BBQ Meatballs and Black Bean Couscous

I tried to get adventurous tonight, so I came up with a new twist on both meatballs and couscous.  I made my regular meatballs (hamburger, steak seasoning, egg, BBQ sauce, bread crumbs) and baked them at 350 for 30 minutes.  Then I put a jar of BBQ sauce (we got it in a christmas gift exchange last weekend!) and just put them in oven to warm.

For the black bean couscous, I added a can of rinsed and drained black beans, 1/2 c corn, 1 cup water, 1 bullion cube, and unmeasured chili powder and cumin.  I brought it to a boil and added 1c couscous.  I turned off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes, then fluffed and ate!  My weren't huge fans of the couscous, but I thought it was pretty good.

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Another cold day, another bowl of soup.  Today, I went with Lentil soup.  I based this recipe off Giada's Beef and Lentil Soup, but made it vegetarian. 

Ingredients:
1 diced onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano
1c lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
1qt vegetable stock
spinach

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft.  Add rosemary, oregano, lentils, tomatoes (and their juice), and stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes.  The directions on the lentils advise to simmer for 20 minutes, but I don't think they are very tender.  The longer you simmer them the more tender they will be.  Once the lentils are tender, add spinach.  I think fresh is the best (2 handfuls or so), but I didn't have any today and added about 3/4c frozen chopped spinach.  Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!  The little 1 year old that I babysit for ate this like it was her last meal.  I was going to try to take video of her shoveling it in, but she was eating it too fast!!!!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We are having spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight.  I am making the meatballs right now.  Preheat the oven to 400 and mix the following together (all measurements are approximate):

1 lb ground beef
1/4c whole wheat bread crumbs
1 egg
2T olive oil
3T parmesan cheese
1tsp steak seasoning (I think this gives a richer flavor than just salt and pepper)
1tsp italian seasoning
2T milk (enough to make the right consistency)

I use the Pampered Chef med scoop to scoop them out, then I roll them into balls.  I bake on my Pampered Chef large bar pan for 20 minutes at 400.  The rest is pretty easy - I boil 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta and mix with 1 jar spaghetti sauce.  My favorite sauce is Classico because it doesn't have any high fructose corn syrup in it.  We are moving early next year and I am going to plant tomato plants, so hopefully I will be able to make my own sauce!

Creamy White Bean Soup

It's cold outside, so it's definitely a soup kind of day. For lunch today, I made a creamy white bean soup. I sauteed a diced onion and 1 clove garlic. Then I added about 1/2 tsp thyme and 1 tsp rosemary. I rinsed and drained 1 can cannellini beans and added them to my pot along with 2 cups vegetable broth. I wanted to keep it vegetarian, so I used veggie broth, thinking that chicken broth would probably be better, but I actually don't think it would have made a difference. I brought it to a boil and simmered it for 20 minutes. I used my immersion blender to cream all of the soup. Then we dined! I think the next time, I might only puree half of the soup, so that there are still some whole beans, just for a change. My 8 month old likes to eat beans with her hands, so she wasn't as big a fan of me just feeding her soup. You could also add some diced chicken to make it more of a full meal.

Beef and Lentil Soup

Another busy night in our household, so I thawed out some Beef and Lentil soup that I made a few weeks ago. I use Giada's recipe. Sometimes I add my own additions, but this time, it was just from the recipe. When I make it with my own creativity, I'll post that! This is a great soup for a cold night. Here's Giada's recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lentil-soup-with-beef-recipe/index.html

Chili

We bought a new house and had the home inspection last night. I wanted to make something that could sit out for a while so that my sister could feed the little kids and it would still be good when we got home. Chili was the answer. In my opinion (not biased at all), I make the best chili. It's so easy, yet so good. I brown a pound of hamburger, then add 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic. After they have softened, drain any grease. I have pretty lean hamburger, so I usually don't have to drain. Then I add oregano, cumin, and chili powder. I'm not sure how much of each, but probably about 1tsp of oregano and cumin, and about 1 tbsp of chili powder. I can't ever seem to get enough chili powder, though. Then I add a can of rinsed and drained black beans and a can of chili beans (with the juice). It probably doesn't matter the order that you add everything, but I'm a big fan of stirring and watching my food come together, so it's more fun this way! After that's all mixed, I add 1 big can of tomato juice. I think this is the secret. Then you just let it simmer until you're ready to eat it. It's even better the second day. Sometimes I boil 1 cup elbow macaroni and add that in at the end. It is delicious both ways. I like to eat a peanut butter sandwich and drink a tall glass of milk with my chili. This is possibly my favorite meal ever!!!

Chili Mac

Last night for dinner, I made homemade Chili Mac. My husband thought it was Hamburger Helper until he looked closely. I browned a pound of hamburger, drained it, and added 1 packet of taco seasoning. I also added a can of diced tomatoes. I added the juices and my "mac" was a little runny, so maybe drain the juices. I then made homemade mac and cheese. I cooked 1/2 pound of whole wheat elbows according to the directions and made my cheese sauce. I melted 2T butter and added 2T flour. When the flour was cooked, I added 2C milk. When the milk was hot (not boiling, just little bubbles on the sides) I added 1/2lb Velveeta. I mixed everything together, topped it with cheddar, and baked for 45 minutes at 350. I wasn't the prettiest dish I've ever made, but it was tasty!

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

I am spending the weekend in Nashville visiting my college roommate. For dinner tonight, she made Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas. They were super delicious - she would like me to add that she also made brownies from a box. Why would you ever made homeade brownies - they are sooo good from a box!!! Here is the recipe for the Buffalo Chix Enchiladas:

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs shredded chicken
1/4c wing sauce
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream chicken soup
8oz ranch dip
2c Mexican cheese
tortilla shells

Brown chicken seasoned with salt and pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Shred chicken and add wing sauce. Combine soups and dip. In tortilla shell, spread a little soup mix, shredded cheese, and chicken. Roll and place in pan. Repeat using 6-8 shells total. Top with remaining soup mix. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with shredded cheddar for last 5 minutes.

Chicken Florentine Lasagna

I've really been in the mood for lasagna, but not for meat sauce, so I decided to go with chicken and spinach.  I put alfredo sauce on the bottom and then a layer of whole wheat lasagna noodles.  Then I topped with my spinach mixture.  The mixture is 1 clove garlic, 1 box frozen spinach, 1c ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1/4c white wine, salt, pepper, and roasted chicken.  I roasted 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts and then shredded them.  That's what I used with the spinach.  I then topped it with provolone cheese and another layer of alfredo.  I layered this and topped the final layer with alfredo and cheese.  We had it with a ceasar salad - it was a very good dinner!

Spinach Pesto Pasta with Peas and Roasted Red Peppers

We had a great lunch and dinner today!  I made a spinach pesto for lunch and mixed it with whole wheat macaroni, peas, and roasted red peppers.  For the pesto, I put 1 clove of garlic, 2oz pine nuts, 1/4 c basil, 2 big handfuls of spinach, salt and pepper in my food processor.  I pulsed it for a little bit then added 1/4 olive oil and some grated parmesan.  I don't like my pesto to taste like olive oil, so I left mine pretty thick.  It was so creamy and delicious, though!  If you like it runnier, you can add more olive oil.  I made this a little while ago and I think I added feta, which was good.  I didn't have any today, so it was cheeseless, but still good.

Pork Fried Rice

I roasted a pork tenderloin with a ginger-dijon glaze last Friday night and we only ate half of it.  So, I used the leftovers to make Pork Fried Rice on Monday night.  First I boiled a cup of basmati rice in chicken stock according to the directions and then shredded all of the leftover pork.  Had I been thinking ahead, I would have shredded the pork on Friday night when it was still warm. It would have shredded much easier. I sauteed some diced carrots and some celery for a few minutes.  I usually don't use celery in fried rice, but I had 1 stalk sitting in my fridge asking me to use it.  I added peas, minced garlic, and grated ginger.  BE CAREFUL when grating ginger - I grated my finger twice in 4 days grating ginger!!!  I added the shredded pork and about 2 tablespoons of chili-garlic sauce.  I like my fried rice spicy, but you can use less if you like.  After this was all mixed, I transferred it to a bowl.  I added 2 tablespoons of butter to my wok and scrambled an egg.  I added the prepared rice and douced it with low sodium soy sauce.  I added the pork and veggies back in, stirred it up, and we enjoyed!!

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

I was in the mood for pancakes for lunch, but since the 10-month old that I watch is a vegetarian, I had a hard time trying to add protein to this meal.  If she were older, she would eat scrambled eggs with me and my 2 year old, but alas, she's not!  So, I decided to add ricotta to the pancakes to get her some protein.  As it is fall, I thought pumpkin would also be appropriate.  I ate a few bites while I was frying the pancakes and wasn't too impressed.  I didn't think they were very sweet and that the whole wheat flour was just too strong.  When I put syrup on them, though, they were really good.  The kids are so young that they don't really know about things being sweet and that they aren't "supposed" to like whole wheat flour, so they gobbled these up!  My 2 year old ate 3 and the 10-month old ate 2 whole pancakes!  Here's the recipe:

Mix together:
1 cup whole milk ricotta (if making just for adults, I would use part-skim ricotta)
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

Then add:
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1T baking powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
1 cup whole wheat flour

They tend to look a little dark when you're frying them, but I think that's becase of the whole wheat flour.  They were pretty good, but could probably be improved.  Any suggestions?

Red Beans and Rice

Yesterday for lunch we had Red Beans and Rice.  It is so easy to make and was really good.  I sauteed an onion and a garlic clove.  Then I added 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp oregano and coriander and a can of rinsed and drained red beans.  I also added 1 can diced tomatoes and their juice,  1c jasmine rice, and 2 c vegetable stock.  I brought it to a boil and simmered it for 15 minutes.  If you don't want to make it vegetarian, you can add 1 pound of browned sausage - that's also really good.  If you want a topping, cheddar cheese is delicious!

Margherita Pizza

We had a good lunch today.  I love to buy the whole wheat flatbread and make pizzas.  Today we had my version of a Margherita pizza.  I warmed some olive oil along with a clove of minced garlic.  After the olive oil had been infused with the garlic (you'll know, you can smell it), I very liberally brushed the flatbread with the oil.  With the oil that was left, I wilted about 3 handfuls of spinach and I added a shake or two of dried basil.  The heat really warms up the flavor of the basil.  If I'm making this for myself, I add salt and pepper to the spinach, but I didn't add any for the kids.  Once that is wilted, spread it on the flatbread.  Then top with cheese and slices of roma tomatoes.  I baked it at 350 for about 5-10 minutes - just long enough for the cheese to melt.  Here is a pic of the pizza right after I took it out of the oven.

Vegetable and Chicken Broth

I ran out of stock last week, so I made more over the weekend.  The 10-month old that I babysit for is a vegetarian, so I made some vegetable broth for the first time.  It was really good!  I boiled 2 sweet potatoes, 1 bunch asparagus, 1 leek, celery, carrots, and garlic.  I also roasted some chicken drumsticks and boiled them with onion, leeks, carrots, and celery.  I didn't have enough jars to can everything, so I had to put some in the refrigerator.  I made vegetarian black bean soup for lunch today.  It needs some tweaking, so I will not post the recipe.  I did not think it was the best black bean soup that I've had, but my kids loved it - even the 7 month old!  I use my stock for lots of things, so I'm pretty excited to have some more.

Smoothies

My most recent Parenting magazine had an article on preventing the flu.  There were the usual tips on hand washing, coughing and sneezing into your elbow, and fever remedies.  There were 3 tips, though, on strengthening your immune system.  The first tip was titled "Wake-Up Call" and recommended eating breakfast rich in colorful fruits and veggies along with whole-grain carbohydrates.  The second tip was to "Power up the Probiotics."  A study had shown that preschoolers who were given twice daily probiotics supplements had less coughs and runny noses during the cold and flu season.  Probiotics can be found in breastmilk/formula, yogurts, and supplements.  The third tip was to "Dish up Vitamin D," which helps activate immune cells.  The best source of vitamin D is sunlight, but can also be found inn fortified milk and juices, cheeses, eggs, and salmon.  After reading the article, I thought, well, I can cover all 3 of these tips in a smoothie!  So, for breakfast every morning, we have some kind of smoothie.  I have found that the Stonyfield Organic Low-Fat Vanilla yogurt is not only delicous, but full of probiotics and is fortified with Vitamin D.  This was the only yogurt with Vitamin D at my local Wal-Mart.  So, I use about 1/2 - 3/4c Minute Maid Kids Orange Juice (all kinds of added vitamins), yogurt, and a variety of frozen fruits and blend with my immersion blender to make the best smoothies!  We've had Strawberry Banana, Peach-Mango-Banana, Blueberry Peach, Cherry-Peach.  The possibilities are endless and they are delicious!

Getting Started

As a stay at home mom/babysitter, I sometimes need a little inspiration to keep me sane!  I find lunch to be what keeps me going.  I love to cook, so coming up with new and creative lunches is a fun challenge for me.  I try to put as many nutrients and as little processed foods as possible into each lunch.  When I come up with something I think is really cool, I usually call my mom so that I can A.) have an adult to talk to and B.) tell someone who may be as excited about it as I am!  She has suggested that I write a cookbook someday.  I'm not so sure that these recipes are cookbook worthy, so instead I've decided to blog about them!