Vegan lettuce wraps

Have I mentioned that husband and I are going vegan? Sort of. And more! Vegan without any processed foods. It'll be good.
Day 1: for lunch I had spaghetti squash (found on the blog!)
Dinner was great.

I melded a number of lettuce wrap recipes because we aren't eating tofu, either. So here's what I used:
2 carrots
1/2 onion
1 celery stalk
I garlic clove
1 jalapeño
2 cups of black beans
2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
About 4T tamari (or soy sauce)
2t kosher salt
1 cup roasted cashews
Chop the veggies and sauté in 1T coconut oil. Once they're about the texture you want, add the beans, rice, tamari, and salt. Heat until most liquid is cooked off, add cashews, and serve with lettuce leaves and sliced avocado. We used green leaf. For the leftovers we'll use romaine.

It was a hit!
(it only looks like he's grimacing. He's actually smiling with a mouth full of food.)

amazing pizza

oh my gosh, this was amazing. homemade crust (aka a just-add-water pack that was on the clearance table for $0.50), garlic olive oil, leftover chicken, leftover bacon, fresh spinach, and small chunks of mozzarella.

preheat the oven to 400 with your pizza stone in it. mix the crust like it says to on the package. seriously, just add water. then i rolled it in cornmeal and rolled it out pretty darn thin on parchment paper, so i could just transfer the pizza on the paper onto the hot pizza stone. baked it for 5-8 minutes. take it out and add the toppings (this keeps the dough from staying to doughy). put it back in the oven for about 10 more minutes, until the edge gets brown and the cheese is melted.

enjoy! this smelled amazing while it was in the oven because of the garlic olive oil-- husband said this was the best pizza i've made, and we make a lot of homemade pizza!

chicken and rice with corn and sun-dried tomatoes

this was one of those meals that i'm sooo glad made a ton of leftovers. because i've been eating on this rice mix for the past two days now! when husband asked if i was making anything good for dinner, and i brought out the enameled dutch oven, he got excited-- and said that anything that comes from that pot is wonderful.

and it's true.

here's to another pinterest recipe!

martha stewart's chicken and rice with corn and sun-dried tomatoes:

• 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces i used a mix of thighs, breasts, and legs. some with skin, some without


• Coarse salt and ground pepper


• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil


• 1 small yellow onion, diced medium


• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped


• 1 small green bell pepper, diced medium my yellow and orange had to go first, so i used one and a half peppers, any color you want


• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest i didn't have, so i didn't use.


• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano


• added fresh rosemary, the chopped leaves from one sprig


• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice


• 3 cups frozen corn (from a 16-ounce bag)


• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips


• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water use the chicken broth. it's worth it.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lower third. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until golden and crisp, 6 minutes. Flip chicken and cook until browned, 6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.


2. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, garlic, and bell pepper to pot. Cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until onion is translucent, 4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, oregano, cayenne, and rice and cook 1 minute.


3. Add corn, tomatoes, and broth and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on top of rice mixture. Bring to a boil, cover pot, and place in oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

it makes a ton, so it's great for if you have guests over. or, if you're like me and make it just for you and one other person, then you get to eat it for lunch and dinner the next day! perfect-o!

the PW asian-inspired flank steak

here's to trying new meals and sticking to the menu plan! This is actually from LAST week, but it's worth the post. I followed the pioneer woman's flank steak recipe with asian-inspired marinade. here it is, but remember that i am not the best at measuring.

• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/2 cup Cooking Sherry
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Minced Ginger
• 3 cloves (to 5 Cloves) Minced Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 whole Flank Steak

put everything but the steak in a shallow dish and mix well. add the flank steak, turning a few times to cover completely. i marinated it for about 3 hours, flipping it over at 1.5 hours.



i wish i'd flattened it a little in the middle. i think my steak was very thick because i had to cook it longer than she suggested (3.5-4 minutes per side? more like 5-6 minutes per side). also since i don't have a grill or grill plate, i did it in a skillet. next time i'd use the electric griddle at least. i chose not to make her "controversial optional sauce" with it (boiling the strained, leftover marinade with some water until it thickens some) only because i forgot to and dumped it down the drain. not because i'm concerned about any contamination at all.



served with steamed green beans and white rice! yes, i'd have loved to have asparagus and brown rice. but we use what we have when we're budgeting.

you too can make grilled lobster tails...

seriously. it's SO easy.

i buy lobster tails when they are on sale and freeze them (note: crustacean are the only seafood i will buy/eat frozen). these are rock lobster tails, but i think any will do. i've made all kinds of lobster tails, and they all taste the same to me.

lobster prep: after thawing (i run cold water over them in a strainer) butterfly each tail by using kitchen shears to cut lengthwise down the middle of each side of the shell.

cut down scaled side

cut down feet side



after cutting, you will want to gently pull them apart to expose the meat.

scale side

feet side

 

lay prepared lobster tails in baking pan for marinating; pour SOME marinade over each tail and let sit for about 10 minutes (in or out of fridge, whatev). keep the rest of the marinade for the grill.

i bet you want the marinade recipe, huh? oh, ok.......

whisk together the following: (these are approximate. i add til i like the taste)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice (i use fresh)
however much chopped fresh garlic you fancy
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
a few squirts of honey-maybe 3 tbsp (i add honey to like, everything)

method:

pre oil grill grate 
pre heat grill to med-high.
place lobster tails feet down on grill. squirt some marinade on meat, close cover and grill for about 7 minutes.

after 7 minutes or so, the tails should be turning red. flip them over and squirt more marinade over. grill for an additional 3 minutes or so.

the lobster tails are done when flesh is opaque and scales are bright red.



voila! THAT easy!


on the side, i steamed some broccoli and grilled some potatoes. these potatoes are one of the first things i ever learned how to make. i have to say, i make them A LOT. probably more than i should, but they are simple and quite good. you can make them however you want, here's what i do:

quarter about 8 redskin potatoes
chop 1/2 red onion
put in bowl and add:
my favorite spice mix miracle blend
my favorite italian herb blend
chopped garlic
a bit of olive oil.. 2 tbsp maybe, NOT TOO MUCH.

mix together with your hands
pour potatoes onto foil sheet

then, use the foil to make a tent and roll up the ends to trap the steam:

place on grill over medium heat about 15 minutes before putting lobster on. potatoes take a total of 20-25 minutes to be done.

and again....





VOILA!

chow!

haluski

last night, i made one of my comfort foods.
husband and i both took the day off because we weren't feeling great.
sidenote: i'm still feeling ucky, but have a busy day. phooey.
so i made a really easy meal that makes a TON of food. so if there's some days this week that we don't have enough leftovers for lunch the next day, there's plenty of haluski left.

what's haluski?

lemme tell you something-- don't google it. as much as i heart google (seriously. i'd have google's lovechild in a split second), he's wrong about this. there's apparently 47 different ways to make haluski if you ask him.
there's only one way. mom's way.

so, i made my comfort food. it happens to be one of husband's favorites, too-- which is surprising because it's a fairly bland meal and he doesn't like bland as much.

without making you wait any longer, here's the recipe:
cook bowtie pasta. a whole box. or bag. however you buy it.
chop and cook a whole onion.don't brown it. just soften it.
chop (in big pieces) an entire head of cabbage. it's easy. and it's not science.
add the cabbage to the big pot with onions, and some salt and pepper. put the lid on it so it can sort of steam itself.

cook the cabbage down. it gets down to about half this size.
when the cabbage is cooked down (i dunno, 30 minutes?), add the noodles.
also chop up kielbasa. we used turkey kielbasa. i didn't look at the packaging, but it is bound to be a little healthier, right? plus, it tasted just like regular kielbasa.
stir it all together, and that's it~ no sauce or anything. it's a very light meal, considering. plus with my nice nonstick pan, i didn't use but just a sprinkling of oil with the onions. that's it.

last night, we served it with delicious steamed broccoli. i heart steamed broccoli.

a few recipes to be found on this month's menu....

i have decided to post *three* of the recipes from my menu as a starting point. these happen to be three of our favorite dishes as well. enjoy:)

FRENCH DIP (crock pot style)
this recipe is uber tasty, and is even uber tastier the next day. it freezes very well and is still quite tasty thawed- i stick it back in  the crock pot to warm and add a can of beef broth.

4 lb rump roast, chuck roast or sirloin roast. ( i used sirloin)
1 can beef broth or consomme (i used consomme)
1 can french onion soup
...1 12oz can/bottle of beer (the darker the better- nothing lite)
Worchestshire sauce to taste*
Minced Garlic to taste*
Garlic powder*
Onion powder*
Sliced white onion (add 1/2 hour before serving. i sauteed quickly before adding, but not all the way)*
*optional- but i used them this time, and it was tastier!

Method:

Trim excess fat off roast, put in crock pot.
Rub with onion/garlic powder
Pour Worchestshire sauce over
Spoon minced garlic over
Add Beef Consomme/Broth
Add French Onion Soup
Add beer
Add Onions (later- see below)

Cook on LOW for 7 hours.

1/2 hour before serving, slice meat on diagonal then add back to cook in broth for 30 more minutes (this is where i added the onions- next time i will do yellow and red pepper too!)

Butter then broil french bread rolls (or whatever rolls you want) until toasted. I turned off broiler then moved pan to lower rack adding Provalone to melt from the heat in the oven for a few minutes.

Remove meat/onions from broth, use left over broth in bowls for dipping!




GREEK PIZZA ON LAVASH
lavash is a thin bread i use for the crust- so you get more topping, less bread. it crisps up nicely too. this pizza is still quite tasty the next day for luch, although the bread doesnt doesnt have the same integrity as it does fresh out of the oven.




before oven



buy lavash at whole foods (bakery section)- i picked the pizza lavash- is a bit heartier. other kinds would work too i think..would be crispier, but integrity may be compromised with so many/such heavy ingredients.

preheat oven to 450 degrees


prep is the most time consuming:

kalamata olives- sliced
tomato- sliced..but only use meaty part- no slimy seeds
lemon zest- mince about 1 tsp or so of the peel
fresh basil- chopped

*chicken- i grilled 3 breasts in a lemon pepper seasoning and sliced.

*red onion- sliced. sautee in a tablespoon or 2 of extra virgin olive oil and as much minced fresh garlic as youd like, some salt, some pepper..until tender. put contents of pan into a bowl.

*fresh spinach- 8-10 cups: wash, de-stem, strain. after onions, add another tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and more minced garlic to same pan; add a bit more salt/pepper.. sautee spinich leaves until just wilted but still bright green(about 1-2 min). remove and place in strainer to cool. mush all moisture out with your hands.. when drained/cool(ish) toss and coarsely chop spinach with the lemon zest. i mixed spinach and the sliced chicken in a bowl.

*garlic oil- i warmed some olive oil and freshly minced garlic in the same pan and poured in a small bowl to use to brush on crust.

place sheets of lavash on lightly greased/oiled cookie sheet, prebake for 2-3 minutes. brush garlic oil on crust, spread onion over crust, then chicken/spinach, sprinkle olives. Top with feta, mozzarella, basil and tomatoes. I like to put coarsly ground black pepper on top.

bake for 8 minutes (or until edges are golden brown) top with a bit of shredded parmesan.

 
 

after oven. yummo!

(CP)PORK AND SAUERKRAUT (over mashed potatoes)
this is my ALL TIME FAVORITE meal. ever. ever ever ever. like, ever. if you have or are an anti sauerkrauter (shame on you), my grandma taught me a couple of tricks to take the edge off of the kraut for the babies. i personally eat the stuff straight out of the jar. with my fingers. what, you didn't know Little was german?! psssht. das ist niche gud. stay tuned, i can count to 10 in four languages.

you'll need:

1 or 2 large jars of sauerkraut (i will let you guess how many i use)
boneless pork roast 2-4 lbs (i use 3.5lbs or so)
3-4 green apples
brown sugar
applesauce!!!! (SO important)

method: (no exact measurments here- to taste, i suppose)

set the roast in the pot

sprinkle some brown sugar over the roast

pour half of the sauerkraut in the crockpot, over the meat

sprinkle brown sugar over kraut (as generously or as little as you like)

slice apples

arrange half of the slices around the perimeter of food

pour the rest of the sauerkraut over, repeat last 2 steps.

cover and cook on high 4-6 hours, low 10 hours. (i do high for 6 hours, then let sit on low til im ready to eat)




you can see the apples and brown sugar over the final kraut layer- i have a kraut baby here, so i used WAY more than i usually would have.

warning: the aroma of this dish causes uncontrollable drooling and stomach growling. for some its because the aroma is to die for. for others its because the aroma makes them nauseous (wuss). please don't judge the best meal of your life by it's smell. (there is NO bias here at all. none.)


the pork should fall apart easily if it is done thoroughly. i dish this wonderfulness over mashed potatoes (homemade russets for me) and combine with applesauce (SO important).

youre welcome in advance for making your life complete. and, if i didn't- you clearly did something wrong. :)

chow!