Cassoulet

I always get excited when I make Cassoulet because not only is this dish great comfort food, but it's packed full of nutrients and tastes dang good too.  The original recipe came from an issue of "Runner's World" and is by Mark Bittman.  Mark Bittman is kind of a big deal.  I follow his blog in the New York Times and was ecstatic when I received his cookbook, "How to Cook Everything" from my mother-in-law for Christmas.  I wish I were as consciences as him in my food choices, but I am a work in progress.  Maybe someday.  Anyways, here's my simplified version of his delicious recipe:

Cassoulet

Inspired by Mark Bittman's recipe

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound Italian sausage or Turkey Sausage (I've used both with great results)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (Buying a large container of minced garlic is a good investment and makes it quicker)

1 large onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch lengths

3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 medium to large zucchinis, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large can tomatoes, diced (with juice)

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped

2 bays leaves (optional- It tastes fine without them)

4 cups Greath Northern Beans, drained

2 cups chicken stock

Favorite spices to taste (i.e. Italian seasonings, cayenne pepper, etc.)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add meat and cook, turning until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Take the meat out of pan and drain most of the fat. Turn heat to medium, add garlic, onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini; season with salt and pepper. (It's important to start seasoning before you add broth to soups so the contents will retain flavor.) Cook five minutes, or until softened. Add tomatoes and juice, meat, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Add beans and boil again, stirring occasionally; reduce heat so mixture bubbles gently. Cook for 20 minutes, adding more stock when mixture gets thick.  Add more seasonings to taste. Warm through and serve with good bread. Serves 5-6.

DELICIOUS!  (Tastes great reheated the next day.)

Tortellini with Basil Pesto Sauce

I debated whether or not to post this meal, since it's not really a recipe.  But, I created this blog for my posterity and to help others make easy and nutritious food for their own families, so I thought, what the heck, I'll add it.  I usually try and steer away from packaged meals, but I don't feel unhealthy eating this.  Pasta isn't the norm in our house.  I'm not sure why, I just don't make it very often.  There's definitely a place in my heart for tortellini, though.  It tastes so good in soups and is especially awesome covered with basil pesto sauce.  Last summer, I often paired this recipe with a good Strawberry Salad and I decided I needed to make it again this year.  BabyJ loved it and so did everyone else.  Enjoy!

Tortellini with Basil Pesto Sauce

1 lb. good tortellini, cooked (I buy mine at Costco.)
1 cup Basil Pesto Sauce (I've bought this several places, but you can buy it with the Tortellini at Costco.)
kosher salt to taste (optional)

Spread pesto over cooked tortellini and toss to coat evenly.  Serve warm or cold with a good summer salad.

Note:  Not all pesto sauces are created equally, so if you find this too bland, sprinkle with kosher salt.  (Kosher salt is so much better than table salt, so do yourself a favor and buy some.  I use it in most of my cooking.)

Still Running...

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I'm still here. We moved back to California, but my pneumonia is gone and I've been successfully running in my orthodics. (There's also no pain above my ankle.) Hurray, I'm cured! (Hopefully.) I admit I haven't been pushing myself, but I think I'm ready for a new race. Drumroll please...The BullDog 25k. This is basically a half marathon, but it's a trail run, so it will be more challenging. I mapped out a schedule tonight and the first week is this week...so it looks like it's meant to be. I learned from my last race, that you can't always count on things happening the way you want them to, but I'm sure hoping I can boost my confidence with another race.

Weekly Dinner Plan 4/25/10

Monday- Tortellini and Pesto with Strawberry Salad- I've been craving tortellini with pesto.  I don't usually buy a ton of packaged foods, but I love Costco's tortellini with their basil pesto sauce on it.  So good!

Tuesday- Armenian Shish Kabob and Rice Pilaf- Since I have my parents around, I thought I'd have my dad make Armenian Shish Kabob this night.

Wednesday- Cassoulet with good bread - I found this Mark Bittman recipe in an issue of "Runners World" and I've made it a few times.  I'm always on the lookout for tasty recipes that have a lot of vegetables and very little meat.  This recipe is all of those things.

Thursday- Sweet Potato Burritos - I've read the "Omnivore's Dilemna," "In Defense of Food," and watched "Food, Inc."  While I don't think I'll ever be completely vegetarian, I do want to eat more sustainable food.  I'm going to try make a vegetarian dish at least once a week.  These burritos are nutrient dense and received really good ratings.  I'm going to change a few things about the recipe, but although a little weird, these look interesting!

Friday- Chicken Garlic Pizza - I've made this pizza several times with my own dough.  Great!

Saturday - Open

Sunday- Armenian Pot Roast, Potatoes, Veggies (Pot Roast recipe from "Reflections of An Armenian Kitchen.")

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Greetings from California...And you thought I fell off the face of the Earth. Nope, just back in the motherland...I thought I'd never move back to Bakersfield or leave Utah, but we decided to do both in a matter of weeks. So here I am, feeling a little in shock from it all and just trying to adjust.  When things are uncomfortable in life, it's good to keep a few things constant.  What does that have to do with a smoothie you may ask?  Well, my husband always says if you cut me open, I'd probably bleed smoothie.  I kind of like them.  A lot.

Since I've been on a role lately using strawberries, I thought I'd add another recipe to the mix.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

8 strawberries, hulled
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup strawberry yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ice cubes, crushed  (Or as many as you like to create desired consistency.)

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Save ice for the end.  If you like a thicker smoothie, add more ice.  If you like it a little more watery, add more liquid.  Pour into glasses and enjoy.  (Serves 2-3 people.)

Note:  Many people add sugar or honey to their smoothie recipes.  Sometimes I do as well, but I think this recipe is sweet enough without any sweetener. 

Balsamic Strawberries with Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Tonight was family night and I decided I wanted to use up some of the extra strawberries for the dessert afterwards.  I've seen several Balsamic Strawberry recipes floating around the internet.  I think I mentioned before that Baby J has a thing for strawberries...

Well, that may be an understatment.  We went to Walmart today and I was stoked to get him a free cookie in the bakery department.  He handed the cookie back to me and opened the strawberries...That's my strawberry boy.

Anyways, I REALLY heart Balsamic Vinegar so I knew I'd heart this recipe...

Balsamic Strawberries with Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled.  Cut the bigger ones in half.
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Good quality Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Place strawberries in a bowl.

Combine the balsamic vinegar, strawberries, and sugar 1-5 hours before serving.  Leave out for an hour to let strawberries juice, then chill.

Serve over icecream.  Taste.  You'll be overjoyed.

Weekly Dinner Plan 4/11/10

I think winter time is fun, but I can't express how much I love the summer.  I'm so ready for some summer-time food so I'm gonna start out this week right, with some burgers!

Monday: Turkey Burgers,  Baked Crinkle Cut Parmesan Fries,  and Orange-honey glazed carrots.  We've made Turkey Burgers before, but I've never used this recipe.  I also have a ton of potatoes to use so I thought I'd make fries tomorrow.  I checked out "Barefoot Contessa at Home" from the library and wanted to try this carrot recipe because it was simple and looked like something Baby J might like.

Tuesday: White Chili and Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread.  My dad found the "Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook" at a thrift store and I use it often.  I love that most of the recipes have only a few ingredients and are relatively inexpensive to make.  I have some dried beans so I'm going to substitute those for the canned that are called for in this recipe.  When I make cornbread I usually use a recipe from Allrecipes.  It hasn't failed me. (Minus, that one time I forgot to add oil.  Woops.)  Since I checked out Ms. Garten's book from the library, I'm gonna give her cornbread a try. 

Wednesday: Blackened Chicken Salad.  I don't think I'm gonna make anything special with this.  Last week we had Amy's Barbeque Chicken Salad one day which I make often during the summer.  BBQ sauce + ranch dressing probably isn't the healthiest combo, but it sure tastes great.  Anyways, I'm looking for more salad recipes so I thought I'd try this Blackened Chicken one with my left over lettuce.

Thursday: Lebanese Chicken and Potatoes and Mixed Salad Green with Balsamic Dressing .   I've made this Lebanese Chicken a few times.  I like that it's so simple and I love lemon and chicken together.  A lot of chicken and potatoes recipes involve Cream of Something soup and this one doesn't.  Hurray!  . 

Friday: Open.  Usually one day I week I don't plan anything.  We can have leftovers or get our usual Smith's sandwich makings with a movie.

Saturday: Lime Chicken Soft Tacos.  This recipe never fails me.  Yes, there's a trend of citrus with chicken on this blog.  I heart limes and I also think the red wine vinegar in this recipe really gives it a good punch.

Sunday: Chicken Piccata with Armenian Rice Pilaf and Veggies.  I've never made Chicken Piccata but Sunday sounded like a good day to do so. 

That's my week!  What's your favorite recipe to make when it starts getting warmer?

Strawberry Freezer Jam

I've been anticipating the arrival of strawberry season for SOOO LONG!  Baby J eats strawberries like it's his job.  My toddler could be doing worse things with his spare time than eating fruit, so I willingly support his habit.

My sister-in-law, Wendy, makes THE BEST Strawberry Freezer Jam.  I asked her a few weeks ago to teach me and this weekend she made good on her promise.  Thanks Wendy!  Wendy's excels at a lot of things.  She plays the piano, violin, dances, and is an accomplished painter.  You'd never guess when speaking to her that she could kick your trash in so many areas.  I think that's one reason I like her so much.   One of her more hidden talents is her ability to make recipes more healthy.  One time I ate a brownie laced with zucchini at her house and it tasted delicious.  What a sneaky mom.  Anyways, Wendy told me most freezer jam recipes have equal parts sugar to the fruit, but she puts less sugar in this recipe which I appreciate.  That way I won't feel so bad when I slather it on thick.  Here's her recipe:

Strawberry Freezer Jam

-3 4 lb. cases strawberries (This equals one flat at Costco.)
- 4 cups sugar for every 6 cups strawberries
- 3 heaping T. Instant Clearjel for every 4 cups sugar  (My Clearjel was purchased at NutsOnline. You can also find it your local baking store. Make sure it's INSTANT!)

Many freezer jam recipes call for Sure Jell, but Wendy swears by Clearjel.  With Sure Jell, the amount of sugar you need to use is set; with Clearjel however, you have more flexibility.  You can add more or less depending on your personal tastes.  It's also cheaper to buy.  A whole bag of Clearjel is $4.00, whereas a small box of Sure Jell is around $2.00.  Clearjel seems to be the better choice.

Before Wendy gets going with her strawberries, she always soaks them in the pictured fruit and vegetable wash.  I usually just rinse my fruit the old school way in water.  I never thought to buy the wash, but it actually made my strawberries a lot brighter.

Put a large bowl in the sink.  Poor water into bowl, and add a 1/2 a cap full of fruit and vegetable wash.

Wendy said to agitate the strawberries until they're bright red. I don't think I've ever used the word agitate when cooking, but I kind of like it.  AGITATE THOSE STRAWBERRIES!  Look how red they get...And I thought all my dark red strawberries were just really ripe.  I must have eaten a lot of dirt in my day.

 
Cut tops off strawberries in bowl.

Keep adding strawberries until blender is full.

Blend strawberries until smooth.  Continue to add strawberries until you have 6 cups of blended strawberry mixture.  (Wendy has a Vitamix with measurements on the side so this step is easy for her.)  If your blender doesn't have measurements on the side you'll have to measure out the mixture.

Pour 6 cups strawberry mixture into large bowl.

Pour 4 cups sugar into another bowl.

Add 3 heaping tablespoons Clearjel to sugar.  (It's important to add the Clearjel to sugar before adding it to strawberries or the Clearjel will get clumpy.)

Add Clearjel/sugar mixture to blended strawberries.

 Stir together until smooth. 

Poor jam mixture into tupperware containers.

Fill mixture to brim.  Repeat process of blending strawberries and then adding the sugar/ Clearjel mixture until all the strawberries are used up.  (Remember that it's always 6 cups of the strawberry mixture to 4 cups sugar + 3 heaping T. Clearjel.)

One flat of strawberries made me 16 containers of Strawberry Freezer Jam.  In the freezer, the jam lasts for about a year.  Once you put it in the refrigerator it lasts for about a month.  Enjoy!  We can't wait to eat ours!  Thanks Wendy, you're awesome!

Kid Friendly: Ticks on a Toilet Seat

Did the title catch your attention?  It caught mine.  Maybe I have a warped sense of humor, or maybe these appealed to me because of personal experience.  Growing up  in the mountains with my dog, Bandit, left me with a lasting aversion to ticks.  Whatever the case, I knew I had to make this recipe.

Yesterday I checked out "The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook" from the library.  I don't buy most books I check out, but I'm definitely going to buy this one.  There are a TON of great recipes for the outdoors and camping...I can't wait to try more.  Anyways, here's the recipe for "Ticks on a Toilet Seat."

Ticks on a Toilet Seat
The Scout's Outdoor Cookbook

Preparation:

1. Remove core from apples.  (My apple corer also cuts up my entire apple, which I didn't want to do, so I just used a knife.)

 2. Cut apples crosswise into slices about 1/4-inch thick to form circles with holes in the middle...sort of like toilet seats!

3. Spread peanut butter on apple slices and then decorate with raisins to look like the "ticks" on the "toilet seats."

Enjoy! My son did.

(The author of this recipe is Katie Salyer Cox of Tucson, Arizona. Leader and Trainer of the USA Girl Scouts Overseas and Sahuaro Council, Girl Scouts of the USA.)

Armenian Turkey Fasulia (Green Beans and Ground Turkey)

My mom made Fasulia often growing up.  I've had many variations of the dish and all of them have been made with either ground beef or lamb.  I don't have a real problem with either meat, but lamb is expensive and hard to find and I'm not a huge ground beef fan.  Consequently, I usually supplement ground turkey for beef whenever possible.  Not only is it cheaper, but I've found turkey isn't as heavy feeling in my stomach.  (This might just be psychological, but I swear it's true.) 

I had the ingenious idea when menu planning this week, that I'd make Fasulia with ground turkey.  (Really groundbreaking, I know.)  Ground beef and lamb might have more flavor, but I figured with the flavors of the allspice and tomatoes, I wouldn't really miss either.  I was right.

So, here is my take on traditional Fasulia:

Armenian Turkey Fasulia (Green Beans and Ground Turkey)
Adapted from my cousin Davy's recipe found in "The ORULLIAN FAMILY Armenian American Cookbook."

-1 lb. ground turkey
-1 onion, sliced
-1-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 lbs. fresh green beans
-1 14.5-oz. can tomatoes, diced
-1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
-1/2 c. water
-2-3 tsp. allspice
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 T. sugar

Saute meat in large pot, stirring to break up pieces.

Add onions and garlic to meat and cook together for a few minutes.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and allspice.

Stir green beans into meat mixture, and cook over medium heat, sturiing occasionally.  Keep pan covered when not stirring.  Cook about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and sugar to pot and cook about 30 minutes, keeping pot covered.

Serve over Armenian Rice Pilaf.

NOTE: You can make this with frozen green beans, but fresh are SO MUCH BETTER! Also, don't skip out on the allspice, it really adds to the flavor of this dish.

I'm Back + Weekly Dinner Plan 4/4/10

I'm finally back from a two week hiatus...I went to visit my parents in California and then went to the Caribbean with my in-laws.  I don't like talking about leaving town online because I have an irrational fear that some crazy foodie will come raid my house. :)  So, if I haven't posted for a few days, don't get the bright idea to come take my mixer.  


Because I've been eating stuff like this:

And this:

...my dinner plan this week is going to be on the conservative side. 


Monday- Healthier Armenian Fasulia (From The ORULLIAN Family Armenian American Cookbook.)  Instead of using ground beef, as the recipe mentions, I'm using ground turkey.
Tuesday- BBQ Chicken Salad (A remake from Allrecipes.com)
Wednesday- Chicken Taquitos (I know I make these often but I have a bunch of green salsa to use.)  I'm thinking I'm gonna shoot from the hip and not follow my usual recipe.
Thursday- Southwestern Pork Soup - I've never made this before but it looked tasty.  If you haven't noticed, I use mostly chicken and turkey for dinner meals.  I don't really like beef that much, but I do like myself some pork. 
Friday-Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti- I love Ellie Krieger recipes and the tomato sauce is good in this recipe, but too time consuming for the final result.  The turkey and whole wheat spaghetti makes this recipe healthy enough, so I just use bottled sauce.
Saturday- (Open) Andy and I buy sandwiches and Sun Chips with a Red Box movie for a  fun break from cooking...maybe we'll do that this night. 
Sunday- Breakfast for Dinner (I'm not a big breakfast fan, but Andy gets a cute childish gleam in his eye when he gets to eat pancakes at night.)  I'm thinking we'll try my cousin Brian's Chorizo Omelet this night as well.  (The Omelet is from the aforementioned family cookbook.)

So that's my menu for the week...I don't ever feel obligated to follow it to the "T," but at least I have a plan for the week.


HAPPY EASTER!