and Giuliano Hazan’s Thirty Minute Pasta
1 yellow onion, diced
3 Tbsp. butter
3 oz Pancetta, cut into 1/4″ pieces (could use bacon)
1 medium butternut squash, diced into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb pasta
3 oz Grated parmesan cheese
Boil water for the pasta. Add the butter to a large saute pan and add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Add the panceta and cook until it starts to crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the squash and season with salt and pepper. Add the water, stir and cover with a lid for 10 minutes until the squash is soft. Check after 5 minutes and add more water in 1/4 cup increments if it’s drying out, until the squash is soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon.
Cook pasta and reserve about 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the sauce, smashing the butternut squash with the back of a large spoon. If it seems too thick, add the other 1/4 cup. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta and the grated cheese and serve.
1. Gemelli with Butternut Squash, though probably with rotini.
2. Based on Chicken & Mushroom Fettuccini.
3. Chickpeas and Pita Casserole
4. Cuban Roasted Pork Loin (Memories of a Cuban Kitchen, p. 133) with Moro Rice and Plantains.
5. Nachos
6. Freezer: Penne
7. Freezer: Enchiladas verdes
This was really good and FAST to make: a real winner for weeknight healthy meals!
From the recipe at Dinner A Love Story: Anna’s Sausage, Bean, and Kale Stew.
Saute the onion in a large pot until softened. Add the garlic, pepper and shake of red pepper flakes. Remove sausage from casings adding to the pot and cook, crumbling, until cooked through. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
Dianne // Feb 11, 2011 at 2:35 pm
“Mac and Cheese” with Peas and Tomatoes
Boil water and add one pound of pasta – cook according to directions
Save one cup of pasta water for later and when pasta is done – take hot pasta and mix with one cup ricotta cheese
While pasta is cooking, Saute 2 minced garlic cloves in olive oil
Once garlic has softened, add in about a cup of frozen peas (or more if you think your kids really like them) – season with salt and pepper
After the peas have cooked about 4 minutes, add in the reserved pasta water and let simmer for a few minutes (not too long)
Cut a pint of grape tomatoes in half and throw in with the pea mixture (turn off heat)
Then add in the pasta mixed with the ricotta into the pan until everything is mixed together
I had originally planned on using the Women’s Day recipe for the filling, and just substituting this for the corn-meal pie crust. But neither filling was exactly what we wanted (or had), and pre-cooking the onions and squash (like the Scraping the Skillet recipe calls for) seemed like a good idea. So I modified each a bit and came up with the following.
I mostly followed the crust recipe, but made it by hand rather than in the food processor:
Mix the flours and cut in the butter and shortening. Add the water and lemon juice and mix. Using your hands kneed it a couple of times to bring it all together into a ball. Put in the refrigerator while getting the filling ready.
For the filling
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Caramelize the squash in a pan with the oil. Add the onions and caramelize. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat, let cool a bit.
Divide the pie crust in half and roll each half into a circle about 14in across. Don’t worry too much about the shape. Move the pie crust to a greased cookie sheet (or cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper). Place half the filling in each pie crust. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and fold up the edges of the crust. Brush the crust with egg. Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
I found this recipe on FamilyOven.com. Seemed like a good use for some leftover chicken breasts, plus peppers and fettuccine are on sale this week. Came out quite good.
Since the chicken was already cooked, I just chopped it up and added it in the end. We also used real cream instead of the fat free stuff!