Beef Lasagna-Eat One, Freeze One!

Now that I'm 36 weeks pregnant, no longer working outside the home & feeling the nesting instinct, I've begun stocking my freezer with pre-baby "to big & exhausted to cook" & post-baby meals. I've never really done much in the way of freezing meals, so it's been a learning experience for me. For example, I had no idea the controversy surrounding whether or not to bake lasagna before you freeze it! Oh the discussion boards I found online. In the end, I decided that baking it first would make the most sense for us, since quick and easy meals will be the way to go for a while with a new baby (it's also the recommended method by the USDA...not that it really matters that much to me).

Since I made these lasagnas over the weekend and we already had supper plans, I ended up freezing both lasagnas, but if you go to the trouble to make them, smell them & be tempted to snitch a bit of cheesy, bubbly, pasta goodness-just eat one and freeze the other. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 to 2-1/2lb ground beef (depending on how meaty you like your lasagna. I've also used ground turkey)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves minced garlic, optional
• 2 jars spaghetti sauce (you're favorite, I use Prego Traditional)
• 3 cups water 
• 2-15 oz containers ricotta or small curd cottage cheese(I use part-skim ricotta)
• 4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend, divided
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 4 eggs 
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (I use Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle)
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 
• 20 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked (I use whole grain pasta noodles)

Non-food supplies:

• 2-9x13 aluminum foil pans (makes clean up easier...I'm all about that!)
• plastic wrap
• aluminum foil
• 2 gallon freezer bags
• permanent marker

 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet with tall sides, brown meat with onion and garlic over medium high heat. Drain any grease. Add spaghetti sauce and water and allow to simmer about 10 minutes while you make the cheese mixture. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, seasoning, salt and pepper.

Spray foil pans with cooking spray, then pour 1 cup sauce on bottom of each pan. Place 3 UNCOOKED noodles lengthwise over sauce; cover with 1 cup sauce. Spread half of cheese mixture over sauce (I found it easiest to mix it with a fork and use the fork to spread. Repeat layers of 3 noodles, sauce and cheese mixture. Top with 4 noodles and remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes or until hot and cheese is bubbly.

Let the lasagna you're going to eat sit for 10 minutes before cutting and eating. Leave the other out to cool while you eat dinner. I then put it in the fridge for about an hour. This helped make sure it was set up well enough for big pieces to be lifted out without falling apart on me!




Cut the lasagna in half, or leave it whole. Cutting it in half, or even in individual servings makes it easier to work with and then you can decide if you need the whole thing or just a bit when you pull it out of the freezer. We only eat half at a time anyway, so it works great. Gently lift out one half and place on a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap it once then repeat with another layer of plastic wrap. Then finish with a layer of aluminum foil. Sources I read said this should keep it from freezer burn for up to 3 months. I added an extra precaution by sticking it into a freezer bag.












Don't forget to label with directions for reheating:

Remove all wrapping. Microwave until hot, or preheat oven to 350°F. In an oven-safe dish, cover with foil bake thawed lasagna 30-45 minutes until heated through, or 45 min-1hr if frozen.




 Enjoy!

Counting Down...

Yes, I realize it's been over a month since my last post. November turned into a pretty busy month with family activities and preparing for the arrival of our baby! Less than 5-1/2 weeks to go! I also have been experiencing some more fatigue, which seems to be on it's way out now. Gotta make room for nesting super energy! :)

I hope to have a few more posts before the baby comes, but I'm not sure how much holiday baking/cooking I'll be doing this year. I do have some good recipes to share that have made their way into our freezer for "pre-baby, my feet are too swollen & my back hurts" meals.

For now, I hope you all are enjoying the Holiday season and can take time to enjoy the small things-which do not include shopping, wrapping or untangling Christmas lights.

~Emmy

Honey Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread

I know I should probably break up my posts a bit more rather than having a stretch of baking/whole wheat recipes, but autumn just seems to be the time for both of these things. I promise I'll come up with some other recipes to share, but for now, here is my favorite (thus far) whole wheat bread.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I use Gold Medal Organic Unbleached)
• 1 package quick-rise yeast
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1-1/4 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, or quick oats
• 1/4 cup wheat germ

In a large bowl, combine the 2 cups all-purpose flour and yeast. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, honey, butter & salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter is almost melted. Temperature of the mixture should be between 120-130F (too hot or too cold will cause the yeast not the proof). Slowly add mixture to the flour/yeast mix in the large bowl. Beat with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then high speed for 3 minutes-scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add oats and wheat germ. In a medium bowl, combine white whole wheat and whole wheat flours. With a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the flour mixture as you can.

Use some of the remaining flour to flour your work surface. Turn out dough and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (not sticky and will spring back when you poke it). This will take about 5-8 minutes. Shape into a ball in place in a lightly greased bowl and spray the top of dough will cooking spray. Cover top of bowl with plastic wrap and leave in a warm place until double in size.

Lightly punch dough down after the first rising time. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half and shape into loaf shapes and placing in two greased baking pans. Cover with a light towel and allow to rise until dough comes up an inch over the pan.

Preheat oven to 375F. Bake loaves for 35-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool on wire rack. Best served fresh, warm and slathered with Kerrygold Irish Butter...in my humble opinion. :)

Whole Wheat Pancake & Waffle Mix

I love having homemade things in my cupboard. It's so satisfying to me to look into the cupboard and find jars of canned jam, applesauce, tomatoes, salsa, etc. However, I know canning is not for everyone, but you still can stock your shelves with simple, quick, & cheap homemade goods. I've already blogged about one of these quick homemade options-Whole Wheat Breadcrumbs. Another thing I love having already made up and waiting in my pantry is pancake mix. It is much cheaper to make your own pancake mix then to buy a pre-made one in the store and you can customize it to your family's tastes. Don't like whole wheat? You can use white whole wheat flour or regular white flour. Gluten free? Replace the wheat with your favorite gluten free alternative flour. Like something different? Try substituting 1/2 the flour with oat, buckwheat or other more adventurous flours.

I wouldn't suggest adding extras like nuts or chocolate chips to the mix, just to help it keep longer, but it might not last too long if you make a lot of pancakes. I just make one batch at a time, because this recipe makes just enough to fill my large snap-lid jar from IKEA (which I LOVE-I use these in all the sizes to store a lot of different dry goods in my pantry because they are very air tight). Feel free to double, triple, etc this recipe depending on your family size...or if you really like pancakes & waffles. :)

Ingredients
slightly adapted from Weelicious

• 6 cups whole wheat flour (or see above for substitutions)
• 1/3 cup sugar (I actually use packed brown sugar with the whole wheat)
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt

In a large bowl whisk all the ingredients together until combined. Pour into an air-tight container and store in cool, dry place. THAT'S IT!

Now, to make the pancakes or waffles you'll need:

• 1 cup of your mix
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk (I normally just use skim milk, but you can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Whisk egg, milk & vanilla in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of pancake mix and whisk until just combined. This would be the time to put in any mix-ins like nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, etc. Pour on prepared waffle iron, or griddle for pancakes. I make big pancakes, but these works great to make silver dollar pancakes as well. 

I've made several of these mixes for wedding showers at our church where we do "grocery showers" for newly engaged couples. These would also make great Christmas gifts for family, neighbors & friends. I love homemade presents!

Enjoy!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Today just seemed like the day for baking. It is a beautiful, cool fall day here in Central Illinois and it's these kind of days that I just feel blessed to live where I do. I've been a lot of interesting places & seen a lot of ways people live, but I love where I am. Fields are being harvested right now and the seed company we live next to is busy (and noisy), but I wouldn't have it any other way.

This blessed feeling also comes from feeling our little one moving like crazy these past few days. Every little kick, punch, roll & hiccup is a blessing. Autumn is normally the time we seem to focus more on our blessings, although we strive to count our blessings all day, every day. I have so many things to be thankful for and a joy in my heart knowing that my God is the provider of all good & perfect gifts. This includes the ability to make yummy food...

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
slightly adapted from The Oatmeal Artist

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup almond milk (or regular milk)
• 1/2 cup water (or more milk-I might try applesauce next time)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp maple syrup (or honey)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 8x8 baking pan with butter or cooking spray

In a small bowl, mix together first 4 ingredients. In a larger bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, milk through maple syrup.

Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until just combined.

From here you can add a host of other yummy extras. Here's some ideas-I've stared the ones I used. I'm not giving exact measurements because you can use more or less depending on what you like

• chopped pecans* or walnuts
• dried cranberries* or raisins
• sunflower* or pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• chopped, pitted dates or chopped apples 

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the middle is set. 

I can't wait to heat this up for Saturday morning breakfast tomorrow-adding a touch more maple syrup & milk. This is a great make ahead breakfast for the weekend, week day or for company. It will keep in the fridge for several days (if it lasts that long in your house). Just warm and serve! Perfect autumn breakfast!

Enjoy!

Bacon? Bakin'!

I have discovered the wonderful, wonderful luxury that is baking bacon in the oven. No grease splatter everywhere, no burns, practically no mess or fuss! You don't even have to pre-heat the oven! What could be more simple? Not much...not much. :)

What you'll need:

-jelly roll pan or baking sheet with sides
-aluminum foil
-1 lb of bacon
-paper towels

Cover pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange bacon in a single layer on the sheet...try not to overlap too much or the bacon will all stick together (unless of course you would like an edible bacon "plate" to eat off of). :) Place pan in a cold oven (DON'T PRE-HEAT) and then set the temp to 425F. Cook bacon for 12-15 minutes (or longer if you like really crispy bacon). Remove pan from oven and immediately transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate-otherwise the bacon will continue cooking in the grease on the pan.

THAT'S IT! :)

We had our baked bacon this morning with some pumpkin spice pancakes! Delicious fall breakfast!

So much quicker, so much cleaner, just as tasty!



Enjoy!

Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts

What do you do when you're 22 weeks pregnant and craving an apple cider doughnut at 7:30pm on a Friday night? No, I did not send my husband to bang on the door of the nearest apple orchard to plead with them for a dozen for his pathetic pregnant wife...and tell them to throw in a jar of pickles just to be safe. :) Instead, we got to have a little kitchen date and make our own apple cider doughnuts!

These are baked and then lightly fried just to crisp them up a bit and help the cinnamon sugar stick. Much healthier than deep frying-so you can eat more....right?? The cider came from the Congerville Farmers' Market last night and the apples came from our backyard! How much more local (and delicious) can you get? I should also note that these were hot and ready to dunk in a glass of cold milk in less than an hour...perfect for a quick fix to a craving! YUM!

Baked (then fried) Apple Cider Doughnuts
recipe from Healthy.Delicious.http://healthy-delicious.com/2011/09/baked-apple-cider-doughnuts/

• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon  nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 apple, diced small
• 1/4 cup oil for frying-I used canola oil
• cinnamon and sugar for dusting

In a small saucepan, boil apple cider until reduced by half (it will look like a very small amount...don't worry, you're concentrating the flavor). Once reduced, cool to room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, & cooled cider. Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet. Fold in apple pieces, then add remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. *Note: dough will be very sticky

Place a 1/3 cup of flour on a foot square piece of parchment paper or foil. Turn dough out onto flour, flouring the top of dough and your hands. Press dough into a 1/2 in circle. Chill dough for 15 minutes in the fridge to let it firm up a bit.

Heat oven to 425F. Remove dough and cut into doughnut shape. You can use a doughnut cutter or a doughnut pan if you have them. I have neither, so I just used a glass to cut the big circle and an apple corer (ironic, huh?) to cut the hole. Transfer doughnuts and holes to a lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Now you can fry these lightly in a 1/4 cup of really hot oil in a shallow skillet for 10 seconds on both sides, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar while they are hot. Otherwise, you can brush them with melted butter, then sprinkle them, if you don't want the added task of frying. Either way would be great! We fried ours, but I think I'll try the butter the next time.

These were great fresh. I'm going to try these again, but make a double batch and use the leftovers to make apple cider doughnut bread pudding...oh yeah. :)




 <----Doughnuts before frying

Enjoy!

Cabin Food

We just got back from a relaxing extended weekend at our family cabin in northern Minnesota. My dad, my hubby, my dog and me got to spend some time relaxing and enjoying the peacefulness of the north woods.

The cabin has no electricity, plumbing, or running water, so meals took a bit more time and lacked some modern convenience, but that's what makes cooking at the cabin fun. We kept the meals simple and hearty-a great combination for a cabin on the lake. I forgot to take pictures of most of our meals, except our simple supper by the lake and one of our lunches that we had in town, but I'll give you a peek at our menu...

Breakfasts:

• Bacon, Eggs, & Bread with peanut butter and cherry jam
• Scottish Oatmeal with blueberries, brown sugar and pure maple syrup
• *Whole Wheat Pancakes (1/2 blueberry, 1/2 plain), Eggs, Sausage links

* I'll be posting the recipe for this whole wheat pancake mix that you can make up and store for this fall! Stay tuned!

Suppers:

• Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad, garlic bread
• Chili with applesauce, cheese & crackers
• Summer Sausages, Cheeses, Smoked Salmon, bread, fruit-by the lake

Wine for the guys and sparkling blood orange soda for the pregnant lady. :)

Hubby & I relaxing with our supper on the dock.

Beautiful blue moon the next morning over the lake.

Peach Raspberry Jam

Canning/Freezing season is in full swing and I couldn't help think about how every year it sneaks up on me. It seems like we wait & wait for the produce to be ripe and ready-then in a flash it's here and something has to be done about it! I'm very thankful that this busy time has coincided with my second trimester burst of energy! God knows exactly what we need when we need it-just like how He as provided abundance, even through a bad drought this year. Thus far I've frozen corn, green beans, peaches & some early applesauce. I've also canned some quarts of Roma tomatoes & this yummy jam I want to share with you.

This was my first solo attempt at jam after watching my dad make it when I was little. It seemed to take forever to find a good recipe that fit the amounts of ingredients I had, but I finally found a good one late last night! I used frozen raspberries, which I would suggest buying at Aldi so you don't consider offering you left kidney in payment at the store for fresh or frozen name brand berries like I did today at IGA. All kidding aside, frozen really do work just as good, but if you have a free source of fresh berries-by all means, use them! The peaches came from the family cabin, so they were free and I decided paying more for the berries was still worth it. Oh, and this makes a lot of jam, so feel free to halve the recipe. But who doesn't like homemade jam?

Ingredients:

• 8 cups peeled, pitted & mashed peaches
• 1-1/2 tsp vitamin C powder (citric acid), divided
• 3 cups crushed raspberries
• 2 pkgs. powdered fruit pectin (I bought mine in bulk & used 2/3 cups for this recipe)
• 10 cups of sugar

 Add 1 tsp of citric acid to mashed peaches & 1/2 tsp to the crushed raspberries.

In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot combine fruit. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the sugar with the powdered pectin. This will help the pectin not to clump. Add sugar/pectin mix to the fruit and stir to dissolve. Bring to a slow boil over high heat while stirring frequently. Add the remaining 9 cups of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, allow to boil hard for 1 minute while stirring. Remove from heat.

Allow hot jam to sit for 2 minutes then skim the foam that has developed off the top. I saw a site that said you could save the unappetizing looking foam, microwave it for 30-60 seconds then you can put it in the fridge to use fresh. I did it and it turns into nice looking jam again! Waste not, want not! :)

Ladle hot jam into hot, sanitized jars, with about 1/4 inch of headspace (space between jam and top of the jar). Adjust two piece lids & process 10 minutes in hot-water bath canner, making sure there is at least and inch of water covering the lids.




Yield (what I got):
8--1/2 pints (8 oz)
12--4 oz jars
1 pint


Enjoy!

Shepard's Pie

Now that I've gotten a few stove-top recipes put on the blog for those hot summer days, the weather has decided to go nice and mild here. The weather feels a bit more like autumn and with the kids going back to school in our area, it just seems right to bring out some nice, warm comfort food.

Enter: Shepard's Pie

My husband and I have always been a fan of anything that comes from the British and Irish Isles and this dish is no exception. Although it's not the quickest to prepare, a bit of prep goes a long way to making this a very worth while supper. Find the freshest, local ingredients you can and go organic on the rest. This will give a great flavor to a dish that often can be called "bland," especially if your only experience with it has been bad school lunches or divey, so-called Irish pubs. We also use my father-in-law's grass feed beef for the hamburger. If beef isn't in the family, you're sure to find a local source nearby. I can't wait to make this again and use our freshly dug potatoes from the garden for the mash on top! YUM!

Shepard's Pie
slightly adapted from Skinnytaste

For the mash:

• 5-6 medium yellow potatoes (I like Yukon Gold, or the new variety I planted this year German Butterball)
• chicken broth
• milk
• butter
• salt & pepper

Mashed potatoes are not an exact science to me. I cook the potatoes in boiling water until they slide off the fork when pierced. Drain, & mash will a good amount of butter and enough liquid to get them to a smooth consistency. Season with salt & pepper. Feel free to use your favorite style of mash.

For the filling:

•  1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 package while button, or baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups frozen peas, unthawed
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup fat free beef broth
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
• salt and pepper

Make sure all the veggies are about the same size pieces. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Brown meat in a large skillet, drain and set aside. Melt butter and saute onion & garlic until onion is soft. Add the rest of the veggies, except the peas. Saute for about 5 minutes. Mix in flour, salt & pepper. Add the peas, broth, tomato past, Worcestershire sauce, herbs & meat. Mix well and simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes.

Spread mixture in a 9x13 backing dish. Evenly spread mashed potatoes on the top of mixture & scrape the top with a fork (it looks prettier this way). Sprinkle top with paprika (low cal) or sharp cheddar cheese (higher cal, less traditional).  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the mash starts to lightly brown. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving...if you can wait that long.

Enjoy!

 

"Too Good to be Guiltless Afredo Sauce"

How to describe this alfredo....even though it's guiltless you'll still feel guilty for how much of it you want to eat...not to mention put it on everything insight??? :)

Maybe it's just me and pregnancy, but this is seriously some of the best eats I've made. It must be because aflredo is something that never really tripped my trigger before, but I have been craving it. I searched for a "lighter" alfredo, knowing it could go horribly wrong. It didn't. I wanted to smother every bit of pasta, bread, vegetable, etc. we had in our house with this creamy, delicious sauce. You'll be happy to know that I did not do this (although I seriously considered it), but I did add a bit to the broccoli I served the pasta with. So I wouldn't suggest doubling the recipe unless you're feeding a lot of people. Otherwise you might end up wanting to get up in the middle of the night and eat it with a spoon...or you may not...unless you're pregnant. 

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

Our Best Bites

 2 C low-fat milk
3 oz low fat cream cheese
2-3 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves, crushed into a paste
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

In a blender, place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds so it doesn't burn.

Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more and it should thicken up a lot. I also added a bit of fresh black pepper to the sauce. Doesn't need salt though.

Once it's thickened, remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese, stir and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken the longer it sits. For leftovers, just add a bit of milk to help thin it out, because it gets pretty solid in the fridge.

I put this over whole grain linguine, but you could use it with other types of pasta, or with pizza as a "white sauce." It was also great with the broccoli. Still be reasonable with your portions. 1/4 cup of the sauce is about 100 calories. I chose to make this my extra 300 a day...ya know, for the baby. :)

Enjoy!

Ground Pork Tacos

Since it's been a stifling hot summer, I've been looking for more stove-top recipes to help keep my kitchen cooler. My poor oven must feel a bit neglected. These tacos aren't anything fancy, but they are very good. I like the use of the ground pork to give the tacos a bit of something different than the standard ground beef. We get our pork from Deuth Farms Meats located in northwestern Illinois near where my mom grew up. Though the Deuth's are out of the way for most of you, I'd encourage you to by your pork from a local producer-the Deuth's are related to my grandpa and we like supporting a small family-run business.

This is super easy folks:

1 lb. ground pork
1 small onion, diced
1 clove minced garlic
1 8 oz can tomatoes with green chiles (i.e. Rotel), do not drained
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
dash chipotle powder-if you like the heat
whole grain tortillas, or whatever you like

Topping suggestions:
tomatoes
salasa
cheese
lettuce
avocado

In a large skillet, cook pork, onion and garlic until pork is cooked through. Add tomatoes and seasoning. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is gone. Assemble tacos!

I paired this with some fresh sweet corn. Perfect summer meal!

Update: Times They are Changin'!

I've taken a pretty long leave of absence from this blog. This is partly due to the creation of another blog for the newly established Congerville Farmers' Market. At the end of May, our little village hosted it's first Farmers' Market and each week it has been a great success. I've been on the coordinating end of things for the Market and have had a host of willing volunteers that have helped make it all possible. We've had anywhere from 4 to 9 vendors each week with a great variety of local produce & products. I'm enjoying keeping things running and the blog for the Market really helps keep people updated and coming each week. If you're interested in the Congerville Farmers' Market, check it out at congervillefarmersmarket.blogspot.com We're there every Thursday from 5-8pm.

Another reason for my absence from this blog is that for, oh, about 2 months I was having a difficult time finding the energy, or the stomach to talk much about food. I know, this is strange for someone that has had a food blog for several years, and food never seemed to be far from my mind. We'll I do have a pretty good explanation for this abnormality...it also explains the abnormally large midsection I'm sporting now. If you haven't guessed by now, my husband and I are expecting a baby this coming January! I'm almost 19 weeks now and everything seems to be going well. We are very excited and are looking forward to this new chapter in our life! For those who have the common questions, let me provide some brief answers:

Q: How have you been feeling?
A: Pretty good! I've been able to stay active and eat well (now). Keeping the weight gain going at normal pace and trying not to overdue it.

Q: Are you going to find if it's a boy or a girl?
A: No and we are excited for the surprise! Next week is our ultrasound where we could find out. Hoping the Dr. doesn't slip!

Q: Are you excited?
A: YES!

Q: Do you have names picked out?
A: Yes, and we're not telling! :)

Q: Do you have any cravings?
A: Nothing weird in general...just weird for me. French fries & chocolate shakes have been the weirdest. :)

So now that those things are out of the way, I will tell you that I'm going to try to start doing a bit more posting. I've taken some pictures of some great new recipes we've tried, and hope to get them up soon. I've notice my page views for the blog have jumped significantly and hope that means more people are interested and aware that I'm here! So be patient with me and I hope to be posting again shortly!

"Gourmet in a Pinch" Pork Chops

Wow! Blogger has a new layout for blog writing! Much improved! Maybe I'll blog more now! Anyway here's a great new Emmy original. If you have a few ingredients on hand, these stuffed, bacon-wrapped (need I say more?) pork chops are simple to make and are super tasty! Here's what you'll need:

3 pork loin chops (about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick)
3 heaping tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/8 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 clove crushed or minced garlic
1 Tbsp each minced, fresh basil, chives, rosemary
fresh black pepper (+ more salt & pepper to taste)
3 strips bacon
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rinse and dry pork chops. Cut 2-3" slit in the side of the chops and cut within a 1/2 inch of the other side the chop to make a cavity to fill with the stuffing. Set aside. For the stuffing, mix ricotta, Parmesan, garlic, herbs and black pepper in a small bowl.

Evenly fill each chop with the mixture. Wrap one piece of bacon around the outside of each chop and secure with toothpick. Drizzle both sides of chops with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.

Place chops in a shallow baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 150 degrees F. Let chops rest 3 minutes before serving. These paired great with some steamed broccoli with a bit of shredded extra sharp cheddar & some seasoned rice.


Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Parm

Since I was a vegetarian for quite a few years, I learned to like Eggplant Parmesan and still do. However, the ability to fix and eat Chicken Parm is very satisfying to me. It's a relatively simple dish to make, although I guess I complicate it a bit by making my own marinara sauce, but it's still super easy. Of course you could by sauce from the store, but I think homemade (as with most things) is better. Pair this with some whole grain pasta and a fresh salad for a great meal any day of the week. This is another Skinnytaste.com inspired recipes.

Ingredients:

1 recipe homemade marinara sauce (same one from the Turkey Meatballs), or bought sauce
4 chicken breast halves (free range-ideally)
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & fresh pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
mozzarella cheese, shredded
olive oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Using two shallow dishes, or plates with steep sides, pour olive oil in one and in the other mix together breadcrumbs, cheese, spices with a fork.

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. One at a time, coat chicken with olive oil then coat completely with breadcrumb mixture, patting the coating into the chicken. Transfer coated chicken into a greased 9x13 dish or parchment lined baking sheet.

Spray a bit of the olive oil cooking spray on the top of the chicken. This will help it get crispy.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon marinara sauce on top of each chicken breast. Sprinkle each with mozzarella (or you could use a moz/provolone blend-Sargento) and a bit more Parmesan, if you'd like. Bake 5 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted to your preferences (I like just barely melted, others like it almost crunchy-you pick and adjust cooking time accordingly).

Use leftover sauce for dressing the pasta. Leftovers of this dish are great. Try making a chicken parm sub the next day on some whole grain sub rolls! Delish!

Enjoy!

Emmy

Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches

Confession: I have not eaten a meal at McDonald's in well over 8 years.

Do I miss it? One word-NO!

However, I do occasionally find myself wanting something completely unhealthy and I just want to enjoy it without the guilt. Well, this combo is certainly difficult to come by-especially the lack of guilt. So, I've tried coming up with healthier equivalents of those high-calorie foods. Skinnytaste.com has been wonderful for this, which I know your probably bored stiff of me going on about it. Well, this recipe is an Emmy original. It's a hearty, filling breakfast (or dinner which is often the case in our house), with good ingredients. I can't give you calorie counts, but the quality of ingredients means more to me. So here's how I do this sandwich. Of course, you can use the more conventional ingredients, but you miss out on flavor, and in my opinion the "good-for-you" factor. :)

What you'll need for 4 sandwiches:

4 free range local eggs
4 locally produced sausage, in patties
4 slices your favorite cheese (anything, but American slices...) :)
4 whole grain English muffins (or homemade English muffins)
salt & pepper

In a large skillet, cook sausage. Once the sausage is cooked, transfer to a plate. In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp of butter on medium heat. Add all 4 eggs evenly throughout the pan. While the eggs start to cook, toast muffins in a toaster or toaster oven (we don't actually own a toaster!).

Once the eggs are almost cooked to your liking, turn the heat down to low, lay the sliced cheese on top to melt and cover pan with lid.

When the cheese is melted, cut the eggs into 4 individual portions. Place a sausage patty on a toasted English muffin and top with egg & cheese. Fresh cracked pepper on the top makes this sandwich complete.

Enjoy!

Emmy

Chicken Enchilada (Almost) Perfection

So, I've been messing around with enchilada recipes to find the one that just begs to be made over and over again. I've used various types of sauce, beans, meat, veggies and they have all been pretty good. Well, this last go-around I think I found it-minus one or two details that may just put it over the top.

Two things I did that I thought really made this good were:

• use leftover rotisserie chicken from The Fresh Market (or any leftover rotisserie chicken)

• canned GREEN enchilada sauce (I usually use red)

Two things I would try to make this even better:

• use Chihuahua cheese (Mexican cheese that you can sometimes find in a regular store)
• use fresh tortillas-difficult to find around here

Ingredients:

• 1/2 rotisserie chicken, picked off bone & roughly chopped
• 1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
  
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1/2 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• salt & pepper
  
• sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 can medium green enchilada sauce
• 6 whole grain tortillas

Heat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13 baking dish lightly with cooking spray.

In a large heavy bottomed skillet, heat about a Tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper and chicken. Saute until the onions and pepper are soft. Add beans and seasonings. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Spoon the filling into each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll them up and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. Add the can of enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled up tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes-removing the foil for the last 10 minutes to brown up the cheese a bit.

I like to top mine with Chipotle Tabasco! Yum!

Enjoy!

Emmy

Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs

There's nothing quite like spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Like most people, I fall into thinking that meatballs are too time consuming to make on a regular basis, so I rarely think to make them too often. However, every time I do make them, I rediscover how easy they really are to throw together, even on a busy night. You can mix up the meatballs or even ball them up and stick them on a lined baking sheet in the fridge and when you come home, all you have to do is whip up the sauce and cook them while the spaghetti cooks. Pair this with a salad and some garlic bread and you have great comfort food...and make your family think that you worked oh so hard all day! :)
By the way...the leftovers are great for meatball sandwiches for lunch!
For the meatballs:

1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 onion, finely chopped
1.3 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp dried parsley
salt & pepper
Whisk together egg and milk. Add onion, turkey & the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined. Roll balls to about 1-1/2 inch and set aside. Keep your hands wet to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.

For the sauce:

olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 a small onion
1-1/2 cans (28oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme if you have it)
salt & pepper

Saute garlic and onion in a large skillet until soft. Add tomatoes, oregano, thyme, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add meatballs to sauce, cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with hot spaghetti and top with more Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Emmy

Breakfast Protein Smoothie

The juxtaposition of my wonderful smoothie with the coffee maker is very much intentional in this picture. I am not a coffee person, nor do I really intend to be. I can take coffee on certain occasions when tea is not available and I want something hot to drink, but coffee in the morning and me do not mix too well. I made myself drink it when we were on a work trip in TX early this year, but it was only out of a pure need for survival with the devastating duo of early mornings and late nights.

I like vanilla protein shakes for breakfast, but those get old after a while. I needed more drinkable variety for my mornings to supplement my new standard breakfast of Greek yogurt and granola. I came across this recipe on Our Best Bites blog, which is another great foodie blog with great ideas. I was intrigued by the use of steel cut oats in the smoothie, but it is surprisingly good and a great way to get some whole grain energy in with the protein (Greek yogurt & spinach), calcium (yogurt & orange juice), iron (spinach) and berry goodness. You can use other frozen fruit if you wish, or add a 1/2 a banana.

So, if you're feeling a cold coming on and need a vitamin boost or just need a morning boost without the caffeine, take this smoothie for a spin in your blender!

Emmy's version:
adapted from Kate's Power Smoothie*you have to read her post, it's hysterical!

1 cup calcium fortified orange juice (Simply Orange or Minute Made-not from concentrate)
3 heaping tablespoons of steel cut oats
1 cup fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 large hand full of baby spinach leaves, rinsed
1 cup crushed ice

Soak steel cut oats in orange juice overnight in the fridge (this will make it blend better and I think it is a must). Combine all ingredients in blender and blend well. Makes a big smoothie, great for a filling breakfast in the car.

Enjoy!

Emmy

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

When we got married, I registered for a slow cooker...it's what everyone does, right? I didn't really think I'd use it that much unless we were having a cookout. Well, I got the one I registered for...and another one. This one had a locking lid to make it easy to transport. I remember thinking to myself, "what on earth am I going to do with two?!"

Here I am almost two years later using my slow cookers an average of once or twice per week. I also got a small 2-1/2 qt. one (in purple!) for St. Nicholas Day from my parents. I have completely converted to the foodie greatness that can be made in these little ceramic cookers. A new favorite, aside from soup and chili, is beef stew. It's so wonderful to come home from a long day slinging tea at the Tea Room to find my house permeated with the smell of stew simmering away on my counter top. A few things thrown together in the morning reaps HUGE rewards at supper time. You'll notice green peas are absent from the picture-don't be fooled! Peas in beef stew are a must around here, considering my husband gets pretty excited when I put peas in/with just about any of our suppers. :) I pop the peas in (frozen) about a 1/2 hour before we eat and they keep their shape and flavor.
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
barley adapted from Real Simple Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

2-1/2 to 3 lbs of stew beef
1 cup flour
olive oil
2 large onions, cut in large chunks
1 small jar tomato paste
4 carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces or 1/2 a small bag of baby carrots, whole
4 small potatoes (I used red potatoes), quartered
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups beef broth (can or boxed)
1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 to 1-1/2 cups frozen peas

Place flour in a 1 gallon Ziploc bag and add 1/2 of the beef. Shake to coat beef completely. Heat about 2 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Shake off excess flour from beef and add to skillet. Brown on all sides, set aside and repeat above procedure with the remaining beef.

Add more oil to skillet and add onions. Cook onions for about 5 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste and 1 cup of beef broth to the skillet. Stir and cook until the tomato paste breaks up and starts to form a smooth sauce. Place seared beef chunks into slow cooker along with remaining ingredients except peas. Pour onion/sauce mixture over meat and veggies.

Cook on low heat for 7-1/2 hours or high heat for 4 hours. Add peas and cook for another 1/2 hour on low.

This stew was great on a cold night with some homemade bread and applesauce to round out the meal. Leftovers are great!


Enjoy!
Emmy

Tilapia Parmesan

I've been making tilapia parm with Panko bread crumbs several times, but this was my first go with my homemade bread crumbs. It was really good and reheated great for lunch this afternoon! It's pretty easy to make; I served it with some wild rice blend and buttered peas-YUM!Tilapia Parmesan

4 fresh or frozen (thawed) tilapia fillets
1-1/2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (I use Penzey's Pasta Sprinkle)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
olive oil cooking sprayPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings with a fork. Pour olive oil in another shallow dish. Coat fillets in oil, then dredge in bread crumb mixture. Place fillets in baking dish (you may need two dishes or one large baking sheet, depending on the size of you fillets. Spray tops of fillets with olive oil cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fish flakes off in big chunks. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Emmy

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

If you've checked out any of the recipes on Skinnytaste.com that have been a great inspiration for me in the last few months, you'll see that she often uses whole wheat bread crumbs in place of the typical bread crumbs you find in the store. I converted to Panko bread crumbs about a year ago, but I'm now being converted to whole wheat bread crumbs (and you can still do them Panko-style)! However, I could never find them in any store in my area. My mom even hunted around the local natural food store with no success. Well, doing a bit of online research lead to the creation of a quick, easy, and homemade recipe for whole wheat bread crumbs! Being the foodie that I am, this has needless to say brought me great joy in the kitchen! :)

What you need:

1 bag of store bought whole wheat bread, sliced
(you could always make your own whole wheat bread and slice it for this, but this makes it super simple. As a side note-if you want organic ww bread crumbs, just get organic whole wheat bread...simple as that!)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes; turning slices half-way through baking.

Once the bread is browned nicely and crispy. Process slices in a food processor or blender; course grind for Panko-style bread crumbs or fine for regular. If you use a blender like I did, you'll probably want to brake the slices into big chunks first and only do 2 at a time.


If your crumbs are still soft, you can slip them back into the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or so on the same baking sheet. Let cool before you store in an airtight container in your pantry. From what I can tell from my research, they will keep forever...within reason. If they get stale, you can always baking them up a bit more...or make some more!Too easy, right? I haven't done it yet, but for Italian bread crumbs, just add some Italian seasoning to the crumbs.

I've really found it amazing how many things you can easily make yourself, for way cheaper than buying them. You could buy an organic loaf of bread or make your own for around $3-$4 (or less if you make your own). I have a feeling organic ww bread crumbs would be a lot more in the store-if you could even find them! :)

So, you have homemade whole wheat bread crumbs. What should you make with them?
Thanks for asking...

Tilapia Parmesan