I know a lot of us are in a very unseasonable heat wave, but this only takes a quick broil, and I almost always do it in the toaster oven which is my best-summer-cooking friend. The sauce is a delightful mix of tangy cheese and lemon, creaminess, and just enough herbs to give it some real savor.
Would You Like Some ... Thai Salad?
I’m a sucker for all things Thai, and I also crave hearty salads in the spring when my desire to actually cook seems to fly right out the window. This recipe combines both those things, and happens to be the matching salad to the Peanut Sauce (a la Moosewood) that I posted last week! It’s filling, easy, flexible, and delish. Without further ado …Would You Like Some ... Peanut Sauce?
I’m a real sucker for peanut sauce. For almost anything asian in fact, and while peanut sauce may not be authentic asian, it’s a good illusion. Besides, peanut sauce is good over just about anything … pasta, chicken, beef, salad, baked potatoes, broccoli … I could go on but you get the idea! It’s tangy and sweet and a bit sour and a bit salty, mmmmm. I’ve tried many many recipes for it, and I’ll share two quick favorites here. If you want the “takes 3 cans of coconut milk and tastes amazing and is worthy of a great Thai Restaurant and makes killer satay dip” variety, holler and I’ll post that too. But the last time I took the time to make it was several years ago, and it doesn’t exactly lend itself to sanity. Without further ado …Would You Like Some ... Greek(ish) Salad?
I make pretty much the same salad every week. At least once a week, or 2 or 3 times, however often I manage to throw one together before dinner. It has it’s variations, but the basics are the same. I have no handy pics, sadly, but here goes …
Sanemom’s Greek(ish) Salad
Friday Roundup ...
Perhaps the fact that I’m posting this after a looooong day of getting ready for company (not the easiest sort either) has some bearing on the contents. You be the judge :)
- First up is something I just found, which suits my palate to a T. Minnesota Matron who posts often on the WC has three quick recipes, all of which appeal to me greatly. The easiest? Swirl peanut butter in your hot oatmeal, before adding fruit (if you bother). Get the details here.
- Ok, another WC contribution (from Bellwether Vance this time) but this one is so sweet and delightful that it’s not to be missed. On the subject of delayed proposals.
- The Health Care Bill? I’ve watched some of the debates, seen FB statuses with heated opinions, and listened to it all without much comment. I found myself reacting without knowing much, just feeding off of others’ opinions. So, here’s the bill. I’m going to read it before saying anything.
Would You Like Some ... Carrot Salad?
Never seen this many colors of carrots, but loved the image :)I always have carrots in the fridge. Well, almost always. They keep practically forever, my boys love them, they’re a perfect snack, and the crunch is rather satisfying. They get a little boring sometimes though, and when I ran across this super-quick Carrot Salad over on Catherine Newman’s blog awhile back, I was hooked! Salty and sweet is a favorite combination, and did I mention it’s fast?
Carrot Salad
Would You Like Some ... Crock Pot Corned Beef?
via stuart_spivack @ Flickr commons. Saint Patty’s Day is coming up soonish (March 17 in case you’re wondering like I was), and it primarily means one thing to me: corned beef :). I love me some falling-apart corned beef and carrots, dripping juice all over my bowl. In our house this is bowl food, and you drink the juices out of the bottom when you’re done, or sop some bread or rice in it. It’s easiest and I think best in a crock pot, takes < 5 minutes to put together, and is to die for.Would You Like Some ... Quick Lunch Pizzas?
Two of our favorite lunches are super quick, and one of them is highly portable too :). They’re Mini Pizzas and Granny Pizzas. Some people call the Mini Pizzas English Muffin Pizzas, which we always used. I’m sure you can substitute any small bread product, we’ve used toast before in a pinch, I’m sure other things would work too.
First the Mini Pizzas, a staple in our house growing up.
Would You Like Some ... Hearty Salad Bar Fixings?
This salad has become a real favorite in our house, it’s the perfect winter meal when you’re not in the mood for soup! It’s customizable, flexible, and we think it’s just plain delicious. It’s from Catherine Newman’s family.com column, and I have to yet try a recipe of hers that we don’t love. Kindred kitchens? Perhaps :).
I’ll give you the basics below, but let her original recipe (scroll down for the printable) give you the specifics. We had this for dinner tonight, after some heavy snow-time thanks to a snow-day, and it was filling and delish!
Would You Like Some ... Shrimp Valentine?
Back when we still pretended to celebrate holidays, I sometimes made a special Valentine’s Day dinner. One year I pulled a recipe from the newspaper that sounded like it had all our favorites in it: lime, shrimp, garlic, butter, stinky cheese, cilantro, and sake. What’s not to love?! It’s rich enough to be reserved for special occasions, and man is it good! It’s definitely become a favorite, though I don’t make it too often.
The recipe is below, and if you want a handy printable version head over here to PW’s Tasty Kitchen where I’ve posted it too. Aside from peeling shrimp (if you buy them that way) it’s very quick to make … Enjoy!
Recipe after the jump …
Would you Like Some ... Chicken Nuggets?
Douglas begged for these the other day in the grocery store, specifically the kind I hadn’t made in over a year. “The soft ones mom.” They’re a definite kid pleaser!
Easy, fast, and delicious, whether you dip them in catsup or mustard or honey/jam/hotsauce stirred together … whatever you have on hand that catches your fancy.
I started with the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book recipe, which is the cookbook my mom always used, and varied it a wee bit.
Chicken Nuggets
- 4 T melted butter
- 2 t worcestershire sauce
- pile of 1 inch cubes of chicken breast, about 1.5 lbs
- 1 c. of finely crushed crackers, any combo. I used rye as we’re off wheat right now, goldfish, saltines, whatever you have handy …
- 1/3+ c grated parmesan
- salt/pepper to taste
Mix the butter and worcestershire sauce together in a bowl. Mix the cracker crumbs, cheese, and salt/pepper to taste in a ziplock bag.
Toss the chicken pieces in the butter mixture (a few at a time), then in the crumb mixture, and place in one layer on a baking tray.
Bake @450 for 7-9 minutes, until no longer pink.
Dip in whatever you have on hand, we used orange marmalade mixed with a sweet/sour vinegar mix and a bit of honey.
Enjoy!
Would You Like Some ... Homemade Broth?
So. I made both beef and chicken stock in that last week, and we’re loving them both. I’ll give the chicken recipe here as it’s a wee bit easier, and you’re more likely to have the ingredients lying around.
Would You Like Some ... Quiche?
I’m a sucker for good quiche. This is amusing to me as I spent most of my teen years hating eggs in any form but scrambled, which reminds me that I should have a wee bit more sympathy with my 7-year-old who also finds eggs in ANY form abominable! But this quiche is lovely, most lovely, and even better if you get your hands on raw creme or have the heart to put in some sour cream also :). I won’t argue here on why it’s all good for you (but there are lots of reasons here if you need ‘em).
This recipe was shared by my SIL who found it on the web somewhere, and I have no idea where, but Google tells me it was probably here at Not Eating Out in New York. I think I’ll be browsing over there next … but without further ado, here’s my favorite quiche recipe.
Would You Like Some ... Lentil Soup?
At the risk of committing myself to something I won’t follow through on, I’m going to designate Wednesdays as Would You Like Some … days, and would love submissions if you have a great recipe to share!
Today’s category is bean/grain soups, of which I’m choosing lentils for my submission. I LOVE lentil soup, have tried a lot of different kinds, and have two favorites. The one below is a straight-up lentil soup with no veggies or tomatoes or meat added, and it’s super simple to make. I got this recipe via an article about Bidonville Cafe, a wee little coffee shop just across from my son’s school, and it’s a tiny bit spicy but not too much for my boys.
Please share your own favorite bean/grain soups in the comments, with either the recipe or a link to your favorite. I’ll compile the results over in the forum, where there are a few already. Recipe after the jump.
BEST is a relative term ...
Remember when you thought that Michael Jackson was the BEST dancer (ok, maybe some of you still do :), that Claire’s had the BEST jewelery and that Portillos had the BEST hot dogs? Or perhaps the BEST hair product was Aussie Scrunch Spray, and the BEST thing you could never have was a monogrammed sweater … because putting your initials correctly ( First LAST Middle ) would spell BRA right across your chest. Yup, I was crushed. My sister got one (green I believe) but I was left out of the game.
Anyhow, I ate at Olive Garden today.
Q of the Week : Holiday burnout tips? Pretty please?
Fynn’s list for this year, conceived and mostly executed by his older brother. Coming home from my run this morning, I had to weave around huge stacks of artificial christmas trees lying on the sidewalk, and dodge the man trundling them slowly into the store. I shuddered a bit. The Holiday Season is upon us, and every year it seems to get a bit crazier and even less sane. The shopping starts earlier, the sales are more desperate, and travel frenzy messier, and the expectations harder to manage.
I’m not a scrooge, but I think we take the holidays easy.
Tip of the Week : Menu Plan!
Make a Meal Plan!
I know I’ve been over this before, but I think I need to revisit it, with more specifics :). Meal planning makes for a happier, cheaper, and more efficient kitchen. Ditch it, and we end up with leftover cupcakes for dinner. Which isn’t all bad, on the first day of summer vacation, but it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the week!
Some of my favorite inspirations:
SAJ is doing a meal-planning segment, check it out here!
Hot by Six has a great meal-planning service, which I sadly don’t use because I’m too picky about recipes. (Anybody want the rest of my annual subscription?!) They let you share menus with friends and help you schedule group prep days. They’re all about making it fast and easy when you get to dinnertime. Love the idea, just not quite right for me.
OrgJunkie.com is home to Menu Plan Monday, and definitely worth checking out.
Kristen, over at FoodRenegade, is one of my personal foodie/recipe planning favorites. She doesn’t post every week, but I get great ideas when she does. Easy food, but it all takes advance planning! Which is the point, right?
Please share your menu helps below!
School Lunches
I don’t know about you, but the lunches my son gets at a public NYC school are appalling to me. Sugar coated fruit, sugared bread and PB and jams, fried food, super processed carbohydrates, sweetened millk, etc … I can usually tell what he’s had by how he acts when I pick him up. Peanut butter and Jelly days are the worst. Did you know candy bars aren’t considered junk food according to school nutrition standards, but Poland Spring selzer water is?! It has no minerals or vitamins. Riiiight.
This happens to be a soapbox of mine (can you tell by the sarcasm?!), and something I’m trying to figure out how to get more involved in. I’d love to work on a farm to table program that works through the school food program … anyone know where to start?
In the meantime, I just signed this from MomsRising, and hope you will too!
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The USDA’s school nutrition standards were developed in the 1970’s and aren’t consistent with current nutritional science. USDA doesn’t even consider candy bars, snack cakes or french fries to be junk foods. The standards don’t even address calories, saturated and trans fats or sodium.
I added my name to a petition calling for an update to these standards and I hope you will too.
http://momsrising.democracyinaction.org/o/1768/t/1546/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1925
The petition will be hand delivered to Congress June 24th. The more signatures we have, the greater our impact.
Thanks!
SaneMom