My six year old is the pickiest eater on the planet. I promise if there was an Olympic sport for pickiness he would win the gold medal. Picky eaters make life rather stressful for themselves and their parents and ours is no exception. His pickiness coupled with the fact that he just doesn't seem to have the passion for food that the rest of my family has is mind blowing to me. He truly does eat to live, not live to eat. We have to find creative ways to get him to eat breakfast on school days and since he started kindergarten this year (and hates to eat breakfast the most) I have been, well, a nervous wreck about getting him to school with something in his tummy. And school lunches? Don't even get me started. He loves pancakes so last Sunday I made up a huge batch of pancakes and froze them to pull out every day last week. About Tuesday he was like "no thanks, I'll have a protein bar" so my 10 year old ate the pancakes I froze all week instead. Grrrrrrrr! Seriously, this kid is gonna be the death of me. So, this past weekend I made a batch of waffles and he ate them heartily (meaning half a waffle) on Saturday. I am crossing my fingers that he will eat the remaining waffles for breakfast this week. If not it's on to plan C. Wait, I have no plan C.
Anyway, let's talk waffles, shall we?! This recipe is made with things I can almost guarantee you have in your fridge and pantry right now and is very versatile and easy to modify. I used white whole wheat flour because I like the heartiness it gives the waffles but all purpose works here too. For the milk I used vanilla almond milk because that's what we have on hand but, again, any milk will work! Just go to your fridge and see what you have and go from there. I only had enough butter to make one batch so that's what I did but make up a double batch and freeze them to have on hand in the freezer for your weekday mornings (or the picky eater in your life). Hopefully, you'll get past Tuesday morning before they say "no thanks, I'll just have a protein bar" and leave you crying into your coffee and wondering how they will EVER get through standardized testing this year!
Whole Wheat Waffles (adapted from naturallyloriel.com)
2 c. white whole wheat flour (all purpose works too)
1/2 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
2 T. sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir until well mixed then ladle into a hot waffle maker and cook according to the manufacturer's directions. To freeze let cool completely then line a jelly roll pan with wax paper and stack the waffles with layers of wax paper between each waffle to avoid sticking. When frozen transfer to a ziploc bag and bank in the freezer for easy weekday breakfasts!
This recipe made about 5 waffles for my waffle iron (347 calories each waffle according to my calculator on loseit.com) but, depending on the size of your waffle iron, could make more or less!
Hello! I am so glad you clicked on this blog post. Wanna know why? Because that means you are not afraid to try a recipe that could be a little bit of a challenge. Bravo to you! Risotto can seem daunting. I know because this is only the second time I've ever made it and the first one turned out, well, just ‘meh.’ BUT, before I lose you because you decide it's too hard, let me assure you, it's not! I have a very special friend, Amber, in Omaha who has a birthday coming up, and since I'll be visiting near her birthday I promised to make a special dinner for her; anything she wants. She chose salmon and risotto…thanks, babe. Ha. Due to my short and unfulfilling history with risotto I thought I'd better practice ahead, so that's just what I did last Monday night – boy, howdy, was I pleased with the results. Creamy, buttery, perfectly cooked risotto that I would happily eat in any restaurant - but that I enjoyed right at my own dining room table (with my kids causing a big ruckus while I was trying to enjoy it)! I mean, is there anything better? Yes, I'm quite certain there is, but I digress...
There are a few key things you need to know before you make your first batch of risotto: The first is you must use Arborio rice. Arborio rice is the ideal rice for risotto because it is a short grain, starchy rice which keeps its integrity over the long cooking process that risotto requires. The second is, the cooking liquid. Risotto typically calls for a combination of dry white wine (such as pinot grigio) with chicken stock (use vegetable stock if you want the dish to be vegetarian). The key here is to heat the wine and stock together in a saucepan, then ladle the hot liquid into the rice as it cooks. You don't want to add cold wine and stock to the hot rice because, scientifically speaking, it will screw it up. The third thing is, you have to babysit the rice - but it's not as bad as you might think. In the past it was believed that one had to stand at the stove the entire time the rice was cooking with someone waving a fan to keep them cool, daubing a sweaty brow when it became too much to handle. No longer. Should you stir the rice frequently? Yes, you should. Do you need to stir it constantly? No, you don't. My rule: I never left the kitchen while the rice was cooking, but I did do other things, returning to the simmering rice frequently to stir, stir, stir. I don't think I ever walked away from it for more than two minutes. Think of the rice as a newborn baby that you would take exquisite care of - because the results will be so worth it. Lastly, most risottos start out the same way (sweat onions in butter, add rice and sauté, then add stock and wine until all is soaked up) but can end in any number of fabulous ways. This particular risotto is finished with roasted asparagus and porcini mushrooms - but you must feel free to add any veggies you like! A handful of frozen peas is a great traditional risotto add-in, and far less work than roasting asparagus and rehydrating mushrooms. Always, always add the cheese (because: CHEESE) and lemon zest (it really wakes up the flavor after the risotto has cooked for so long), but you could even feel free to leave the risotto plain and serve the veggies on the side. Make it your own; feel free to do a little research on other risotto add-ins. Use the ingredients you (or the birthday girl in your life) like, which is part of what cooking great food is about, right? Plus, you’ll enjoy conquering a traditional culinary challenge…one risotto at a time.
Wild Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto (adapted from foodnetwork.com)
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 bundle asparagus
1 t. olive oil
Salt and pepper
6 c. low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 c. dry white wine
2 T. unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 t. lemon zest
1/2 t. nutmeg
Heat a small saucepan full of water to boiling. When the water boils, turn off the heat, dump in the porcini mushrooms, cover and let sit for 30 minutes to rehydrate the mushrooms. After thirty minutes drain the mushrooms and let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 and prepare a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Cut the trimmed asparagus into 1" pieces, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the asparagus for about 10 minutes or until it is tender and a few pieces are starting to caramelize. Set aside.
Pour the chicken broth and white wine into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until heated through. You don't want to boil it, just heat it gently until heated through then place over low heat while you cook the risotto. In a medium skillet (I used a high sided skillet but you could use a dutch oven if that's all you have - you just want something with a bigger surface area than a saucepan) melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sweat (meaning, saute without browning) for 5 minutes. Add the rice and saute an additional 3-5 minutes (without browning) or until the rice becomes translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and start adding the broth/wine mixture. A good rule of thumb is to add enough to just cover the rice without drowning it. I used a ladle to make this process easier. Stir the rice frequently, adding additional broth/wine until the liquid is gone and the rice is creamy and cooked through. After the last addition of broth/wine add the asparagus and mushrooms (chop if the pieces are too big) and stir until the broth/wine is fully absorbed. The whole process should take between 30 and 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the Parmesan, lemon zest and nutmeg. Taste for salt (I added a little bit more) and serve immediately.
8 servings (267 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
It's time for an installment of what I am naming “Casual Gourmet” cuisine here at Shel's Kitchen: so easy you can make on a weeknight schedule, but fancy enough for weekend company. One of my favorite things to make in the crock pot is bone-in, skin-off chicken thighs. I buy the economical family pack of thighs, remove the skin myself then cook them in the crock pot with a sweet and tangy sauce. The chicken thighs practically fall apart as you spoon them onto the serving platter, making eating them a snap; just shred the meat right off the bone! In this case, the sauce consists of two kinds of mustard, honey, and tarragon, a lesser used herb. Mustard is something I have A LOT of in my fridge. In fact, we always tend to have 6-8 different varieties on hand. It lends so much flavor in a snap, and is the perfect tangy addition to anything from tuna salad to barbecue sauce, salad dressing to roasted potatoes to glazes..well, you get my drift. Everything is better with mustard! Okay, maybe not brownies (hmm…) but you get my point. To offset the tang of the mustard this recipe calls for a little bit of honey, but agave, maple syrup or even a little brown sugar would work too. The tarragon has a little bit of a licorice-y bitterness that works great here too. I am not a fan of licorice but I love tarragon. Give it a try, I know you'll like it. The very best part about this recipe is, it's only FIVE ingredients (not including salt & pepper) so you're hardly spending any time in the kitchen at all. Trust me: grab what you need for this easy-peasy entree along with some veggies and rice on the side, run through the express lane and cook this up. It's easy, it's fast to prep, and now you can go “casual gourmet” anytime.
Whole Grain Mustard and Tarragon Chicken (adapted from foodiecrush.com)
8 bone-in, skin-off chicken thighs
Salt and Pepper
2 T. whole grain mustard
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. honey (can use more if you like more sweetness)
1 T. dried tarragon
Place the chicken thighs in a 6 qt. crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk together the mustards, honey and tarragon until smooth. Pour over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours.
8 servings (137 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
What's the old saying? Nothing soothes the soul like an ooey, gooey, cheesy enchilada. At least I think that's how the old saying goes. Okay, that's probably not how the old saying goes, nevertheless I'm still right about enchiladas. Really you could stuff almost anything inside a flour tortilla, douse it with enchilada sauce and melt some cheese on top and it would taste divine. That's why this is the perfect recipe for meat eaters or vegetarians! It's filling, hearty and the beans substitute as the meat keeping your menu both frugal and tasty all at the same time. If you are opting for the vegetarian option make sure you buy the refried beans that are marked, well, vegetarian. If you don't you'll probably be eating beans that are cooked in bacon fat. Not that there's anything wrong with that (unless you're a vegetarian). Anyhoot, pick the beans of your choice then mix them with a couple of spices and a wee bit of cheese, stuff the mixture into fajita sized flour tortillas, line them up in a pan and cover with canned (yet jazzed up) enchilada sauce. That's hardly cooking! It's really not cooking unless you're counting the bake time which the oven does for you. Here's a delicious, hearty meal which you barely even have to cook. So...no more excuses! Yes friends, my work here is done.
Refried Bean Enchiladas (adapted from ohsweetbasil.com)
1 (16 oz.) can vegetarian refried beans
1 1/2 t. cumin, divided
3/4 t. chili powder, divided
1/2 t. salt
1 c. shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, co/jack, whatever)
12 fajita sized flour tortillas
1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
1/4 c. sour cream
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the beans, 1 t. cumin, 1/2 t. chili powder, salt and
1/2 c. cheese and stir to combine. Divide the mixture evenly among the flour tortillas, roll, then line them up in the prepared pan. In a separate medium bowl combine the enchilada sauce, 1/2 t. cumin, 1/4 t. chili powder and sour cream and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture evenly over the enchiladas then cover with the remaining 1/2 c. cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes.
12 servings (184 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
Whenever
there is a sale on pork loins I tend to pick up two or three and bank
them in my
freezer for easy future entrees. I love to slice them into pork chops
(two pounds equals about 6 pork chops in my world), or just leave them
whole, braising all day in the crock pot. This recipe starts with a
super-simple rub which you could totally make ahead to rub down the pork roast the
night before, then plunk it in the crock pot with the beer and balsamic
before you leave for work the next morning. Alternatively, you could
freeze it in a ziploc bag (marked with a sharpie of course) then when
the right day comes, plunk in the crock pot, pour the beer and balsamic
over it, then cook all day. If you go the frozen route just be sure to
add extra cooking time. If you're away at work all day, throwing it in
frozen might be a great option for you though! The combo of spicy
pepper, sweet brown sugar and the tang and bitterness from the beer
makes for a balanced depth of flavor. Feel free to use any beer you have
on hand. I chose Tallgrass Zombie Monkey because the rich, dark
chocolate notes plus the floral-y citrus finish of the beer make an
excellent combo not only with the pork, but with my choice of side: Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese and Honey. Serve your pork on buns or straight up on the plate, drizzled with some of the delicious pan juices and dinner is served!
Beer Balsamic Pork (adapted from shewearsmanyhats.com)
1 (2 lb.) boneless pork loin
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. oregano
2 T. brown sugar
12 oz. beer (I used Tallgrass Zombie Monkey)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
Place the pork loin in a 4 or 6 qt. crock pot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl stir together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and brown sugar then rub all over the pork. Pour the beer into the crock pot then drizzle the pork with the balsamic vinegar. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. Shred with two forks and serve.
6 servings (188 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
School
has started around here (for the most part), but grilling weather has
not stopped! Nope, it's still perfect grilling weather (in fact, my
husband will
grill in ANY weather - including snow and ice!) so grilling around here
never really stops. I love grilled boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
and its versatility makes it a great choice any night of the week. Often
boneless, skinless chicken breasts can easily
result in a flavorless, dry piece of meat, but it doesn't have to be
that way! This recipe elevates your boring chicken to a whole new level
and with one of my favorite sauces...pesto! Pesto is so versatile; make
it out of spinach, arugula, kale or even cilantro.
Pesto...it's not just for basil anymore! This spinach pesto is
super-mild but rich and creamy, so it's a great choice if you've never
tried pesto before. In other good news, it can be whipped up in a jiffy
in your food processor or blender. Just add all the
ingredients but the olive oil, pulse for a few seconds then slowly
stream in the olive oil and <boom> you are a pesto queen (or
king)! Leftover pesto can be frozen for use at a later date, spread onto
sandwiches, mixed into scrambled eggs, tossed with pasta or even used as a
sauce for pizza. Explore the world of pesto! It really is a diverse
sauce that will turn you into a kitchen rock star. Who doesn't want to
be a rock star, right? Well, I don't (too much attention for me) but a
kitchen rock star...well, I'll take that title
any day!
Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto (adapted from foodnetwork.com)
6 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 c. plus 2 T. olive oil, divided
2 t. salt, divided
1 t. pepper, divided
2 c. lightly packed baby spinach
1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Drizzle the chicken breasts with 2 T. olive oil then season with 1 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper.
Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium high heat (375-400 degrees). Add chicken to pan or grill and cook 6 minutes on each side or until the thickest part of the chicken is 165 degrees as measured with a meat thermometer.
In the meantime place the spinach, remaining 1 t. salt, remaining 1/2 t. pepper, pine nuts, lemon zest, lemon juice and Parmesan in a food processor or blender and pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl or blender and pulse to combine one more time. Serve 1 T. of the pesto on top of each chicken breast (recipe makes about 1 c.).
6 servings (302 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com)
1 T. pesto is 66 calories
I served this with a variation of my Mediterranean Farro Salad.
You guys! I've missed you! After unexpectedly taking the summer off because let's face it, with 6 and 10 year old boys in the house there is NO time to think straight let alone write, I am back and ready to blog my face off again! So let's start with a great back to school favorite...pasta! This pepperoni pizza pasta bake has it all: three kinds of cheese (there's a secret about that I'll tell you in a minute), perfectly cooked pasta, two kinds of meat and tomato sauce, mixed together then baked to ooey-gooey perfection. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick and easy dinner once school picks up speed, or freeze leftovers in individual containers or foil wrappings for lunch or dinner on the fly.
Now let me tell you my secret. I think I've mentioned before my love for Aldi, no? Well, if you are a faithful Aldi shopper like me (and if not, I beg to know why?) you know that Aldi is great, but if you really like to cook sometimes fulfilling your entire grocery list there just ain't gonna happen. No problem for me because I go to Aldi first, get everything I can then head to another bigger grocery store to fulfill my list. The particular day I was shopping for this recipe I happened to go to the bigger store first. Big mistake, right Shel? Yes, it can be but in this instance it worked out for me. See, the original recipe called for ricotta cheese (like most baked, lasagna-esque pastas I know) but when I was in the bigger (more expensive) grocery store I thought "oh, I can get ricotta at Aldi". Wrong. No ricotta at Aldi that day. So, instead of heading BACK to the bigger store (I mean come on, I already go to two stores man!) I thought "what would be a great substitution for ricotta"? Cottage cheese, that's what! I remembered in a flash that my mom used to do this little trick when I was a kid so I headed over to the dairy section, grabbed a carton of cottage cheese and was on my way. I didn't want the texture of the cottage cheese to mess up my dish so I just whizzed up the amount I needed in the food processor and voila! Problem solved, Aldi style. Another reason this is a great option is cottage cheese is less expensive than ricotta and if you don't use the whole container you can just eat the cottage cheese with scrumptious slices of end of summer tomatoes whereas the ricotta might get shoved to the back of the fridge and forgotten about until it's time to clean it out to make room for all the food at Thanksgiving. Not that I've ever had that happen. Ahem. So, make a batch or two of this easy, cheesy pasta and be thankful for a quiet house this fall because we all know that summer will be upon us again soon enough.
Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake (adapted from tasteofhome.com)
1 lb. spiral pasta (or other short pasta of your choice)
1 lb. (85% lean) ground beef (could use leaner beef or even ground turkey if desired)
1 large onion, diced
2 t. salt, divided
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. pepper
1 (25 oz.) jar marinara sauce
2 large eggs
2 c. (1%) small curd cottage cheese, processed in a food processor until smooth
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling on top if desired)
2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 (5 oz.) package sliced pepperoni (turkey pepperoni would work too)
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions then return it to the pot you cooked it in. Meanwhile, cook the beef and onion over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Sprinkle with 1 t. salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and pepper. Stir in the marinara, and remove from the heat.
In a large bowl whisk the eggs then add the cottage cheese, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, mozzarella and remaining 1 t. salt and stir to combine.
To the pot with the pasta add the meat mixture, cheese mixture and pepperoni. Stir together with a big spoon to combine. Pour into the prepared pan, sprinkle with extra Parmesan if desired, then bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes.
10 servings (507 calories each serving) according to my calculator on loseit.com
2 c. white whole wheat flour (all purpose works too)
