Goodman's Onion Potatoes

Sometimes I make things, and don't get a chance to post it!  I try, at the end of each month, to get myself caught up.  The worst thing I can do is to go into a new month already backlogged!  This recipe I made about a week or two ago and just haven't had the chance to share it yet.

Like I just posted, I'm always looking for more potato recipes.  We eat a lot of potaoes!  This one I just happened to come across on the back of my Goodman's Onion Soup & Dip Mix box!  It was super simple, and my boyfriend seemed to like them.  For a first try, I felt that they were a bit salty, so I'm going to experiment and see if I can tone that down a little.  Try it out for yourself, and if you make any alterations, feel free to share, like always!

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope of Goodman's Onion Soup & Dip Mix
• 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
• 4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into wedges

Directions:

Mix 1 envelope of instant Onion Soup mix with 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil.

Blend thoroughly and pour over 4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into wedges.

Preheat oven to 450.  Bake in roasting pan until golden brown.

Perfectly Seasoned Roasted Baked Potatoes

My next two posts are potato recipes.  We're stereotypical Irish...we LOVE our potatoes!  Most of the time, potatoes are our dinner starch, so I always need to keep things new and fresh so we don't get caught up in a hum-drum dinner funk!  This was partially inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, and my favorite book, The Comfort Food Diet Cookbook, but with my own spin on it.  I bought a lot of sour cream, and I wanted a cross between Giada's delicious looking roasted potatoes and a baked potato, just so I could use the sour cream!  What lengths I go to to not waste food!  Anyway, these came out AMAZING!  We didn't even need the sour cream, and Eoin absolutely loved them!

Yields 3 servings


Ingredients:

• 3 Large Potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• sprinkle of black ground pepper, if desired

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Put each potato half skin side down.  With your finger, brush each potato top with oil, then sprinkle with spices.  Bake until tender, up to 45 minutes, checking periodically.  Serve with sour cream if desired.



Egg-cellent Egg Salad

Like I have posted previously, my darling boyfriend agrees to brown bag his lunch more often than not.  But sometimes you just don't want to eat the same things over and over again!  At our old apartment, for whatever reason, I could not hard boil eggs.  No matter how hard I tried, how long I boiled them, they would always come out soft boiled at best.  The joys of an electric stove!  Well, moving seriously was the best thing for us, what an upgrade!  I can now hard boil eggs!  We always have an overabundance of eggs, so I figured I would get rid of a bunch and make a bowl of egg salad for lunches for the week!

Yields about 5-6 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 9 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise with Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons of Dijon Mustard
• 5 Bread and Butter stackers, minced
• 2 teaspoons horseradish
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and horseradish.  Season with Paprika, salt and pepper.  Spoon out on top of your favorite bread, pita or wrap.

Summer Lovin' Ratatouille Soup

First off, let me explain what Ratatouille is.  Yes, I know there is a very cute movie by Disney Pixar called it, but it is also a traditional French dish.  It originates in Nice and in French is called "ratatouille niçoise."  Although traditionally, the dish literally was a tossed vegetable dish, now the ways of preparing and serving Ratatouille are extremely varied.   However, what's in the dish has remained the same.  It contains onion, garlic, bell pepper, squash, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, seasoned with herbs and is "stew-like."  I prepared this dish as a slow-cooked, main entree soup.

The baby and I have had really bad allergies and cold-like symptoms for about a week and a half now.  When I don't feel good, I NEED soup!  I figured this was a nice, healthy, summery soup to make.  And with all the veggies, we are absolutely getting our vitamins!  I added some Cavatappi pasta to this soup, but you can add whatever shaped pasta you would like, I was playing with the idea of adding Pastina, and then at the last minute decided against it; or you could add some white or brown rice for it to be a little more filling! 

I bought too much zucchini and a larger than needed eggplant for the dish.  I recently started my hand at blanching and freezing my produce.  I was tired of overbuying, and then throwing out produce!  Later in the week, I will post a small "how to" on freezing your own fresh produce!  Luckily, I was able to freeze the left over eggplant and zucchini, and can now make a veggie stir fry for another night!  I really hate wasting anything, so it's essential to get the most bang for my buck!

 

With and Without Pasta

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red onion, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 yellow summer squash, sliced
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground marjoram
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cans (14 oz each) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 zucchini, cut lengthwise and then across
• 1 small eggplant, (if the eggplant is big, only use half) cut into quarters and then across

Directions:

I highly recommend using a 6+ quart slow cooker.  Comine onion, pepper, tomatoes, squash, garlic, spices and broth and cook on LOW for 6 hours. 

Stir in the zucchini and the eggplant and cook an additional 45 minutes on HIGH, or until both the zucchini and eggplant are tender.  Fill bottom of bowl with pasta or rice (not necessary though) and spoon soup over it.

Italian Zucchini with a Zing!

I love eggplant and zucchini, and at some point will make a grilled summer vegetable medley; but since summer just began today, I still have time for that!  My Mom one summer made a spicy sauteed zucchini, and it was one of those recipes that she followed once, not knowing whether it would be a hit or not, and failed to copy down the recipe!  Ever since, I've been on a mission to recreate that amazing side, without much success.  This dish is flavored with garlic, oregano and red pepper.  While the red pepper gives it a slight zing, it's just not quite the same!  It is a delightful dish though!  So much so that Bill ate every piece on his plate, and he doesn't like zucchini!

Yields about 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of frozen sliced zucchini, thawed
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (you can add more or less)
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the zucchini and mix in the red pepper, oregano, salt and black pepper until zucchini is coated.  Cook for about 8 minutes, and then drain the liquids from the skillet. 

On the side of Homemade Fish Nuggets with Tartar Sauce

Homemade Fish Nuggets and Tartar Sauce

I originally made this dish last Friday but this past weekend has been absolutely nuts!  My amazingly thoughtful boyfriend threw me a surprise 30th birthday party with my family and friends on Saturday night!  It was a wonderful time with wonderful people, I couldn't have wished for anything more! 

On Sunday, we had Eoin's last swim class and a graduation party at the Country Club.  The party was a barbecue, buffet style.  I had an amazing swordfish-kebab.  My only complaint was that I felt there should have been a little bit more of everything, especially the swordfish on each kebab.  Not even 2 weeks ago, I watched an episode of Giada at Home and she was making fish kebabs, and for my actual birthday dinner, my mom is making beef, chicken and shrimp kebabs.  This is one of my favorite things about summer barbecueing!  Maybe I'll experiment and try to make shish kebabs in the broiler, of course I'll post how they come out when I do!

I've been toying with the idea of making homemade fish sticks for awhile.  I make chicken fingers and nuggets on a regular basis, so how hard could it be to just substitute fish in my recipe?  I didn't want to chance slicing the fish fillets too thin and having them dry out while baking, so I made these fish sticks into nuggets!  I had to say that for a first attempt, it wasn't bad!  I plan on going salt water fishing with my Dad in a few weeks, and I hope to catch SOMETHING, so if I wind up having too much, I'll try these nuggets out again!

Yields about 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 7 fish fillets (I used a combination of Tilapia and Sole, since that's what I had)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten (mixed with 1 cup cold water)
• 2 cups Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Place flour in one shallow dish, the beaten eggs and water in a bowl, and the breadcrumbs and seasonings combined in yet another dish. 
3. Cut each fish fillet into "nuggets" make sure they aren't too thin to prevent drying out during baking. 
4. Dip each "nugget" into flour mixture, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture.
5. Place each piece of fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Spritz the fish directly with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning once, until fish flakes easily with a fork.

I've been cooking for a long time.  Even when I lived with my parents, I would make my own dinner when I got home after taking night courses at college.  And I would cook in bulk for lunches during the week for work.  It truly amazes me how much money I have saved "brown bagging" my lunch.  However, even though I've been cooking this long, it wasn't until I had my son that I realized the error of my ways.  I could save even more money and frustration, I could make my own condiments!  I mean cocktail sauce is really a no-brainer, but I could make tartar sauce as well!  I used to buy a bottle, use it once, then it would expire and I would throw it away.  This behavior would repeat itself every so often.  Since becoming a homemaker, I have become overly conscious of waste.  Remember the idiom, "Waste not, want not"?  Nothing could be more true!  The ingredients for this particular tartar sauce, most people have on hand in their refrigerator.  There are many, many recipes out there for every flavor of tartar sauce you could ever imagine, but this is just a basic recipe.  You could spice this up, and if you do, please feel free to post your revised recipe and the outcome!  I always look forward to any feedback, positive or negative!  Each batch is made small, so you're not making excessive amounts that will wind up in the garbage, and it can keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Yields 1 cup (you can adjust the quantities if you need to make a larger batch)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Mayonnaise with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon of prepared Horseradish
• about 3-4 sliced of bread and butter pickle slices, chopped (or if you have a jar of relish, you can use that)
• 2 tablespoons of lime juice

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.  

Criss-Cross Applesauce!

I am way too over-zealous when I buy apples!  It's almost as if I envision the entire family sitting on the couch, watching tv and munching on apples!  I'll take an apple with me to work every now and then to eat after lunch.  And I'll cut up apple for Eoin to snack on.  And even though Bill says that he likes apples, he NEVER, ever, ever eats the apples when I buy them!  I guess if that's one of the few major complaints I have about him, I lucked out! 

Anyway, so these apples wind up just sitting there.  But instead of letting them rot and tossing them, I make applesauce!  When you have lemons, make lemonade....well when you have apples...

Applesauce is seriously the easiest thing in the world to make.  And it's impossible to screw up!  There are plenty of recipes out there that involve food mills, trust me, you don't need one.  A simple blender or food processor will do the trick!  I started making this when Eoin first started eating solids.  Obviously, it was pureed a little more than I am preparing it now.  As I've mentioned before, I made a lot of baby food, it truly is the easiest thing!  If you have any questions on making your own baby food, please feel free to comment and I will try my best to answer any questions. 

I do recommend that before you make your own, do your research on the individual vegetables, I used this site for most of my baby food preparation needs:  Wholesome Baby Food.  For example when you make the carrots, you can't puree the carrots in the water it was cooked in if preparing for a child which is under 8 months old.  This is due to the fact that Nitrates may seep into the cooking water while the carrots are steaming.  Nitrates are naturally contained in vegetables such as carrots, green beans, spinach and squash.  Unfortunately, young infants aren't able to break down the Nitrates and this could cause Nitrate poisoning.  So just do yourself a favor, read up on the vegetable or fruit you would like your infant to try before doing so.  I learned a lot by reading the site and by making my own baby food.  This is not a 101 on baby food making though! 

Back to the subject at hand:  Applesauce.  I wouldn't recommend to make insanely large batches, unless you plan on jarring (which you actually have to KNOW how to do) or freezing the excess.  I do recommend freezing if you have the room, because then the applesauce can last indefinetly!  I make only small batches at a time, with whatever leftover apples we have.  I do not add any sugar to my apple sauce.  I don't want my son to have sugars in his already sweet fruits (he is allowed to have sugary treats from time to time, he is a kid after all!)  Experiment with different types of apples, you'll get varied flavors.  I add ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to mine, to give it a little extra kick!

Yields about 40 oz

Ingredients:

• 7 apples, peeled and cored (whichever apples you have on hand, I usually use a mix of Granny Smith and Red Delicious)
• Just enough water to steam the apple wedges in.
• Cinnamon, to taste
• Pumpkin Pie Spice, to taste

*If you are making this for baby food purposes, I would omit the spices.  A lot of children are allergic to cinnamon, so please consult with your pediatrician before adding it!

Directions:

• Steam the apple wedges in just enough water to cover the bottom apples, until just tender.  You don't want to overcook the apples and have them be a mushy mess!

• Transfer the apples to a food processor or blender, reserving the cooking water. 

• Start to puree, adding the reserved liquid as needed.
• Season with the spices to taste.  Puree until desired consistency.

*If you are using this recipe for baby food purposes, consult the site above for ways to store and freeze your baby food!

Fun in the Kitchen: Chef Boyar-kid's English Muffin Pizzas

Sometimes you just have to give in to your inner child.  Especially when you're a parent.  English Muffin Pizzas are literally the easiest things to make, and your child can help you throughout the whole process!  Yes, it may not be original, but it's simple, and it's kid friendly.  This is what I strive for with this blog!  It's been proven that to get a picky kid to eat, put them in the kitchen!  When children partake in making a meal, they are more likely to eat it.  I'm actually toying with the idea of this becoming a part of my son's 2nd Birthday Celebration when the time comes!  Before I had my son, I worked full-time in child care, and this always seemed to be a huge hit with the children!  They love to make things themselves that they can watch cook, and then eat!  Plus, in my case, if I don't let my son help (which he LOVES to do) a meltdown will ensue.  He'll lay on my kitchen floor and cry this heartbreaking cry.  So I opt to sometimes give in, and get my meal done!  And if that means little hands helping me along the way, then so be it!  Not to mention, it also makes me happy that he is so interested in his Mother's cooking, and is becoming a chivalrous little lad! 

Please feel free to share any recipes you and your child enjoy making together, any and all feedback is, like always, greatly welcomed!

Yields 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 package of English Muffins, split in half
• 3/4 package part skim mozzarella cheese, sliced
• about 1 cup of marinara sauce (homemade, canned or jarred; we used jarred) You want enough sauce to put 2 tablespoons onto each half of the English muffins

The world is your oyster; you can put whatever toppings your tot prefers from olives to pepperoni.  We left ours plain, but I seasoned mine with crushed red pepper, oregano and garlic powder after it came out of the oven.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly toast each of the split muffins. (This will give a little added crunch to the pizzas, and will help prevent them from becoming soggy messes)

Put the split English Muffins, split side up, on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. 

Spoon 2 tablespoons onto each muffin (depending on the age of the child, an adult may have to do this step)

Top each "pizza" with one slice of mozzarella cheese, cut in half widthwise. (This step is ideal for children of all ages)

Bake for 10 minutes.  You want the cheese melted and starting to brown.

Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Sauce

If you haven't noticed yet, our background is different!  I loved the old look, but it seemed a little too...depressing, for lack of a better word...for summer!  So right now we have some clouds in the background, which is usually where I feel my head is anyway!  As the seasons change, so will the backdrop!  My next couple of posts after this will be very basic recipes.  One of which I've used with Eoin since he was first able to eat "real" food (so it's pretty much a baby food recipe) and the other is a really fun recipe for the kids!  So without giving too much away, let's continue onto today's recipe, last night's dinner!

We tend to eat a lot of white meat in this household.  There are just so many ways to prepare pork and poultry, so if I get the opportunity to experiment, I jump at it!  This is another recipe from Taste of Home: Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.  Like I've said before, my boyfriend is NOT a fan of onions, and is always asking me to cut down my usage of onions a bit.  However, this sauce was so delicious, that I don't think the onions were much of an issue!  I must say though that my son refused to even try this dish, as he was in a mood at dinner-time last night, so I can't say this is a kid-tested meal...yet.  However, with or without Eoin's approval, this dish will be put into our permanent rotation since I feel as though every time we have pork chops, they seem to be smothered in some sort of red sauce.

Yields:  4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 bone-in pork loin chops (7 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

SAUCE:

• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions:
Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with pepper.  Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.  (I grilled my pork chops on the George Foreman Grill)

 Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender.  Sprinkle with the flour; stir until blended.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Add cheese and wine (or broth); heat through.  Serve sauce with chops. 

Risi e Bisi

Risi e Bisi literally means "Rice with Peas."  It's a classic Venetian dish, and traditionally was only served on feast days.  Today, you can serve it at any time of the year, although it is more commonly served in the spring. 

Ever since my son started to eat rice, I'm always on the hunt for new ways to prepare it.  Nothing is more boring than plain old white or brown rice!  And if you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know how often I try to sneak veggies into a dish, or to combine the vegetable and starch sides!  Luckily, as my son's food choices have matured (from mushed veggies, to the real deal); peas have actually grown on him!  Nothing could probably be more unappetizing than a bowl full of mashed peas served at room temperature, well nothing other than green beans!  Luckily for me, that didn't scar him for life!

Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked converted long-grain white rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic
• 2 cans (14 oz each) of reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine the rice, onion and garlic in the slow cooker.

In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth and the water to a boil.  Transfer liquid to the slow cooker.  Stir in Italian seasoning and basil.  Cover and cook on LOW 2 1/2 hours, until liquid is completely absorbed.

 

Add peas and cook for an additional hour.  Stir in cheese and serve!