I broke a cardinal rule tonight. I made a separate meal for my kids. I always swore I would never be the mom who is a short order cook, trying to make sure my kids will eat something. Anything. So far, in the 3 1/2 years of motherhood, my kids have done pretty darn well. They eat what they’re given and if they don’t like it, they tell me as much but I make them eat it anyway or tell them they’re going to bed hungry. Works like a charm.
Well tonight, I just had a feeling that my kids wouldn’t be on board with this recipe. So I went ahead and made them beef quesadillas. I figured they are good kids, I can spoil them once in a while.:)
I love, love, love this recipe and it will definitely make the meal rotation in our house! (I’ll just need to make sure the kiddos approve!) It really passes the adult taste test since my hubby swore he tasted hamburger. Ha! The filling is incredibly flavorful and would be great as a cold side to another meal. I opted for Savoy cabbage leaves instead of swiss chard (I didn’t think that would pass the adult or kid test in my household!) and I thought it did beautifully. Another winning recipe that I adapted from the gorgeous Giada de Laurentiis. Seriously, does she ever have a bad hair day or a day where her makeup isn’t applied to perfection?
And one another note, thanks to all of you have had kind words to say about my blog. I have had about 3 comments (not posted) in the past week that have made me smile. I realize I’ll never be the next PW or have my own PBS show like this fabulous Southern cook but I’m content (for now) to know y’all like what I’m posting.:) And in that vein, I’m happy to announce another culinary giveaway. Post a comment on this post entry and tell me your favorite go-to weeknight meal and you’ll be entered to win a prize from Sur La Table or Crate & Barrel (two stores that need to come to my Southern Colorado city…but that’s a different story). The deadline is Saturday, October 1st.
Enjoy!
Goat Cheese, Lentil and Brown Rice Rolls
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 6 large Savoy cabbage leaves
- Salt
Filling:
- 1.5 cups cooked short grain brown rice
- 1 packed cup baby arugula leaves, chopped
- 1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (8 ounces)
- 1 cup cooked green lentils
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- One 26-ounce jar marinara or tomato-basil sauce
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or unsalted butter diced into 1/4-inch pieces
Directions
Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.
Remove the thick stem from the center of each cabbage leaf. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cabbage leaves and cook for 20 seconds. Remove the leaves and rinse with cold water. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
For the filling: In a medium bowl, mix together the brown rice, arugula, goat cheese, lentils, basil, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and garlic. Season with additional salt and pepper.
Spoon 1/3 cup of the filling onto the end of each cabbage leaf and roll up like a jellyroll.
Spoon 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the rolls, seam-side down, in a single layer on top of the sauce. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil or dot the top with butter, if using, and bake until the cheese begins to brown and the rolls are heated through, about 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
I’ve made enchiladas before but I’ve never tried one with green sauce. You know, green from tomatillos and green chiles. I’ve actually never tried tomatillos before but I really loved their tartness. If you can’t find them, feel free to substitute green tomatoes. (I actually added a few green tomatoes from my garden and it worked out really well.)
I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals cookbook. The enchiladas were gooey and I loved the addition of the Mexican cheese so use that if you can. If you cannot find any at your local grocer, just use Monterrey Jack.
- 1 small red onion, halved
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
- 1 to 2 serrano chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 8 corn tortillas
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (I used leftover chicken from this recipe)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella and/or Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups crumbled queso fresco or other soft Mexican cheese
Preheat the broiler. Slice half of the onion into thin rings and set aside. Place the other onion half, tomatillos and serranos on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the vegetables are soft and slightly brown, 7 to 10 minutes, turning as needed. Transfer the vegetables and any liquid to a blender, add the broth and puree. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar.
Meanwhile, stack the tortillas, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave just until warm and soft, 1 minute; keep covered. Toss the chicken with 2 cups shredded cheese in a bowl. Spoon a portion of the chicken mixture down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up. Place the enchiladas side by side in a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish and brush with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Broil until crisp and golden, 3 minutes.
Pour the tomatillo sauce over the enchiladas and top with the queso fresco cheese spread over the pan. Return to the oven and broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Garnish with the onion rings and any remaining cilantro leaves.
We had a Southern supper recently complete with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a vegetable. I had a hankering for homemade biscuits. I am not very confident in my bread making abilities but these turned out better than I expected! We had the leftover biscuits the next morning for breakfast with butter and honey alongside soft scrambled eggs.
Flaky Buttery Biscuits
Recipe Courtesy Of: Lucinda Scala Quinn
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 3/4 cup milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a fork or 2 table knives, combine the butter and flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Slowly add the milk, stirring with a fork, to the desired consistency.
3. For softer biscuits, drop 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the lined baking sheet. For firmer biscuits, turn the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and gently knead just to bring the dough together. Carefully roll out the dough about 3/4 inch thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut about 12 biscuits, rerolling any scraps. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake the biscuits for 13-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool slightly and serve warm.
Note: If the dough feels too thick for you, feel free to add a little more milk, about 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.
I adapted this recipe from the Food Network Magazine Great Easy Meals cookbook that I recently borrowed from the library. It has 250 recipes and most of them look really easy including this one. I love that it is a one-pan meal although don’t be fooled, it does still make a lot of dirty dishes!:) It uses no-bake lasagna noodles…God bless the individual who came up with that idea! It’s a great meatless entree and it tastes even better after a couple of days as leftovers.
Skillet Lasagna
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1-28 ounce jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for topping
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cottage cheese (ricotta would be better)
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 6 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
- 3 1/2 cups baby spinach
- 1/3 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (fresh really is best)
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook until golden, 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce (watch for splattering) along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium-low heat for a few minutes until heated through. Transfer sauce to a separate bowl leaving 1 cup of the sauce in the skillet.
2. Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese, egg, parmesan, 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.
3. Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini ribbons on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the cottage cheese mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with the noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before cutting. Top with more parmesan (if desired) and fresh herbs.
This dish is such a manly meal. What’s not to love? Meat and potatoes (and a few vegetables for good measure) in one dish? The man in our family enjoyed second helpings. The boy in our family wasn’t so keen but I don’t let my 3-year old dictate my meal planning.:)
This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray. It did take a little longer than 30 minutes but not by much. It came together relatively quickly and that’s even after I didn’t put the ground beef out to thaw until late afternoon. Oh, and I also cheated and used instant potatoes for the topping. Easy!
Shepherd’s Pie
Recipe Adapted From: Rachael Ray
- 6 servings of instant potatoes, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 3/4 pounds ground beef or ground lamb
- salt and pepper
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1-2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat and add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes and drain fat, if desired. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce . Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.Preheat broiler to high. Spray a small rectangular casserole dish with cooking spray. Fill casserole dish with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with small pats of butter and place in oven. Broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top the dish with chopped parsley and serve.
Renee! Thanks to all for entering the contest! I loved hearing from all of you and I must say, y’all are adventurous eaters! I love it!
Here’s a recipe I made today for a summer lunch I made for some dear friends from Dallas who are vacationing here for the week. We had burgers, potato salad, fruit salad and blueberry fools as a dessert. It’s an *easy* dessert and it’s very refreshing during these warm summer months. I served these along with Pepperidge Farm lemon cookies.
Blueberry Fools
Recipe Courtesy Of: Food Network Magazine
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Shortbread or wafer cookies, for serving
Directions
Make the blueberry sauce: Heat 1 1/2 cups blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt in a saucepan over medium heat until bubbling. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice; remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Beat the heavy cream in a bowl with a mixer or whisk until soft peaks just begin to form. Beat in the vanilla and the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Gently fold all but 1/3 cup of the blueberry sauce into the whipped cream. Divide among glasses and top with the remaining blueberry sauce. Serve with cookies.
A couple at church had their fifth (!) baby this past week. I volunteered to take a meal to them. I was told they were vegetarian. No problem, I have some vegetarian meals under my belt. Then I found out they also don’t eat dairy. Uh oh. Most of my vegetarian meals involve some form of dairy.
I solved my dilemma with a menu from my Indian heritage. The vegetable biriyani is a rice dish that is flavored with spices. I served it along with chole (recipe here) and a simple cucumber, tomato and mint salad. The meal was satisfying and met all the requirements for the family. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did!
Vegetable Biriyani
Recipe Adapted From: Lucinda Scala Quinn
- 1/3 cup plus two tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seed (I didn’t have coriander seed but I did have ground coriander)
- 3 teaspoons poppy seeds (I didn’t have these so I omitted it)
- 6 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (I thought I had this in my freezer but after emptying the entire contents of my freezer, no luck. So I omitted this as well.)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 2 1/3 cups water
- 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 10 ounces frozen peas
Directions
- In a blender, combine 1/3 cup oil, onion, salt, spices, ginger, shredded coconut, and 1/4 cup coconut milk.
- Heat remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large straight-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Toast the rice until lightly golden. Add the spice puree to the rice. Stir until aromatic, about 3 minutes.
- Add remaining coconut milk, 2 1/3 cups water, potatoes, and carrots to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed into the rice, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the peas, cover, and steam until the peas are warmed through, about 5 minutes.
And since I have a new shipment of great goodies from Crate & Barrel that is overtaking my downstairs, let’s do a giveaway! Post a comment on what your favorite ethnic cuisine is and you’ll be entered to win a fun culinary prize. Winners will be announced Saturday, July 30th. Good luck!
This recipe comes from my all time favorite cookbook, Barefoot Contessa Family Style. I think it was the first cookbook I ever purchased after being a newlywed and I have tried so many of Ina’s recipes with great success. These blueberry muffins are so moist and *fluffy*. I love the addition of the sour cream because it does make them more cake-y. Be sure to spray the entire muffin pan liberally or else they will stick. I was able to get about 18 muffins out of this recipe and they disappeared within 2 days.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins
Recipe Adapted From: Ina Garten
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat sour cream)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 half-pints fresh blueberries, picked through for stems
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your muffin pans liberally. Place paper liners in muffin pans.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, sour cream, and milk. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture to the batter and beat until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula and be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup just over the top, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the muffins are lightly browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
I don’t know what I was thinking making Fathers Day breakfast. Sunday mornings are chaotic at best. Between getting kids and adults up, fed, dressed in time to make it to worship by 8:30 a.m., breakfast usually consists of something easy like oatmeal or egg in a basket. But I knew I wanted to do something special for the father of my littles. I prepped the custard the night before along with a fruit salad. On the morning of, I made bacon to accompany this breakfast.
Remember Challah French toast? This is very similar but just an easier option when you need something that cooks all at once. Personally, Challah French toast will always be first in my heart but this is quite good. Oh, and you can also attempt to make challah bread from scratch like I’ve done before or just get it from the bakery.: )
Breakfast Bread Pudding
Recipe Adapted From: Ina Garten
- 6 extra large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest (2 oranges)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Loaf of Challah bread
- 1/2 cup raisins
- Maple syrup, to serve
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, honey, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Set aside.
Slice the Challah bread into 1-inch thick pieces. Shingle the slices in a 9 by 14 by 2-inch oval baking dish. Spread the raisins in between the bread slices. (Make sure that the raisins are between the layers of bread or they will burn while baking.) Pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak for 15 minutes, pressing down gently.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the pudding puffs up and the custard is set. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before serving.
Tara Moore Baker! Congrats, girl! Your Sur La Table gift will be sent no later than this week.:) Thanks to all of you who entered the contest. Stay tuned and there will be more giveaways to come!
And here is a recipe for a bright, easy and refreshing summer salad. Only the freshest ingredients will do so please, none of that packaged cheese!
Caprese Salad
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella
- 1 1/2 lbs. vine ripened tomatoes
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt
- pepper
Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into 1/4 inch thick slices. On a platter, alternate tomatoes, cheese, and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
