The Most Expensive At-home Dinner

Ok, maybe that was an exaggeration. But typically we do not spend more than $6-8 per dinner at our house. This one was 4 times that...but so worth it. 

This shout out goes to my dear friend, running buddy, and colleague- Barb. She told me about this lamb in the crockpot she made...so I took her directions and ingredients and changed them up a bit!  So easy, and so delicious, but a bit pricey! Make this for a special dinner.

Orange Fennel Crockpot Leg of Lamb

1 1/2-2 1/2 lbs of boneless butterflied leg of lamb.

1 jar orange marmalade

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bulb of fennel, sliced

1.) Place lamb in cockpot.

2.) Pour entire jar of marmalade over the top.

3.) Add garlic and mix it around a bit, making sure the whole top of the lamb is covered.

4.) Cook on low for 6 hours. In the last 20 minutes of cooking, add sliced fennel to the top. This gives a little crunch...so good and needed.

I served this with sautéed green beans and a sweet potato hash with bacon and sage brown butter. Hence the total bill of $30 for one meal. 

I'm back...again?

Ok, so my goal of posting once per week isn't going well.  But, honestly, it is because I haven't been cooking. Anything. Now that school is back in session and I'm back to work, cooking will be part of the routine again.  Summer nights are just far too care free and busy to cook dinner, after all.

So, my first post summer meal was a balsamic glazed pork tenderloin that was delicious and maple mashed sweet potatoes that were to die for!  And it involved the slow cooker, which is the best way to ease back into cooking every night.

Here we go:

Pork Tenderloin-
1 1/4-1/2 pound pork tenderloin
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup water

1.) Place pork well seasoned with salt and pepper in slow cooker.
2.) Pour water over pork.
3.) Cook on low in slow cooker 5-6 hours.
 4.) In the last hour, empty water out of slow cooker and pour glaze over the tenderloin, reserving a few tablespoons of glaze.  Allow to finish cooking.
5.) Use reserved glaze to brush on at the last minute!

Balsamic Glaze-
1/4 balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tbs. cornstarch

For glaze:
Put all ingredients in small sauce pan. Whisk together to combine.  Cook on medium heat until bubbling and thick (about 5 minutes).  Stir frequently to prevent sticking and burning.


Want the to die for mashed sweet potatoes?  So easy!

2-3 large sweet potatoes
1/4 cup real Maple syrup
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbs. milk or cream
Salt and pepper

Peel, chunk, and boil potatoes until they will break apart easily with a fork.  Mash together with syrup, butter, milk, and seasoning.  Adjust milk, butter, and seasoning to your taste.

Chicken Sausage Veggie Pasta

In January, admittedly as a New Years Resoultion, I began eliminating dairy, grains, and refined sugar from my diet. Most people know this as paleo. I have stuck with it since then, about 80% of the time. If I'm out to dinner, or at a friend's house for dinner, I don't really worry about it. This recipe is one of my "go to" Paleo recipes. For those that aren't interested in Paleo, you can use pasta instead of the zucchini. But give it a shot, it is better than you would imagine! 

So you start with the following ingredients (picture above): 

1.)Fennel (also known as anise) and use the bulb- the white part. This is delicious- the texture of celery but a sweet licorice flavor.

2.) Large zucchini, sliced with a julienne peeler.

3.) Package of chicken sausage (your choice in flavor) but I use Hannaford's all natural spinach and garlic because when you look at the ingredients it only contains chicken, spinach, garlic, water, and salt.

4.)  A jar of spaghetti sauce ( or make your own-most store bought sauces contain sugar!) 

5.) You can also add other veggies to this mix-bell peppers, summer squash, or asparagus would be delicious. 

6.) Olive oil

Directions:

1.) Chop all veggies (except zucchini) to bite size and slice chicken sausage into coins. 

2.) Heat about 1 tbs. olive oil in large deep skillet.

3.) Add veggies and sauté until al dente (just before soft). 

4.) Add chicken sausage and continue to sauté with veggies until chicken sausage is slightly browned.

5.) Pour in jar of sauce and continue to heat until warmed.

It will look like this! Yum!

6.) Turn down to simmer while you prepare the zucchini. 

7.) Using a julienne peeler, peel the zucchini length wise to create 'spaghetti.' You can boil the spaghetti for a few minutes if you wish, but I find that the pieces are thin enough and the sauce is hot enough that you don't really need to. 

8.) Put a pile of 'spaghetti' on your plate and pour desired amount of sauce on top.

 Even my 2.5 year old devours it! 

I'm back!

Funny that in looking at this blog and previous posts, it seems as though it is written by an entirely different person. A person who doesn't have a toddler, or wasn't working on a graduate degree over the last two years. A person that doesn't have a full time job. Oh wait, that person IS me. And I have been busy. Which is why I haven't post a single thing in 2 years. In fact, I haven't posted anything since 10 days before my son was born. Who knew those little buggers could be so time consuming?! 

So I'm done with my degree, I (on occasion) have a few minutes to myself, and I still cook. So, I'm starting back up again, because I miss sharing my adventures in the kitchen. Which is exactly what they are. Nothing comes out perfect, but it is usually pretty good. Edible at least. 

My goal is to post twice per week until school starts back up again (I'm a teacher, and I still have 3 1/2 weeks of glorious summer left) and then once per week during the school year. Goal setting is important after all. 

I hope you will find some ideas to freshen up your family meals, or at the very least visit for my witty sense of humor. 

P.S. - This is what was happening in my "few minutes to myself" while writing this. Yes, that is my 2.5 year old son using my leg as a race track. Wish me luck! 

Faux Tiramisu

Great, quick dessert if you are feeding a crowd.  I made it for a dinner party of just 4 of us, so hubby and I finished off the pan over the course of 4 days.  It should serve about 16!


1 box moist white cake mix
1 standard sized mug of brewed coffee
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz container of marscapone cheese
8 oz container of Cool Whip
2 tbs. spiced rum

1.) Bake cake as directed on box in a 9 x 13 pan
2.) Allow cake to cool and brew coffee
3.) While cake and coffee are cooling, beat together cream cheese, marscapone, and rum in a mixing bowl.  Fold in Cool Whip.
4.) Pour coffee evenly over cake and then top with the cheese mixture (as if you were frost the cake).
5.) For an added touch, shave some semi sweet chocolate over the top.
6.) Allow to set in refrigerator for at least 8 hours. 
7.) Cut into 16 even pieces and serve!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

In my few weeks (or days) off before the baby is born, I figured I should update some recipes!

Here's a delicious one we tried tonight:

2 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
1/2 a large onion chopped
1/2 a bag of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
6 oz Near East Wild Rice mix (I used the roasted garlic flavor)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups half and half
3 tbs. flour
3 tbs. butter

1.) Melt butter in large dutch oven on medium heat
2.) Cook onion and mixed veggies until soft
3.) Add flour and allow to cook about 1 min.
4.) Whisk in 2 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil
5.) Add seasoning packet from rice and rice itself. 
6.) Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until rice is tender.
7.) Add turkey and half and half.  Continue to simmer until heated through.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pesto Lasagna

A bit of a different spin on lasagna...delicious!


Chicken Pesto Lasagna

2 chicken breast, boneless-cooked and cubed or shredded
16 oz part skim container of ricotta cheese
1 box of frozen chopped spinach-thawed
A 3 lb. bag of mozzarella cheese
1 jar of basil pesto (found in the spaghetti sauce aisle)
2 16 oz. jars of marinara sauce
1 1/2 boxes of oven ready lasagna noodles

1.) In a small bowl, mix thawed spinach, ricotta, and 3/4 jar of pesto.
2.)In a greased 9X13 pan, place a thin layer of marinara sauce.  Place noodles on top of sauce. 
3.) Spread thin layer of ricotta mixture on noodles, sprinkle mozzarella cheese and chicken, and end with a little more sauce.
4.) Continue layers until pan is full (about 3-4 layers). 
5.) End with mozzarella cheese on top.
6.) Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes with foil on.  Take foil off and cook an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is browned.