This is a variation of a recipe that was in the latest edition of Wegmans Menu magazine. The original recipe was for the slow cooker, but the cook time is EIGHT HOURS, and I just can't get things going THAT early in the morning to have it ready by the end of the day. Plus, it's also one of those slow cooker recipes that requires work on the stove first, so if I can't just throw it all in the slow cooker and hit start, I might as well do the whole thing on the stove. My apologies to those of you without a Wegmans near by. The ingredients are based on their own products, but you can make do with any comparable product. If you aren't sure, or you'd like the slow cooker version as well, shoot me an e-mail and I'll get it to you.
This was absolutely incredible. We ALL (even A) ate two bowls, with LOADS left over. And yes, V, I'm bring some over with the clothes ;-)
You need:
1 1/2 lb. chuck roast, cubed OR 1 1/2 lb. stew meat
flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 pkg. Wegmans Food You Feel Good About (FYFGA) Cleaned and Cut Minestrone Soup Vegetables
salt and pepper
32 oz. FYFGA Beef Culinary Stock
1 14 oz. can Italian-Style Diced Tomatoes
1 pkg. (24 oz) Italian Classics Seasoned Tomato Sauce
1/2 c. dry ditalini
1 can (15.5 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 oz. baby spinach (optional)
Dust beef with flour and pat off excess. In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat oil until faintly smokes. Add beef and sear until all sides are brown. Remove from pot. Add vegetables to the beef drippings. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 3 minutes. Add beef back to the pot, along with the stock, tomatoes, and sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Cook for 2 hours. At the end of the two hours, add ditalini and beans. Cook an additional 20 minutes. If desired, add spinach two minutes before serving.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Turkey-Barley Vegetable Soup
I love this soup. Tonight, I ate two bowls. It costs about 30 cents a serving and is so easy to make.
You need:
olive oil
1/2 ground turkey
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 cups of chicken broth
1/2 pearl barley
salt
pepper
3 cups baby spinach
Brown turkey in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When mostly cooked, remove from the pan. To the saucepan, add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Return the turkey to the pan and add chicken broth and pearl barely. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in baby spinach and enjoy!
You need:
olive oil
1/2 ground turkey
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 cups of chicken broth
1/2 pearl barley
salt
pepper
3 cups baby spinach
Brown turkey in olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When mostly cooked, remove from the pan. To the saucepan, add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Return the turkey to the pan and add chicken broth and pearl barely. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in baby spinach and enjoy!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Baby Sweet Potato Puree
You need:
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed (preferably organic)
2 oz. breast milk, formula, or purified water
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a form and place on a baking sheet. Roast until wrinkled and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 45-60 minutes. Let cool. Halve the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh from the skins. Puree with liquid of choice (from above) for young babies or simply mash with a fork for older babies (who are more accustomed to thicker consistencies). Cooled puree can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed (preferably organic)
2 oz. breast milk, formula, or purified water
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes with a form and place on a baking sheet. Roast until wrinkled and tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 45-60 minutes. Let cool. Halve the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh from the skins. Puree with liquid of choice (from above) for young babies or simply mash with a fork for older babies (who are more accustomed to thicker consistencies). Cooled puree can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
Baby Avocado Puree
Technically, this isn't a recipe. It's more of a set of instructions to prepare the most delicious and nutritious first food for your baby. Make sure that you wash the outside of the avocado VERY well before cutting, and, as always, if your baby is under 6 months old, be sure to sterilize EVERYTHING used in preparing and serving the baby food.
You need:
1 ripe avocado
1 oz. breast milk or formula
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop half of the avocado into your puree-er of choice. Add breast milk or formula and puree until smooth. If you are preparing this for an older baby, you won't need the added liquids, so just mash up the avocado. If he or she will eat the entire avocado over the course of three days or so, place the other half in an airtight container to mash up later. If you are preparing this as a first food for a younger baby, who might only eat a few tablespoons each day, make a BALT (Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, and Tomato) sandwich for yourself with the other half because 1. They are AWESOME, 2. the other half of the avocado will get all brown and funky before you can use it, and 3. you probably didn't have time to eat anything today, so you have to eat something.
You need:
1 ripe avocado
1 oz. breast milk or formula
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop half of the avocado into your puree-er of choice. Add breast milk or formula and puree until smooth. If you are preparing this for an older baby, you won't need the added liquids, so just mash up the avocado. If he or she will eat the entire avocado over the course of three days or so, place the other half in an airtight container to mash up later. If you are preparing this as a first food for a younger baby, who might only eat a few tablespoons each day, make a BALT (Bacon, Avocado, Lettuce, and Tomato) sandwich for yourself with the other half because 1. They are AWESOME, 2. the other half of the avocado will get all brown and funky before you can use it, and 3. you probably didn't have time to eat anything today, so you have to eat something.
Maple-glazed Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
My dear friend D gave me a subscription to Real Simple magazine for my birthday this year, and my first issue arrived last week. What a perfect issue to start the year with - loads of excellent quick and easy AND slow-cooker recipes!! This recipe is a variation of one in the easy weeknight dinners section. I substituted half of the brussels sprouts with cauliflower (because A is not always a huge fan of brussels sprouts) and adjusted the cook time to better caramelize the vegetables.
You need:
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets, trimmed and halved
1 red onion, cut into 1 in. wedges
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 lbs. skinless salmon fillet (wild-caught and fresh, if possible)
lemon wedges, for serving
Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Roast, tossing once, for 13 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, mustard, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Brush on the salmon. When the vegetables have roasted for 13 minutes, remove from oven and make room in the center of the pan and add the salmon. Roast on the top rack for 10 minutes until opaque throughout. Serve the salmon, cut into portions, with the vegetables and the lemon wedges, if desired.
You need:
1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/2 lb. cauliflower florets, trimmed and halved
1 red onion, cut into 1 in. wedges
2 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. whole-grain mustard
1 1/2 lbs. skinless salmon fillet (wild-caught and fresh, if possible)
lemon wedges, for serving
Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the vegetables with the olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Roast, tossing once, for 13 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, mustard, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Brush on the salmon. When the vegetables have roasted for 13 minutes, remove from oven and make room in the center of the pan and add the salmon. Roast on the top rack for 10 minutes until opaque throughout. Serve the salmon, cut into portions, with the vegetables and the lemon wedges, if desired.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables
On Sunday night, the four of us sat down at the table to review and share our resolutions for the upcoming year. M listed some great ideas to keep things growing and positive a work, A listed THIRTEEN things to head into a spectacular year of being six years old, and C munched on a frozen banana to help his teeth, pondering the major accomplishments he, too, would undertake in 2012, such as crawling, eating solid foods, walking (oh dear), and talking.
My list was small but did include a promise to cook at least four new meals (interesting, local, and flavorful) a month. I'm pleased to say that, with the addition of the one you're about to read, I'll have already completed two new recipes, and it's only January 3rd!!
I don't often do roasts, mainly because, since we only buy organically or locally grown meats, they can be absurdly expensive. However, I found a sale on a beautiful chicken and decided to try out this recipe. It's another variation on one of Jamie Oliver's recipes, and he had yet to steer me wrong. This bird and his veggie friends made for a delicious dinner with plenty of meat left over for soup later in the week.
For the chicken, you need:
1 3.5lb chicken
1 med. onion, washed and cut in quarters
2 carrots, washed and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 bulb of garlic, washed and broken apart
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon, washed
1 small bunch of fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, bay leaves or sage*)
[*if you are nursing, do not use the sage]
For the roasted veg, you need:
2.5 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 parsnips, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and quartered
1/2 bulb of garlic, peeled and halved
2 springs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil
Take your chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the veg (for the roast chicken) in the center of a roasting pan, piled up, and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and rub into the bird. Prick the lemon a few times with a fork, microwave for 40 seconds (to bring out the flavor) and then stick it into the cavity of the bird along with the bunch of herbs. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and put into the oven. Right away, reduce the temp to 400 degrees and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Start preparing your veggies for roasting so that you can get them into the oven 45 minutes before the bird is done.
Speaking of those veggies, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the carrots and potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Then, add the parsnips and boil for 4 minutes more. Drain and fluff up in the colander. Place in a single layer on a baking dish. Add garlic and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. When there are 45 minutes left on the chicken, put the veggies in the oven to roast. When time is up, take the bird out and let it sit for 15 minutes, cooking the veg in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.
Slice your chicken, plate up your roasted veg, and enjoy!
**You can also make a wonderful gravy out of the veggies and drippings that the chicken was resting on, or save and freeze them for stock later on**
My list was small but did include a promise to cook at least four new meals (interesting, local, and flavorful) a month. I'm pleased to say that, with the addition of the one you're about to read, I'll have already completed two new recipes, and it's only January 3rd!!
I don't often do roasts, mainly because, since we only buy organically or locally grown meats, they can be absurdly expensive. However, I found a sale on a beautiful chicken and decided to try out this recipe. It's another variation on one of Jamie Oliver's recipes, and he had yet to steer me wrong. This bird and his veggie friends made for a delicious dinner with plenty of meat left over for soup later in the week.
For the chicken, you need:
1 3.5lb chicken
1 med. onion, washed and cut in quarters
2 carrots, washed and roughly chopped
2 stalks celery, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 bulb of garlic, washed and broken apart
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lemon, washed
1 small bunch of fresh herbs (such as thyme, rosemary, bay leaves or sage*)
[*if you are nursing, do not use the sage]
For the roasted veg, you need:
2.5 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 parsnips, peeled and quartered
4 carrots, peeled and quartered
1/2 bulb of garlic, peeled and halved
2 springs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
olive oil
Take your chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the veg (for the roast chicken) in the center of a roasting pan, piled up, and drizzle with olive oil. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and rub into the bird. Prick the lemon a few times with a fork, microwave for 40 seconds (to bring out the flavor) and then stick it into the cavity of the bird along with the bunch of herbs. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and put into the oven. Right away, reduce the temp to 400 degrees and cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Start preparing your veggies for roasting so that you can get them into the oven 45 minutes before the bird is done.
Speaking of those veggies, put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the carrots and potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Then, add the parsnips and boil for 4 minutes more. Drain and fluff up in the colander. Place in a single layer on a baking dish. Add garlic and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. When there are 45 minutes left on the chicken, put the veggies in the oven to roast. When time is up, take the bird out and let it sit for 15 minutes, cooking the veg in the oven for an additional 45 minutes.
Slice your chicken, plate up your roasted veg, and enjoy!
**You can also make a wonderful gravy out of the veggies and drippings that the chicken was resting on, or save and freeze them for stock later on**
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Lentil and Spinach Soup
For as long as I can remember, I've been eating lentil soup on New Year's Day. It brings good luck and health in the coming year, and I've tried everything from my Aunt Clem's soup (which I had each year until I moved away from home) to a variety of recipes once I had my own kitchen. This year, I tried a variation on a Jamie Oliver recipe. It was absolutely delicious, very quick to make, and we each ate two bowls!
You need:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 qts. chicken or vegetable broth
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced thin
10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 c. red lentils
1 large bag washed spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
plain yogurt, for topping
Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil for ten minutes, or until carrots are softened and onion is translucent. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes with the lid on. Add the spinach and cook for an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of yogurt.
You need:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 qts. chicken or vegetable broth
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced thin
10 grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 c. red lentils
1 large bag washed spinach leaves
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
plain yogurt, for topping
Saute carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in olive oil for ten minutes, or until carrots are softened and onion is translucent. Add broth, tomatoes, lentils, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes with the lid on. Add the spinach and cook for an additional minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of yogurt.
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