Little Chef

So in the last few days my little lady has told us that she wants to be a chef when she grows up. She is constantly making things for us...a purple hexagon toy becomes a cookie, a washcloth becomes a tortilla...and the other day she told us that she was going to make daddy a salad for dinner. (like he'd ever eat that!!)

Anyways, we went to a pizza/soup/pasta/salad bar last night for dinner. The waiter was very fun and friendly, and was talking a lot to the kids. I said, "Sissy, tell him what you are going to be when you grow up."  She thinks long about it then answers, "A woman." Ahaha we got a good laugh about that one.

After dinner, she wanted to say hello to the chefs working away behind the bar. Daddy took her over to the counter and told the chef she wanted to say hi to them. I was so proud of her...she didn't just say hi. My sweet little two year old says, "Thank you chef for my dinner."  I saw that grumpy, hard looking chef just completely melt. He squeezed her tummy and said, "Well I guess you really liked your dinner tonight!"

Why Have I Never????

In all my life, I have never ever experienced the joy of the "Tuna Melt." I've missed out on the deliciously satisfying flavor and the ease of preparation!! Until last week, I'd never tried one or made one...even my hubby is absolutely head over heals for my newest addition to our dinner menu.

May I present to you...

The TUNA MELT

You just need a few items...For my family of four, I used two cans tuna, but I have just used one as well.

Tuna

Mayo

sharp cheddar

lemon pepper

scallions

celery

jalapeno

True Lemon crystals or lemon juice (I like the crystals because it doesn't make your mixture wetter)

Before you prepare your mixture, you need to prep your bread of choice. I used whole wheat buns.  Line your pan with foil, and place your halves open faced on top. Place them in a 350 degree oven while you are working on the mixture.

Place your tuna in a mixing bowl, add a small amount of mayo (I used like 2 tbsps) 1 packet of True Lemon (or squeeze on wedge of lemon) lemon pepper to taste, and your finely chopped veggies.  For my kids I left out the jalapeno pepper, then added it after I made their sandwich.

Take your bread out of the oven and top one half with your mixture (I used an ice cream scoop) and the other half with a slice of cheddar...(these are kind of thick..I know...but that's how we roll)

Place them in the oven for 6-8 minutes

Flip the cheesy bun on to the tuna side...serve with a lettuce leaf and a thick tomato slice, and your choice of side. (Mine was zucchini from my garden seared in olive oil)

                                                   Enjoy!! And tell me if you make yourself one!!

5- Ingredients you are gonna want to put together in a big pot and simmer

1. Shallots chopped (about two tablespoons or to your liking)

2. Celery chopped (I did two stalks)

3. Garlic chopped (I did 3 cloves)

Throw into pot with a swirl of olive oil and cook until clear

4. Liquid (I used one cup of white wine and 8 cups of organic beef broth but chicken broth is

awesome too!)

5. One package of dry lentils.

Bring to a boil, then simmer until soft

That's it!! I actually added a few more ingredients...I added browned organic grass fed beef and squeezed lemon on it...you can also add tabasco. I also like carrots in my lentil stew...

Seriously the best recipe I have come across thanks to my friend G!!

I messed up.

Like real bad on Monday night. Just kinda trying to throw things together for dinner. I had defrosted skinless, boneless chicken wings, and really had no idea what to do with them. at all.

so about 45 minutes before my man was due to arrive home i looked in a cook book and was thrilled to note that i did indeed have all the ingredients for chicken kiev. yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper. hmmm. never tried the kiev, have no idea what it is supposed to taste like..


cooked it. there was an overwhelming scent of garlic wafting from those humble breasts.


they were unedible. hubby came home and we taste tested. we went out to eat. but in this economy...can't let good chicken go to waste. i ziplocked them and wracked my brain for ways to use them and soon.


well happy cinco de mayo to me...i realized that they would be great in chicken enchiladas!!! woooooot. and they were absolutely fabulous. so my monday wreck turned into a tuesday treasure!!

My Pasta Primavera

So when your hubby compliments you by saying, "Wow this is restaurant quality" and asks for seconds...you know you have a good thing going. I thought I would share with you.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh spinach chopped

3 small zucchini cut lenghwise and sliced

1 container cleaned and sliced mushrooms

1 small crown broccoli chopped

1 large can diced tomatoes rinsed and drained

1 bag shredded carrots

1 cooked sausage sliced (like hillshire farms) I used turkey

(ya know the U shaped sausage in the meat dept.)

3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

olive oil

your favorite pasta

parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, pour about 2 tablespoons oil, add garlic.

next, add all vegetables except the tomatoes. Add salt and pepper and cover. Let the veggies steam themselves for about 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes and sausage and stir. Cover again for about 5 min.

In the meantime, cook pasta. drain. place back in same pot you boiled it in and add the veggie and sausage mixture and stir.

Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese on top.

Greek Tacos

YUMMY!!! I mentioned this recipe before, but I am actually posting it now. I made a few variations, like I used ground turkey instead of the chicken, I bought Greek plain yogurt and doctored it up with some cumin, salt pepper and garlic powder, we added feta cheese crumbles, and did not use any lettuce.

I also served this with a side of chick peas. I took a can of them, rinsed well, drained and placed in a pan with a couple swirls of olive oil on medium heat. To this I added a few dashes of cumin, and garlic powder. Then I placed in about a fourth of a jar of roasted red pepper. Cook until it is nicely warmed.

Enjoy!! I know we did!!

What's for dinner??

I had been toying with the idea of doing a weekly dinner post...to share some of my dinner ideas, then the whole family got sick and threw a wrench in my bloggin plans!!

So I just have a couple ideas this week for ya. After I hit up the grocery store and plan some more, I should have some more next week!!

First off, how about some down home barbeque??

Our local grocery store sells beef ribs at a great price, so I picked up a package, threw them in a glass container, seasoned, and let them bake at like 350 for an hour or so...maybe more...(This is not a cooking how to blog!!) After they were almost done, I poured on our favorite bbq sauce. Yummo

Now for sides...Try this: Buy a bag of shredded coleslaw mix, a bottle of coleslaw dressing (we like the refrigerated kind in the produce section) and season your coleslaw to taste. Oh it is soooo good. Crunchy, not soggy.

I found in the freezer section, frozen unbaked bread. It came in a three pack, so I thawed one loaf all day in a bread pan, and baked it before baking the ribs...fresh baked bread!!

And, lastly, in the freezer, had some mixed veggies...boiled them up. We enjoyed our dinner!!


Secondly, What about Chicken??


I love to buy bone in skin on breasts and simply season with salt and pepper. I bake them at 350 for about an hour or an hour and a half. The skin gets super crunchy...(and you can totally peel it off like me) and the breast is so juicy!!!

I picked up some asparagus from costco, trimmed it up, and sauteed them in a saucepan with olive oil and minced garlic. When they had softened a bit, I tossed with parmesan cheese. Yummy.

I served with mashed potatoes as well. I used instant. I know I know...but the secret is to find a good instant...I buy a big box of pouches from costco...they don't taste cardboardish because they are not in a cardboard box.

Lastly, try a casserole!! I actually made a lasagna casserole and an enchilada casserole in the last two weeks. Great for the hubby to take to work...The key is to package it in the plastic containers (so he actually will take it to work) when you put it away. I do have a teensy secret to share which made both my casseroles delish...Make sure you have enough sauce!!! The recipe I used for the lasagna only called for one can of spaghetti type sauce...I ended up using two...and it wasn't dry like in the past!!

Here's my super quick and really easy enchilada recipe:
In a 9x13 dish, pour in a thin layer of red enchilada sauce. (I like Las Palmas)
layer in your corn tortillas, diced onions (if desired), shredded cooked chicken (I love to buy a rotisserie chicken and pull it apart for this), and cheddar cheese. Repeat until you have a top layer of corn tortillas. Cover with sauce and cheddar. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and enchilada is bubbly. Serve with a dollop of sour cream!!