Taco Salad

This picture does not do justice to the taco salad -- it was delicious. We modified the recipe a bit by sticking to our non-recipe directions.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef (we used turkey meat)
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans (omitted)
1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing (we had a spray dressing and used a bit)
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup prepared salsa


Directions:
1) In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2) Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.

Husband Rating: A
Jared liked the crunchy tortilla chips and he added hot sauce to kick it up a bit.

Wife Rating: A
Cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, and sour cream -- I'm set!


We'll definitely make this dish again in the future.

Shrimp Scampi (Tuesday's Dinner)

Jared came home with shrimp a few weeks ago, so we froze it for a special time, and yesterday seemed like a perfect day. We decided to make one of our favorite (old time) recipes, one that we made quite often years ago. However, this time we followed a recipe from www.allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced (added more)
1/4 cup dry white wine (omitted)
3 green onions, chopped
Angel Hair pasta

Directions:
1) Preheat broiler to 500 degrees (260 degrees C).
2) Stir shrimp together with butter, garlic and wine. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes. Sprinkle on scallions and broil for another 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp are firm. Serve hot.


Husband Rating: A
Jared loved the shrimp broiled instead of sauteing in a frying pan.

Wife Rating: A
I loved the garlic with the pasta!

We'll definitely make this again!

Greek Chicken

I have been busy with the holiday and traveling, so my blog has suffered, and so has our fridge and cooking. :) We finally went shopping after we created this week's menu. The Greek Chicken was a meal prepared by his mom, which we froze a few weeks ago. I do not have a picture to share or the recipe at this point. I know you can find a Greek Chicken recipe on www.allrecipes.com.

Shrimp Scampi picture and review to follow.

Menu: November 26-December 2

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Monday: Greek Chicken

Tuesday: Shrimp Scampi

Wednesday: Taco Salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Dinner with friends

Saturday: Potato Soup

Sunday: Baked Haddock

Orange Honey Garlic Chicken

We were planning on making the Orange Honey Garlic Chicken on Saturday, but with my work schedule, we ran out of time. Plus, we did not marinate the chicken, so it would not have been ready. So, today was a perfect day, and we decided to make it for lunch. We prepared a tomato, cucumber, and red onion salad, along with scalloped potatoes (from a box). ;)

Ingredients:
1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (We used chicken breasts)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika


Directions:
1) To Make Marinade: Combine the soy sauce, honey, orange juice, garlic, oregano, pepper and paprika. Mix all together and pour over chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3) Remove chicken from refrigerator. Place chicken and marinade in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Baste once.
* Since we used chicken breasts, the chicken only needed 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating:
Jared thought the chicken had good flavor and that the orange and honey flavors were prominent, but the garlic was very subtle.

Wife Rating:
I liked the chicken, but would add more garlic next time!

We'll try this again sometime, and will probably cook it with a whole chicken as the recipe states.

Pepper, Onion, & Feta Pizza

Jared and I love pizza and I realized after we made the pepper, onion, and feta pizza, that for 3 weeks now, we have cooked something from the Greek family. This pizza was so easy and very good!

Ingredients:
1 (12 inch) thin pizza crust, homemade or prepared, such as Boboli
3 cups chopped red, green, yellow and/or orange bell peppers (any combination)
1 cup sliced yellow or red onion, separated into rings
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
3/4 cup crumbled herbed feta cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients except cheese. Spoon mixture over crust. Top with cheese.
2) Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until vegetables are crispy-tender. Remove from oven and serve.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating:
Jared was in pizza heaven and said, "I might eat the whole pizza tonight." When we roll out our dough, we are able to make a pizza of 9 square slices. He did hold back and we have some for leftovers.

Wife Rating:
The pizza was so good and very fresh. "Yummy"

We'll definitely make this one again!!!

Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Jared and I have made baked macaroni and cheese before, but without a recipe and with little effort. Believe it or not, I was looking forward to following a recipe that required a bit of "work" and different ingredients.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 ounces macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl and mix well with the melted butter; set aside.
2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, then place into prepared casserole dish.
3) While the pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the minced onion and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the flour, pepper, salt, and dry mustard until incorporated, then pour in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring constantly until the milk has thickened, about 10 minutes. Take the milk off of the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted. Pour cheese sauce over the macaroni, then sprinkle evenly with buttered bread crumbs.
5) Bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com


Husband Rating:
Finding a meal that Jared does not like is hard to find, so it was obvious that Jared enjoyed the macaroni and cheese.

Wife Rating:
Anything with cheese is a winner in my book! The bread crumbs were a nice touch and the onion was subtle, yet added good flavor.

We'll make this again!

Crockpot Beef Stew

Beef stew was perfect on a cold, cloudy day like today. We modified the recipe from the book, "Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?" (Yes, I still have that book since college) to cook in the crockpot. The recipe makes enough for leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 pound stewing beef
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 1/2 cups water
2 onions, sliced and separated
3 potatoes, cubed
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced

We added:
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

Directions:
1) Cut meat into bite-sized pieces. In bag, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Put pieces of meat, and shake to coat.
2) Brown meat until browned on all sides.
3) In crockpot add potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and mushrooms.
4) Add meat and water.
5) Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. (We only had 4 hours, so we cooked it on high all day).
6) Add flour (by tablespoonful at a time) for desired thickness. (We only added 1 tablespoon).

Husband Rating: A-
Jared thought the stew was good, but that the water could be replaced with beef broth for more flavor.

Wife Rating: A-
I definitely agree with Jared...more beef flavor would have been perfect. Although, I would eat the stew with all the vegetables and no meat!

We'll make this again... and probably will alter the recipe a bit.

Menu: November 12-16

This week will be a short week because of our plans to go out with friends and my schedule at work.

Monday: Beef Stew (crockpot)

Tuesday: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Wednesday: Peppers, Onion & Feta Cheese Pizza

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Dinner with friends!

Saturday: Orange Honey Garlic Chicken

Pork Chops with Garden Rice (Monday's Lunch)

Happy Veteran's Day! Our menu changed a bit this week due to an unexpected get together with friends. Since we were both off today, we decided to cook meals for both lunch and dinner. Thanks to a recommendation from Kat, http://anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/
we were looking forward to trying this meal.

Ingredients:
6 (1 inch thick) pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and paprika. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the garlic about 1 minute, then brown pork chops about 2 minutes on each side.
3) In a pot, bring the vegetable broth and rice to a boil. Mix in the Italian-style diced tomatoes, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green onions, and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes, until heated through. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the pork chops over the rice and vegetables.
4) Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until rice and vegetables are tender and pork has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared's first reaction was "it smells delicious." He did not even have a dish prepared and he was drooling over the smell. He really enjoyed the flavor of the rice, although he did suggest we use brown rice next time for a healthier addition.

Wife Rating: A+
I agree with Jared. The smell of the dish throughout the house was amazing. The flavor of the pork chops and the garden rice were a great pair!

We will definitely be making this dish again!

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Last night's pasta dinner was a meal we cooked for friends. We could not have picked a better dish to share with them. They raved about the dish and the freshness. We did not get to take a picture, so the picture above is from www.allrecipes.com.

We made dinner at their house, and they supplied the wine and fire!

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package dry penne pasta (we used wheat spaghetti)
8 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the penne pasta in the pot, cook 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
2) In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the tomatoes, Italian dressing, basil, red onion, and Parmesan cheese.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared really enjoyed the pasta, fresh tomatoes and onion.

Wife Rating: A+
This dish was so easy to make and was delicious! The salad and red wine, compliments of our friends, were perfect.

Friends' Rating: A+
They were both very happy with the meal that we picked for last night.

We'll definitely be making it again in the future!

Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken (Wednesday)

Jared and I love garlic, so when I found this recipe, I thought this would be a great meal. In the end, I found out it is very similar to chicken cutlets, but with more seasoning. We did not have much time for cooking, so we were unable to add more side dishes. The chicken stuffing was a great choice.

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
1 cup oil for frying, or as needed


Directions:
1) In a shallow dish, mix together the garlic powder, pepper, salt, paprika, bread crumbs and flour. In a separate dish, whisk together the milk and egg.
2) Heat the oil in an electric skillet set to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Dip the chicken into the egg and milk, then dredge in the dry ingredients until evenly coated.
3) Fry chicken in the hot oil for about 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove from the oil with a slotted spatula, and serve.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A-
Jared thought the chicken was good, but could have used more garlic powder -- maybe fresh garlic.

Wife Rating: A-
I agree with Jared. The name of the recipe begins with garlic, I think the garlic should have been more prominent.

We'll make this again in the future. Next time, we'll add the zesty potatoes, and a veggie.

Cabbage & Kielbasa

I decided to use my new crockpot for the first time and try a new recipe as well. We had kielbasa and I found a cabbage and kielbasa recipe for the crockpot. There was a lot of anxiety from leaving my crockpot alone, but in the end it turned out fine. I halved the recipe because we were not using 2 pounds of kielbasa. However, I should have followed the recipe for the cabbage because it cooked down a lot!

Ingredients:
8 cups shredded cabbage (I used 4 cups -- use 8)
3 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (We left them out because of the reviews)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 pounds fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into serving size pieces (I used only 1 pound)

Directions:
1) In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the cabbage, potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Pour broth over all. Place sausage on top (slow cooker will be full, but cabbage will cook down). Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until vegetables are tender and sausage is heated through.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A
Jared liked the combination of the kielbasa and cabbage. He definitely wanted more cabbage.

Wife Rating: B+
Although a fan of German food, I thought this dinner was too salty and mushy for me. I think 8 hours in the crockpot was too long. Maybe with more cabbage it would have been different. The picture above does not do much for the meal. I am glad I tried something different, but I won't be running to make this again soon.

Greek Salad (Monday's Dinner)

Although, Jared and I made a Mediterranean salad last Monday, this salad was very different. We love Greek salad, mostly for the kalamata olives and the feta cheese! The dressing was perfect! If you love salads, definitely try this one!

Ingredients:
1 cucumber, diced
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (I used cherry tomatoes)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
1/2 cup whole, pitted kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, layer cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, kalamata olives, and feta cheese. Sprinkle with oregano, then drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

Husband Rating: A+
Jared loves salad...and that is probably an understatement! He really enjoyed the salad and the fresh veggies!

Wife Rating: A+
I must agree with Jared. Homemade salads are so much better when you make the dressing too!

We will definitely be making this salad again!

Menu: November 5-10

The weekend plans are still up in the air, so this week's menu includes dinner from Monday-Friday.

Monday: Greek Salad

Tuesday: Kielbasa with Cabbage

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken Fried Chicken

Thursday: Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Pork Chops with Garden Rice (courtesy of http://www.anirishgirlwhocancookanddrink.blogspot.com/)

As with each week and our crazy schedule, the menu is subject to change.

Broccoli Lasagna (Sunday's dinner)

Last night's dinner was Broccoli Lasagna (the 1st picture was actually taken this morning, the second picture is from www.allrecipes.com). After coming home from Philly, we had plans to visit some friends and have dinner at their place. We decided that we would make Broccoli Lasagna, since it was on our menu for the week. Of course, using low fat cheese and skim milk, I think our recipe turned out slightly different from the original recipe. Nonetheless, it was still pretty good.

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen broccoli, thawed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3) In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour, pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and nutmeg. Stirring continuously, pour in milk, a little at a time, allowing mixture to thicken. Bring to a boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in parsley. Set aside.
4) In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, broccoli, Parmesan, 1 cup of mozzarella and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until well blended.
5) In a 7x11 inch baking dish layer: 1/4 cup white sauce; 3 noodles; one-third of remaining white sauce; half the broccoli mixture; 3 more noodles; half remaining white sauce; remaining broccoli mixture; 3 noodles; remaining white sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. (We used an 8x13 dish -- we do not have a 7x11 dish).
6) Bake in preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Husband Rating: A
Jared was excited to try a different type of lasagna. I have never made a white sauce lasagna before!

Wife Rating: A-
Considering the fact that I felt a bit off...not sure if I am fighting a 24-hour bug, I managed to eat a little bit. I did like it, but I am not sure about the nutmeg.

Friends Rating:
They seemed to like the lasagna. I did receive a compliment on last night's dinner on my IM this morning!

I'll try this again in the future...but the not too soon future.

Philly in the Fall

Jared and I decided on a whim that we wanted to visit Philly. We talked about it in early October, but never solidified any plans. My sister is a Junior at Villanova, so our decision to visit historic Philly was also a great way to see my sister. We spent all day Saturday touring around the historic buildings of Philly (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Congress Hall (first pic), and tons of others). Jared loves guided tours, so we spent some money to have a guide. Of course we found a great cheese steak place for lunch, pictured above. We met up with my sister at Villanova later in the afternoon for a tour of campus and a chance to relax. The evening ended with a trip to the King of Prussia Mall, dinner, and Terror Behind the Walls, the haunted mansion at The Eastern State Penitentiary (definitely check it out...or at least google it)! The end result of a great weekend was a tired Sunday.

We are already planning our next visit during March (taking advantage of spring break). The next trip will definitely include the Rocky steps, more of the historic buildings (specifically going into them), and a day-time tour of the penitentiary. Is it spring yet?!

Boneless Pork Ribs (Friday's dinner)

When Jared and I put together last week's menu, we were not planning to visit Philly for the weekend and catching up with my sister at Villanova. So, our menu was slightly modified and the Boneless Ribs were made on Friday. We left just after work and since Jared was home, he had dinner ready for me when I got home. :) Sadly, I was not feeling very well, so I only ate a few bites of his dinner, right off of his plate. We really enjoyed the flavor of the ribs.

Ingredients:
4 pounds boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup tomato juice
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground black pepper


Directions:
1) Preheat the oven broiler.
2) Place ribs on a rack in a broiler pan, and broil on top oven rack 15 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from heat, and transfer to a baking dish. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
3) In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the tomato sauce, tomato juice, onion, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Season with cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Pour over the ribs in the baking dish.
4) Bake ribs in the 350 degrees oven 45 minutes, or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork and reaches a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Recipe from www.allrecipes. com

Husband Rating: A
Considering the fact that Jared made the meal by himself, and had to eat much of it alone, he still liked the ribs. Maybe a bit more sauce next time?

Wife Rating: A
Of the few bites that I ate, I would say this is a keeper. I liked the flavor and the tenderness of the meat.

We'll definitely try this again in the future.