Chicken and Apples

Yummm!!

I modified a recipe for the kids!

Apple Chicken

Ingredients

• chicken
  
• 2 chopped apple
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon Italian-style dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. In food processor chop apples and set aside
2. In food processor chop cheese
3. In food processor chop chicken (already cooked), butter, parsley and water
4. Combine all in big bowl
5. spoon into icecube trays and freeze.
   

Yogurt - Crockpot

Ok, so YoBaby Yogurt is CRAZY EXPENSIVE!!! I am delving into the world of making my own yogurt in the crockpot. Not only will I save money, but I can control the sugar my kids are getting (ie NONE, except fruit I put in).

CrockPot Yogurt
The Ingredients.

--8 cups (half-gallon) of whole milk--pasteurized and homogenized is fine, but do NOT use ultra-pasteurized. (Debbie recommends starting with whole milk until you get the hang of yogurt-making)

--1/2 cup store-bought natural, live/active culture plain yogurt (you need to have a starter. Once you have made your own, you can use that as a starter)

--frozen/fresh fruit for flavoring

--thick bath towel

The Directions.

This takes a while. Make your yogurt on a weekend day when you are home to monitor.

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

Plug in your crockpot and turn to low. Add an entire half gallon of milk. Cover and cook on low for 2 1/2 hours.

Unplug your crockpot. Leave the cover on, and let it sit for 3 hours.

When 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warmish milk and put it in a bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of store-bought live/active culture yogurt. Then dump the bowl contents back into the crockpot. Stir to combine. ---I also add 1/2 cup of powdered dry milk to "thinken" the yogourt! Or you can use 1 packet of unflavored gelatin

Put the lid back on your crockpot. Keep it unplugged, and wrap a heavy bath towel all the way around the crock for insulation.


Go to bed, or let it sit for 8 hours.

In the morning, the yogurt will have thickened---it's not as thick as store-bought yogurt, but has the consistency of low-fat plain yogurt.

Blend in batches with your favorite fruit. I did mango, strawberry, and blueberry. When you blend in the fruit, bubbles will form and might bother you. They aren't a big deal, and will settle eventually.

Chill in a plastic container(s) in the refrigerator. Your fresh yogurt will last 7-10 days. Save 1/2 cup as a starter to make a new batch.

You can achieve a Greek-style yogurt by lining a colander with a coffee liner and letting the liquid drip out of the left over plain yogurt. It comes out this as sour cream!

More information can be found: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

MONEY SAVINGS

One 6-pack of yo-baby is $6.50 (24 ounces)

One gallon of almost totally organic milk is $3.00 (128 ounces)

One gallon of yobaby would be $34.67 or 10 times what it cost you to make it, more or less.

Great Fathers Day Recipes

Slow Cooker Carnitas

2 pounds pork shoulder
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1 large orange)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 1 large lime)
7 cloves garlic (whole intact)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup beef broth
corn tortillas
sour cream, salsa, sliced avocado (optional)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the salt and cumin. Rub mixture all over the pork, then plop into the slow cooker. Add whole garlic cloves. Squeeze on the citrus, and pour the beef broth evenly over the top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the pork shreds quite easily with a fork. If your meat is still fully intact after 8 hours, remove and cut into chunks, then return to the crock and flip to high for about an hour or two.
Shred meat fully and serve on warmed corn tortillas with desired toppings.

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Breakfast Casserole

Prep this the night before for an easy breakfast or brunch. Find turkey sausage in the freezer section of the supermarket with other breakfast meats.


Cooking spray
12 ounces turkey breakfast sausage
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 cups egg substitute
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 large eggs
16 (1-ounce) slices white bread
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat extrasharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring and breaking sausage to crumble. Remove from heat; cool.

2. Combine milk and next 6 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

3. Trim crusts from bread. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Add bread cubes, sausage, and cheddar cheese to milk mixture, stirring to combine. Pour bread mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking or 3-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray, spreading egg mixture evenly in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350°.

5. Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand 30 minutes. Sprinkle casserole evenly with paprika. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes.

All about the babies!

Well, I have been majorly slacking on the Adult Meals front. So I am going to focus on the Babies and their food, and secondary will be what I make for us...which soon will be the same!!!

My kids are fantastic eaters...here are a few of the dishes they have had.

Chicken with Leek, carrot and peas

2lb chicken thighs with bone
6-8 already purade carrot cubes
5 already purade greenbean (I didn't feel like making peas since i already had the greenbeans made)
and about 2/3 cup of diced leaks (white part only)

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Tomatoes

1 small butternut squash (8 ounces chopped) (so easy to roast - cut in half, place cut side down with a little bit of water on bottom of pan, bake 45-60 min @350)
1 1/2 Tbl tiny star pasta
1 Tbl unsalted butter (this sounds huge!! I will be cutting this back)
2 medium tomatoes (8oz) peeled, seeded and chopped (I will be using diced canned and then rinse through a strainer)
1/4 c graded cheddar cheese
2 Tbs milk

Chicken with Zucchini/Yellow Squash and Basil

I think you can figure that one out... :)

Today they will be having Sweet Potato Fries!!

I have sliced 3 Sweet Potatoes
In a zip lock back mix:
Olive Oil
Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Black pepper

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes!

Finally Back to Cooking!

Monday - Cranberry Pork Chops

Tuesday - Bucatini in Summery Pork Ragu

Thursday - Enchilada Verde

Cranberry Pork Chops

Ingredients:

Pork Chops

1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 T orange marmalade

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 T honey

Salt/Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish

In a bowl, mix cranberries, marmalade, and cloves. Place the mixture either inside a butterflied porkchop or on top.

Place the pork chops in prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 tablespoon honey over each chop. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

Bucatini in Summery Pork Ragu

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large yellow onion, minced
(I usually cut the onion in half and then in half again (2 quarters) then I use the side slots of a box grater to make thin slices of onion quickly and they are thin enough that they dissolve in the sauce as it cooks)
16 basil leaves (slice them into ribbons) or dried basil ~ 1 tsp
1 pound ground pork
3/4 cup dry white wine (or red, what ever is in the fridge)
1 14oz can of plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta (any kind of pasta – great with linguini/Fettuccini to penne too)

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a deep 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and basil and cook 5 minutes.

Add the pork and cook until lightly browned all over, stirring often, about 10 minutes; this step is important--if you rush and the pork is not sufficiently browned, the ragu will taste weak. Add the wine and then, after 5 minutes, the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pork is tender You may need to add a bit of water if it evaporates in order to prevent scorching.

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt to the water, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.

If the sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta cooking water. Add to pasta, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve hot. Serves 4


Enchiladas de Pollo-

Filling:
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 black peppercorns
1 onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
1 pound skinless chicken breast halves

--- or 1 rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion

2 can salsa verde
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

To prepare filling, place first 6 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Remove chicken from cooking liquid; cool. Remove chicken from bones; rough chop in food processor. Reserve broth for another use.
Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine chicken, 1/2 cup each Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses, and 1/2 cup onion in a bowl; set aside.

To prepare tortillas, microwave a couple at a time in a damp cloth until soft. Spoon 1/2 cup filling in center of tortilla; roll tightly, and place in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas and filling.

Pour sauce over enchiladas. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with 1/4 cup each Monterey Jack and cheddar. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheeses melt. Top with sour cream.

Out on business

I have been out on a business trip this past week. Check back Monday for next weeks dinners!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! Now that Easter is over what to do with all the left overs? This week is all about how to make great meals with left over Turkey and Ham.

Monday: Turkey fajitas
Tuesday: Ham and Turkey Cobb Salad
Wednesday: Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole
Thursday: Turkey Stir Fry

Pantry: Cheese, tomatoes, spinach, tortillas, left over ham and turkey, left over salad (Salad contains, hard boiled egg, swiss, bacon, red onion, spinach, lettuce), spaghetti, condensed cream of mushroom soup, 1 medium onion, 2 cans sliced mushrooms, milk, chopped green pepper, jar pimientos, ground ginger, can chicken broth, soy sauce, frozen stir fry veggies

Grocery Store: None for This week!


Turkey Fajitas

Slice or pull part the turkey
Quickly saute with Taco Season
Chop up tomatoes, lettuce (we had spinach), cheese
Assemble

Ham and Turkey Cobb Salad

Slice up Turkey and Ham
Add to left over Salad
(Salad contains, hard boiled egg, swiss, bacon, red onion, spinach, lettuce)

Turkey Tetrazzini

1 package (7 ounces) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (4 ounces each) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 jar (2 ounces) chopped pimientos, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Additional shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Transfer to a large bowl; add the next 10 ingredients and mix well. Spoon into a greased 2-1/2-qt. casserole; sprinkle with cheese if desired. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Turkey Stir Fry

1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 (10.5 Oz) can chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 carrot, julienne strip cut
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (or canned)
Frozen Stir Fry veggies
2 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey breast
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp slivered almonds, toasted for garnish