Once a Month Cooking

Okay, I have been a bad cook and blogger the last couple of months. I have not been planning my meals as I know I need to. I know myself well enough to know that if I don't have plan, we end up eating out more. The girls had swim lessons the last couple of weeks from 5:30 to 7:00 each night. Between that and the end of school, we have been out of kilter. It has also been 95 degrees (or higher) each day, and it is only June! I hate to be in the kitchen when it is 100 degrees. So, I pulled out a cookbook that I purchased not too long ago. It is a Once-a-Month Cooking by Wilson and Lagerborg. It has menus, supply lists and recipes for two-weeks of cooking, or even a month of cooking. I decided to try one of the two week menus. I now have 14 meals in the freezer for summer use. The cookbook is set up to be used as a guide and was pretty easy to use. I ended up splitting up the cooking into two days, so I was not as efficient as I could have been. I was very pleased with the results so far. I think that I could use the 14 meals over a three week time period very easily by inserting a couple of vegetarian meals into the mix. I couldn't do this once a month, it was very intense, but once every few months I could make it work. The other thing to consider is the cost of the meals. I think the author's did a great job on this. I spent about $135.00 for the 14 meals. I thought that was pretty good!

Here are the meals that I have in the freezer:

1. Hearty Hamburger Tomato Stew


2. Chinese Chicken Morsels


3. Roast Beef sandwiches with Au Jus


4. Grilled Fish


5. Chicken Spaghetti


6. Mandarin Orange Chicken


7. Grilled Chile Pepper Cheeseburgers


8. Rainy day Chicken with Rice


9. Polynesian Pork Loin


10. Blackened Chicken Breast


11. Chicken Cacciatore


12. Meal-on-the-Run Pork Loin


13. Chile Verde


14. Savory Beef

Sonic Cherry Limeade

Here is a summer favorite! Easy and cheaper than a run to the drive through.

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) can Sprite
3 lime wedges
1/4 cup cherry juice (Libby's Juicy Juice best)

Directions:
1 Fill a 16 oz glass 2/3 full with ice Pour sprite over the ice.
2 add the juice of 3 lime wedges and drop them into the drink.
3 add the cherry juice and serve with straw.

Makes one 16 oz. drink.

Pulled Pork BBQ Pizza

Wow it's been a while since I've posted a recipe. To be honest I haven't been very creative lately so I haven't had anything exciting to post. Last night I did find a really good recipe that helped me use up some leftover pulled pork that I made in the crock pot. It was a hit in this household. I found it on the food network website. It is an Emeril recipe:

Dough:

Make or buy your dough. I use the recipe that came with my breadmaker.

Cheese:

12 oz Shredded Mozzerella

BBQ Sauce (instead of tomato sauce):

1 c apple cider vinegar

1 c ketchup

1/4 c light brown sugar

1 T molasses

1 T yellow mustard

2 t worchestershire sauce

1/2 t minced garlic

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t freshly ground pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients (mixing to dissolve sugar). Allow sauce to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Roll out dough. Spoon 1 cup of the cooled bbq sauce over the pizza dough, leaving about 3/4" of dough uncovered around the edge. Spread the pulled pork over the sauce. Top with onion and/or bell pepper if desired. Spread cheese evenly over pizza. Bake at 425F for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Broccoli Salad

Great summer time salad!

Ingredients:
1 large head broccoli, broken into small flowerettes
1 medium onion or about 1/2 cup chopped onion
8 to 10 slices bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 to 3 Tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut bacon into bits and fry crisp.
2. Mix together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, bacon, raisins and nuts (if using).
3. Pour over broccoli and onions. Mix well.
4. Let stand at least 1 hour or more before serving.

My new favorite things....

I have a few items that I want to share that I a loving in the kitchen...

1. The garden is filling in, and the lettuce is growing daily by the yard... I needed a way to keep the lettuce fresh, so I made a SMALL investment in a salad spinner. I LOVE IT! I week later the lettuce is still fresh. It takes up a little space in the fridge, but well worth it! I found one for about 10 dollars

2. The Wolfgang Puck Rice Cooker/ Steamer/ and Slow Cooker is my new FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE! A few months ago my rice cooker died. it was a hard pill to swallow, but I did not rush out to get one. I did have my eye open. My slow cooker was getting too hot, and I was starting to burn dishes that should be fine cooking all day. I was flipping channels and I saw an add for this new appliance. I ordered it on a whim- and I TOTALLY LOVE IT!!!!! It acts as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and a steamer. I am using it two or three times a week. the shape also helps with counter shape. If you cook a lot in the slow cooker, I would totally check it out! I was also able to get it for the price of $39.00.

http://kitchen-dining.hsn.com/wolfgang-puck-bistro-elite-10-cup-digital-multicooker_p-6269401_xp.aspx?o=RvItems-P&sz=5&ocm=seis&attr=&subcat=&cat=QC0097&dept=QC0010&sf=QC&gs=&prev=&cm_sp=Recommended*PD*bottom&ccm=QCQC0010QC0097

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

When you have to use the crock pot one or two nights a week, you can get TIRED of using it. It all seems the same. So when I found this recipe, I thought it sounded like something different. It is also really easy! I think I will add some veggies in with it, too. I am all about getting it all in together! I am glad the school year is almost to an end... we need a break!


Ingredients:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely chopped
2 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Directions:
1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion into the slow cooker. Fill with enough water to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker.
4. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Yakisoba from Mark Bittman

I love Mark Bittman. He is my favorite chef. He cooks with simple ingredients, and a variety of cultures represented in his cooking. This is one of the recipes from his new show The Minalmist on the Cooking Channel. I also liked this recipe because it is a basic recipe that can use different meats and veggies. I did not like the smell of the sauce, but once it was cooked it was great.

Ingredients
Salt
6 ounces dried or 10 to 12 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 pork chops, thinly sliced
1 small head Napa or savoy cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 carrots, shredded
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons mirin or a bit of sugar
Few drops hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 bunch scallions, chopped, white parts only

Recipe

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, and add noodles. Cook until just done, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Toss noodles with sesame oil to keep them from sticking together, and set aside.

Put peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add ginger and cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add pork and cook for about 5 minutes or until the pork is no longer pink and is starting to brown around the edges.

Add cabbage and carrots to skillet and stir; sprinkle with salt. Continue to cook until vegetables soften, adding a bit of water, as needed to keep them from sticking.

Meanwhile, stir together in a small bowl ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mirin, and hot sauce. When vegetables are soft and any liquid has evaporated, add noodles and sauce to skillet. Toss to coat everything well and cook until noodles are warmed through. Serve, topped with chopped scallions