Menu Monday: April 25-30th

Here’s what’s cooking this week:

Monday–Greek Island Shrimp Pasta–A friend gave me this recipe and I’m very excited to try it!

Tuesday–Quinoa and Black Bean BurritosQuinoa is an amazing little grain.It is healthy and adaptable. If you haven’t tried it yet, consider adding it to your menu soon.

Wednesday–Thai Charred Eggplant and Spiced Coconut-Red Lentil SoupThe first is an old favorite, the second is new. 

Thursday–Sesame Roasted Salmon, Steamed Broccoli, and Brown Rice

Friday–Pasta Melanzana and Grape Salad


Spring is Here!

I haven’t posted anything in a long time.

Sorry.

The reason? Spring is here! In Utah that means beautiful, sunny, 70 degree days (followed by hail and snowstorms), green grass, flowers blooming, gardens wanting to be planted, and LOTS to do outside.

Last week we drove (yes, drove) to Oregon for a surprise birthday party. This weekend, we are driving to Moab to do some good hiking, suntanning, and relaxing in one of the most beautiful places in Utah. Oops, I meant ugly. One of the most boring and ugly places in Utah. Don’t go there, there’s nothing to see.

So, I have thought a lot about writing, but not done it much. In apology, here’s what I can offer, a wonderful new favorite recipe that’s perfect for this time of year. Get Me To the Top Granola Bars.  We love these bars on hikes. They are the perfect amount of sweet and are easy to pack in the backpack. And if they do get crumbled, you’ve got granola! They are also very versatile so you can add whatever nuts or candy you’ve got in your cupboard.

I hope you enjoy these. And I’ll try harder to write.

Get Me To the Top Granola Bars
4 1/2 cups oats (old fashioned)
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips, nuts, crasins, rasins, or a mixture
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until throughly combined. Press into a Pam-sprayed 9×13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 17-22 minutes. Let cool five minutes, then cut into squares.  Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Battle of the Brownies

I recently came across the Deceptively Delicious cook book by Jessica Seinfeld.  In her book she provides many classic recipes with the addition of pureed vegetables in the ingredients. The idea is that these “improved” recipes are a great way to sneak an extra serving or two of vegetables into a meal for picky eaters.
I love the idea but I have to admit I had my doubts. Can you really add a 1/2 cup of pureed spinach and a 1/2 cup of squash to brownies and not taste it? I needed to make two batches of brownies for an event, so I decided to find out and use others as my unknowing test panel.
I used Seinfeld’s recipe and a classic, Betty Crocker brownie recipe for the test.

Can you tell which one has the veggies in it?

Can you tell which one has the veggies in it?

The main difference between the recipes, besides the addition of the vegetables, is that one fills a 9×13 pan and the other just a 8×8 pan.

The finished product.

The finished product.

There was a noticeable difference in appearance between the baked brownies. The veggie brownies were much more cake-like and moist. The BC brownies were dense and crumbly.
At the event I watched to see if anybody tasted the veggie brownies and made gross faces. I also kept an eye on both trays to see how they disappeared. By the end of the event I had not noticed any grimaces or gags and both trays were completely empty! I did notice that the BC brownies seem to go slightly faster than the veggie brownies.
My personal taste tests (with my sister, husband, and I) revealed that when tasted side-by-side you could tell a difference in taste between the two brownies. The BC brownies are much richer and proper brownie tasting. However if served alone I think the veggie brownies would go undetected and really do taste just fine. I would suggest serving them with a berry sauce or perhaps adding a little bit of mint extract to the batter before cooking to further disguise the slight vitamin taste.

So my conclusion: I don’t know that I’m completely converted to putting veggies in my recipes, but I am certainly willing to try more of Seinfeld’s recipes. I think I may even try to sneak some veggies into an almost two-year-old’s birthday cake! :-)

Menu for the Month!

I’ve been terrible about planning a weekly menu for the past few weeks and the next three weeks don’t look any less busy. Fortunately one of my favorite blogs recently posted a menu for the month! Yay! I’m sticking with her menu, it looks delicious and healthy. I hope you enjoy it too. 
Here’s what she has planned for this week (visit her website for the recipes):  

  • Monday, April 6 - warm bow tie pasta and salad
  • Tuesday, April 7 - bread soup and salad
  • Wednesday, April 8 - pacific rim stir fry over white rice
  • Thursday, April 9 - chicken and sausage gumbo
  • Friday, April 10 - pizza, salad, and dessert
  • Saturday, April 11 - lemon, chicken, and leek pot pies
  • Sunday, April 12 - Easter Sunday - italian chicken salad over greens;lemon-drenched lemon cake

 

Thank you Simple Mom!

Meals for 3/23-3/26

Sorry I haven’t posted a menu for a while. We’ve been busy and I think I’ve made one real meal in the last three weeks! This week I am only cooking for three days because we have events going on other nights. I am also making meals that my husband either specifically requested or that he loves in honor of his birthday day this week. 

Monday~Easy Indian Butter Chicken with rice
Tuesday~Spicy Basil Chicken with rice
Wednesday~Light and Savory Meatloaf with Roas
ted Herb Cauliflower
Thursday~Leftovers -yes, this really was one of my husband’s requests! :-)
I’m not cooking Friday or Saturday but I will suggest trying one of these great recipes:
Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos 
 White Bean Soup with Kale -I have never followed the recipe exactly, it’s just a good jumping off point! 
This awesome dish that uses spaghetti squash in place of spaghetti. Really good and fun.

What’s for Dinner this Week…

One of my friends lent me a favorite cookbook of hers and nearly all the recipes for this week are from that book. It’s called Pacific Fresh: Great Recipes from the West Coast. I’ll let you know what I think about these recipes. (Thanks Adrienne!) 
Monday~Parmesan-Spinach Meatballs with Spaghetti
Tuesday~Chicken Breast & Mushrooms in Lemon Sauce
Wednesday~Zucchini-Tomato Soup and Homemade Bread 
Thursday~Black Bean & Chorizo Burritos 
Friday~Leftovers

Have a great week and happy eating!

Dinner Menu 2/9-2/14

This week is Valentine’s Day Week and we’re planning an easy but yummy meal for Saturday night. We’re also going to make sugar cookies and decorate them. What fun things are you up to this Valentine’s Day? 

Monday-Chicken with Curry Dill Sauce and Roasted Cauliflower with Herbs and Parmesan
Tuesday-Spaghetti with Red Sauce, French Bread, and Green Beans
Wednesday-Leftovers
Thursday-Tacos and Southwestern corn
Friday-Black Pepper Beef & Cabbage Stir fry with Brown Rice
Saturday-Easy Garlic Broiled Chicken, Wilted Spinach, Lemon Couscous, and Creme Brule for dessert!