What We Ate This Month: A Month of Family Meal Ideas

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It is easy to get in a cooking rut, this last summer I don't think I hardly cooked anything; but I was determined to start the New Year right, planning meals each week.  Today I am sharing What We Ate in January.   These are family friendly, often quick to make meals, as this is real life!

I have to disclose, that we do go out to eat on Friday's, also Saturday after we spend the day cleaning the kitchen, we are not about to cook in it, so Saturday's are pizza and a movie night at our house.

I have added links to recipes when there are recipes, some are just things I make without a recipe.  If there is anything you have questions about or would like a recipe for in the future, please let me know.


Jan 1: Out To Dinner
Jan 2: Pizza
Jan 3: Tri-tip -my husband grilled, pre-seasoned kind from store
Jan 4: Hawaiian Ham And Cheese Sliders
Jan 5: Omelets
Jan 6: Sour Cream and Bacon Crockpot Chicken 

Jan 7: Taco Salad

Jan 8: Out to Dinner-Migel Jr's.
Jan 9: Pizza
Jan 10: Bacon wrapped Tri-Tip- Eric grilled
   ** If you grill a lot-my husband LOVES The iGrill Mini to help cook the meat just right
Jan 11: Tri-tip Cheese Burgers And Fries (from Costco, just heat and eat)
Jan 12: Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole (easy and yummy but time consuming recipe)

Jan 13: Pulled Pork Tacos-Slow Cooker

Jan 14: Lasagna
Jan 15: Out to Dinner-Five Guys
Jan 16: Pizza
Jan 17: Breakfast:  Cinnamon Roll French Toast Dish
 

    Dinner: Ribs
Jan 18: Grilled Chicken Sandwiches (from Costco)
Jan 19: Bacon Wrapped Cheese Dogs  (didn't use seasoning she did and only baked 30)

Jan 20: Baked Potato Bar
Jan 21: Quiche

Jan 22: Out to Eat- The Melt

Jan 23: Pizza
Jan 24: Pot Roast (will share this recipe next time I make it-a family favorite)
Jan 25: Tortellini
Jan 26: Shredded Beef Tacos (leftover meat from Sunday)
Jan 27: Hawaiian BBQ Chicken over Rice (Slow Cooker)

Jan 28: Hash Brown Egg Nest with Avocado

Jan 29: Out to Eat- Rounds Burgers

Jan 30: Pizza
Jan 31: Pork Chops in Slow Cooker

Do you have a favorite recipe?  One your family loves?  Please leave a comment and even a link and I would love to make it next month!

Cooking Club: Easy Chicken Parmesan

Let's be honest-lately I have failed miserably with the Cooking Club. Sure I always post the recipes for all of you to enjoy but I think I have made only about half of the recipes the last couple of months. They have looked good-I just have been lazy/tired/ busy... one or all of the three. So when it came time to pick my own recipe this month I knew I wanted to pick something easy. Nothing says easy like Easy Chicken Parmesan.

Easy Chicken Parmesan
Found on About.com by Colleen Haass

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 slices mozzarella cheese, or more
• 1 jar (16 oz) spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Whisk together the egg and milk. Dip the chicken breasts in milk and egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in the hot oil on both sides until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Set chicken in a baking dish.

Slice 8 pieces of mozzarella cheese and put two on each chicken breast. Pour 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little more mozzarella and bake at 350° for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with spaghetti, garlic bread and a nice green salad.

My Changes: I made it even easier by using premade breaded chicken patties which made me able to skip the entire first paragraph of instructions. So easy that way. Rachel did bread the chicken-but she said as she was making it she told her kids she was making giant chicken nuggets and the kids loved the dinner.

Cooking Club: Green-Bay Style Chile

When I saw this recipe that Raelynn submitted I thought sounds good but wasn't totally excited, until I saw Rachel's picture--now I want to make it tonight!

GREEN BAY-STYLE CHILI

by Jane and Michael Stern (featured in the Miami Herald 20 or so years ago)

Saute until soft:

1/2 cup chopped ONION in 2 TB VEGGIE OIL

Add, stir, crumble and cook:

2 pounds GROUND BEEF

Season with:

1 1/2 tsp SALT

1/2 tsp PEPPER

1 tsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE

5-10 drops TABASCO

Stir in and then simmer 5 minutes:

1 cup BBQ SAUCE of choice

Drain off excess oil.

In small skillet combine:

1/3 cup OLIVE OIL (I would recommend using less, less, less! Maybe 3 TBSP)

1 TBSP CHILI POWDER

1/2 tsp ground CUMIN

1/4 tsp ground CORIANDER

1/4 tsp ground CARDOMOM (I substituted a little cinnamon and nutmeg)

Heat to a simmer, then add and cook till soft:

2 minced or pressed GARLIC CLOVES

Stir this oil/spice mixture into the meat mixture.

Serve Chili over:

Buttered Cooked Spaghetti noodles

Top with:

Heated Kidney Beans (i.e. microwave)

Chopped onion (from the leftover onion you chopped for step 1)

Shredded Cheese

Sour Cream

NOTES:

Despite the ingredient list, this went together VERY FAST. I made the chili in the morning and then at night just cooked the spaghetti, heated the beans and put the pot of chili back on the stove to reheat. I did make the full recipe and ended up freezing half the ground beef mixture to use for a later quick and easy dinner. At the very least you must serve the chili over spaghetti noodles with kidney beans (and technically onions) to make it authentic.

Cooking Club: Stuffed Poblanos

I didn't mean to scare you all thinking I was going to quit blogging yesterday. I just was trying to say that I have felt in a rut lately and it might be easier for me to stay away during spring break than I thought other wise. But it sure made me happy to see that you didn't want me to go away.

And I do have to post the Cooking Club recipes still, otherwise I would run out of Saturdays. And I will actually be back on Monday with a post as something very big happened Friday night that I have to blog about, so make sure you come back for that.

So this first recipe is the one that Rachel submitted. I still haven't even picked my recipe yet! I am such a slacker. And the pictures are by her also. This will definitely be a "two dinner" night when I make this as I know my kids will never eat this, but I think it looks good.

Stuffed Poblanos
From Martha Stewart, everyday food

Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 ½ hours

1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes in puree
1 jalapeño chile (ribs and seed removed, for less heat) chopped
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves (2 whole, 1 minced)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (19 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup cornmeal
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1 tsp cumin
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed

Preheat oven to 425. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeño, half the onions, and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into a 9x13 baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, ½ cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, cumin, and ¾ cup water; season with salt and pepper.

Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining ½ cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with foil.

Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10-15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.

Recommended side: roasted cauliflower

Cooking Club: Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Ready for the last recipe for this month? This is the one I submitted. I should of posted it sooner as this month fish has been on sale-I hope it still is as this recipe is good. Pictures from the our own personal food photographer Rachel.

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Recipe courtesy Ingrid Hoffmann, 2008

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time:55 min

Level:Intermediate

Serves:4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  
• 2 limes, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. Bake until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Cooking Club: Insalata di Grano con Pomodoro, Tonno, e Capperi

This next recipe has a title that's a tongue twister. It means roughly or maybe exacatly Wheat Berries with Tomatoes, Tuna, and Capers. This is a recipe that Raelynn submitted. The picture, taken by Rachel, is shown served in a pita-which is how I think I am going to do make it.

Insalata di Grano con Pomodoro, Tonno, e Capperi
by Anna Tasca Lanza from The Flavors of Sicily

INGREDIENTS
1 cup wheat berries (MY NEW INGREDIENT)
1 bay leaf
Zest of 1/2 orange or lemon, in 1 piece or strips
Salt
1 pound ripe tomatoes (or 1 can whole tomatoes)
Sugar
1 can albacore or solid white tuna fish, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch of ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, mint, or whatever you have, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:
Rinse the wheat berries, discarding any chaff. Soak in hot water to cover by 3/4 inch for 24 hours, changing the water twice. Drain and rinse the berries. Put them in a heavy saucepan with enough fresh water to cover by at least 2 inches. Add the bay leaf, orange zest, and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the grains are separate and tender, like rice, neither mushy nor al dente, 30 to 45 minutes. Check frequently after 30 minutes. Drain, discarding the bay leaf and zest. Let wheat berries cool thoroughly.

Peel, seed, and roughly chop the tomatoes (or chop canned tomatoes). Place in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and sugar, and let stand for at least 20 minutes.

Put the tuna in a serving bowl and flake it. Add the capers, onion, garlic, pepper, salt to taste, and the lemon juice. Add the tomatoes and toss thoroughly. Stir in the olive oil; add the wheat berries and half of the herbs. Let stand for several hours, if possible. Just before serving, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup herbs on top. Will keep well for a few days. (I'd be surprised to see any freshly chopped herbs keep for a few days in something like this...)

Raelynn's NOTES:

I read that some people find soaking wheat berries unnecessary. You can boil them for an hour and they will be fine, though I would read the packaging on whatever you end up buying. I probably won't soak them, just plan ahead to boil them.

You can eat this over mixed greens, as is, or in pitas. Just some serving ideas.

I buy capers for other things, but don't feel bad if you want to leave them out.

Cooking Club: Fantastic Meatloaf

Happy Saturday! We just got back from Lucas' first soccer game, they lost-by a lot- but he had fun and almost scored a goal. But we forgot his ball at the field, they were using it for the game ball. Guess I need more practice at this whole soccer mom thing.

Today's recipe is one that Melidee submitted and the picture is from the lovely and talented Rachel once again.

Fantastic Meatloaf
by Chef Bryan Woolley, Channel 2 News Chef

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage
1 medium size onion
3 garlic cloves minced
2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup Worchestershire sauce
1 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
¾ cup ketchup

1 glass bread pan (about 9x5)

1. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, parmesan cheese, Worchestershire sauce, bread crumbs and eggs. Mix ingredients all together.
2. Place meat mixture into a glass bread pan.
3. Spread ketchup over top of meatloaf.
4. Take a cooling rack and place it inside of a baking sheet (jelly roll type) and place the prepared meatloaf on top of the rack.
5. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 1 hour or until done. (Internal temperature should be at least 160 degree’s.)
6. Serve with a fresh tomato relish, sautéed garden vegetables and mashed potatoes. ENJOY!

Melidee-I heard him say on the news that if you cook it in an aluminum, throw-away pan, you can poke holes in the bottom and all the grease runs out into the jelly roll pan and keeps your meatloaf from swimming in grease. He has a fabulous blog of recipes. Just type in his name and take a look!

Cooking Club: Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Happy Cooking everyone! My in-laws made it safely here last night and my kids are in heaven playing with Mimi and Pappi. I will probably be around sporadically over the next week while they are here visiting. Definitely come back on Monday as I will have pictures of the insane cake I am going to make for Eric's birthday. And don't forget, Tuesday is the day for the monthly Status Quote meme that CA Girl and I do.

The first recipe this month was submitted by the lovely Miss Rachel. This could easily be made into a vegetarian recipe by substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup
Chef Vaughn Montgomery

3 TBLS butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion salt
1 can chicken broth
1 3/4 cup half and half, or milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh cauliflower, cut into tiny florets

In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter. Saute onion until translucent; do not brown. Stir in flour, garlic and onion salts. Add broth and half and half. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add cheese and cauliflower. Stir and cook 6-8 minutes until cheese is melted and cauliflower is tender.

Notes: This would taste great with bacon added. I dumped the cauliflower in before the soup totally thickened, that way it wouldn't take as long to get tender. Also, make sure you double or even triple this recipe for a family sized pot of soup.

Cooking Club: Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad

The final recipe for the Cooking Club for this month was the recipe I submitted. This was my month to pick a recipe with an ingredient I have never heard of before. I must admit it took me a lot longer to get a recipe in this month because of that requirement. The recipe I finally found came from Rachel Ray's Express Lane Meals.

Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
from: Rachel Ray's Express Lane Meals

4 servings

Salt
1/2 lb short-cut pasta
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. grill seasonings, such as McCormicks Montreal Steak Seasoning, 2 palmfuls
2 t. hot sauce
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
5 T. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup EVOO
2 large onions, sliced 1-inch thick
6 thin-cut chicken breast cutlets
2 T. dijion mustard
Black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano
2 bunches arugula, thoroughly washed and chopped
1 small head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped ((INGREDIENT I didn't know))
2 cups fresh basil, 20 leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, a generous handful, chopped
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite size pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, left whole in small, cut in half if large

Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill to high heat.

Bring a large pot of water with a tight fitting lid to boil over high heat. Once the water boils, add some salt and the pasta, and cooking according to package directions until al dente.

In a small bowl, mix the garlic, grill seasoning, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and 2 T. of the vinegar. Whisk in 1/4 cup of EVOO. Divide the mixture between two shallow bowls. Add the sliced onions to one and the chicken cutlets to the other. Toss to coat both thoroughly and marinate a few minutes.

In a salad bowl, combine the mustard and the remaining 3 T. of vinegar with a little salt and pepper. In a slow steady stream, whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of EVOO then add the grated cheese. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it thoroughly and add it to the salad bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Since you are adding the pasta while it is still hot, the dressing will really soak into the pasta.

Grill the onion slices, cooking them on each side until well marked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Grill the chicken cutlets for 3 to 4 mins on each side. Remove the onions and the chicken from the grill to a cutting board to rest and cool for about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop the grilled onions and cut the chicken into thin strips. Add them to the dressed pasta. Add the arugula, radicchio, basil, parsley, celery, mozzarella and grape tomatoes. Season with a little salt and pepper and toss thoroughly.

Cooking Club: January Recipe Reviews

Since February is almost over, I figured it was well past time to review the January recipes. For those who may be new to my blog the Cooking Club is something I do with my SIL's and MIL. We each submit one recipe a month which gives us four new things to make that month. We then email each other with our successes, our reviews and it is just a lot of fun.

So here are our reviews from January's recipes. You can click on each name to take you to the original recipe.

1) Curried Noodles with Vegetables
Melidee-"I was glad Rachel and I could split the cabbage. We had a funny time finding it and finally had to ask the produce guy what it was. I've never bought anything like that before. I loved learning about rice sticks. I really didn't like the cabbage cooked. I have never been a cooked cabbage-of-any-kind fan. Dad said he thought it tasted like grass. I didn't mind the texture, but the flavor just makes me shudder.
I think I would enjoy this dish minus the cabbage. I also added chicken but decided afterward that pork would have been better. Dad liked it and both of us enjoyed trying something new."

Rachel- " I really really loved it! It has a lot of ingredients, but hopefully it won't be too hard. I thought most of the ingredients were really cheap and it actually didn't take too long to make. Just make sure you give yourself time to soak the noodles. You can chop everything up earlier in the day if you'd like. The actual cooking time is very quick. It's not really kid friendly; we halved the recipe and still had TONS of leftovers."

Me-"Tons of prep work but then comes together quickly. It tasted good but would have been awesome with some pork or some meat in it. I tried to get the kids as much of the noodles with as few of vegetables as possible and Alex liked the noodles. Lucas ate about three or four bites of noodles. So while it was good, I don't think I will ever make this recipe again-way too much work for something that was good but not amazing."

RECAP: 2.5/5 Stars- TONS of prep work, but then fast, not kid friendly, half of us like the taste

2) Colorful Tuna Casserole

Raelynn-"I ended up using 3/4 cup milk rather than just the 1/4 because it seemed too solid. And even with the extra milk it was still quite thick. I also increased the amount of noodles. Since it only had one can of tuna, I thought increasing the noodles from 1/4 pound would be good. I loved the bread crumbs on top. Kate asked for seconds, which is always a good sign. Velveeta is not our favorite, but we did enjoy this dinner. Good comfort food."

Melidee-"First...I was very delighted with the Velveeta, it melted away very nicely and made a smooth sauce. I don't think I put in quite as much as it called for but I did add extra milk. Anyway, it was delicious and I would have never guessed. When it was all gone, Dad said, "Well, we must have really liked it...there isn't any left."

Me- "When I picked this recipe I honestly think I overlooked that it uses velvetta cheese as well I hated the stuff growing up. But I obviously had to go ahead. I actually bought the Kroger brand of Velveta and it was a lot better color than I remember it being and I actually must admit I almost liked it. The dinner was fast and easy to throw together and the kids actually ate it too, which was nice. So this might be a quick dish I actually make again."

Rachel-"I had never tasted velveeta before and it was one of those things I had always wanted to try. I mean, since I was little. So it was fun to have an excuse to buy it. I thought it was too thick and I wish I had doubled the milk in it. I used yellow pepper instead of green (actually only because the store was out of every other color of pepper) but it turned out to be a good thing because the yellow peppers blended in and the kids couldn't tell. We all liked it pretty good, but would have liked it better if it had been a little thinned down."

RECAP: 4/5 Stars- while nothing amazing, everyone enjoyed it and it was quick and easy

3) Italian Pot Pies

Raelynn- "We all liked it a lot, though I had a really hard time getting the biscuits to cook properly. I let it go 20 minutes and finally took them out. The top was great, but underneath the layer of dough was pure gooey dough! Yuck. So back into the oven at 500 degrees for 15 more minutes. Kate gobbled it down (2 helpings) because I put the onions and carrots into the food processor so they were very small and unnoticeable."

Melidee- "Both Dad and I really liked it. I liked cooking it with the dough on top. Such a flavorful biscuit too. I did add some basil and oregano, extra pepper and parsley to my meat mixture. And I used peppers and zucchini too. I also grated the carrots instead of chopping them. It was very satisfying and I hope to try this idea with the flavored biscuit dough on some other meat/veggie combinations. I put it in a small casserole dish and dropped the dough mounds right next to each other until the top of all the meat mixture was covered. It turned out lovely and we gobbled it all up."

Me- "We loved it! Well-Eric and I loved it. Alex liked the meat and Lucas liked the biscuits.. well the first couple of bites. But I really think this is a dish that if I made it a few more times they would totally start eating it. I made mine in a 11X7 pan and it all just fit. I just glopped the biscuits on top and they turned out perfectly. I really took my time measuring the ingredients for the biscuits as others had problems, I even spooned in the flour. But hey, it must have worked as they were great. This will be a recipe I will make again."

Rachel- "I thought it was DELICIOUS. We ate it on a Monday night and then for lunch. I loved the biscuits. Mine cooked up great in 12 minutes and the flavor of the meat was really good to me. When Todd saw it though, he said it looked like someone just combined two or three old cooking club recipes and put them all together. That made me laugh! But he liked it too. Madeline also ate it"

RECAP: 4.5/5 Delicious, not too hard, most of the kids liked it, the biscuits just can cause trouble
4) Korean Beef in Lettuce Leaves

Raelynn- "Sam and I both liked the wraps. Very easy to make - I seriously made them in less than 1/2 hour. And I would make them again - loved using ground meat in wraps. But when/if I make them again I will actually add less marmalade. I thought they were too sweet. I felt like I was eating candy in my lettuce. Good dinner - easy, yummy and healthy."

Rachel- "This recipe was the biggest surprise. I thought Todd would hate it because of the orange marmelade, but I used Raelynn's comments and added only 2 instead of 3 TBLS of it. I was hoping that would help Todd like it and it must have worked because he ate SIX!!!! I couldn't believe it. He really liked them too! I doubt I'll make them again though, because the ingredients aren't things I usually have on hand."

Melidee- "I thought it really looked pretty in the pan as it was cooking. Once again, I grated my carrots to make sure they were completely cooked through. Smelled so good once I dropped the sauce in...hmmm...very yummy. Dad came up the stairs sniffing. He thought it made the house smell good too. He's still in there right now eating his fourth serving! I gave up holding the lettuce bundles and eventually resorted to a knife and fork. Good nonetheless. I thought it would be good with sirloin strips, with chicken or pork, or even fish. I served it with pot stickers, which turned out nice."

RECAP: 4/5 Quick and not too hard to make, with a few tweaks the recipe is great
****************

So some great recipes from this month, try them out, you won't regret it!

Cooking Club: Mostaccioli with Fennel, Mint and Bread Crumbs

Happy Cooking! This next recipe was submitted by Raelynn. It comes from Mario Batali and is another vegetarian recipe! I haven't made it yet, but from reading over it, it sounds so easy and yummy too. The pictures are from Rachel and she has two awesome pictures so I am using them both. Seriously people you have to check out her food picture blog. You can always find the previous Cooking Club Recipes by clicking on the Cooking Club tab at the top of the toy.

Mostaccioli with Fennel, Mint and Bread Crumbs

by Mario Batali

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 fennel bulbs, tops reserved (though for garnish, I'd say), cut into 1/4 inch strips (he says get the fatter "female" bulbs as opposed to the thinner male specimens)

1 1/2 cups toasted bread crumbs

1 TBSP red pepper flakes

8 ounces mostaccioli or Rigatoni (yeah, must say I'll be using the rigatoni)

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

Bring water and 2 TBSP salt to water for cooking pasta.

In saute pan, heat 6 TBSP olive oil until almost smoking. Add garlic and fennel, stir frequently until light golden brown and quite soft, about 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of the bread crumbs and pepper flakes and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes.

Cook pasta according to instructions, al dente and drain.

Add hot pasta to saute pan and add mint. Toss well to mix. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs and fennel tops. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Cooking Club: Cicken Calzone With Pesto

It's time for the next Cooking Club Recipe! I love calzones-so when I see the word easy and calzones in the same sentence, well sounds good to me. This is the recipe that Melidee submitted this month. It comes from America's Test Kitchen. And our lovely picture is once again from the talented Miss Rachel. You can see more pictures of this recipe on her photo blog here. Just be warned, she changed her 365 blog into a food picture blog this year. So only go look at her pictures if you are ready to drool and if you are prepared to get really hungry!

Easy Chicken Calzones

America's Test Kitchen

This recipe makes two

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen broccoli spears, thawed and chopped medium

4 cups shredded Mozzarella

2 cups medium-chopped cooked chicken (1 pound)

1/2 cup Pesto

Salt and Pepper

Flour for the counter

2 pounds pizza dough

1 TBSP EVOO

Coarse or Kosher salt...optional

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pat broccoli dry then toss with the mozzarella, chicken and pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2 On a lightly floured counter, roll out half the dough to a 12-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Mound half the filling onto one side of the dough, leaving a one inch border. Brush the edges of the dough with water. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

3. Transfer the calzones to an oiled baking sheet. Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut 5 slits diagonally across the top of each calzone. Brush the oil over the tops and sprinkle with coarse salt if using. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Cooking Club: Sour Cream Enchiladas

Cooking Club Time! Well once again Rachel is the first to get her recipe in, good thing she is so on top of it so we have a recipe for the first Saturday. She chose her recipe from the Pioneer Woman. If you have never heard of the Pioneer Woman-well you are probably really really new to blogging; you should go read her love story-you will not be able to stop until you finish, it is that good! And it is now published into a book. I think I may just have to go get it. So enjoy this recipe and happy cooking!

Sour Cream Enchiladas

from thepioneerwoman.com

12 whole Corn Tortillas
Canola Oil, For Frying
1 can (20 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Sour Cream
3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Grated
1 cup Sliced/chopped Green Onions
½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together sour cream, green onions 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar, cumin, and cayenne pepper.

Heat canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Heat enchilada sauce in a separate skillet or saucepan.

Using tongs, fry tortillas one at a time, for only about five to ten seconds per side (don’t allow to crisp.) Remove from oil, then dunk tortilla in enchilada sauce. Lay tortilla on a plate, then spoon a good two or three tablespoons of the sour cream mixture in the middle. Roll tortilla, then place face down in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and sour cream mixture.

(If there’s any sour cream mixture left over, use it as a dip for tortilla chips!)

Cover the dish with the remaining cheese, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve immediately. Place a dollop of sour cream on each serving, then sprinkle on sliced green onions.

My Notes: If desired, add shredded chicken to the sour cream mixture. I don't think you need this much enchilada sauce, I had a lot left over. And sorry that these aren't a healthy dinner, but they are GOOD!

Cooking Club: Korean Beef in Lettuce Leaves

Editors Note: Reposting recipe with picture from Rachel! Yeah!

We've started off the Cooking Club this year with quite the array of dishes. Most of them are ones I probably would never had made if it wasn't for the club. This recipe that Melidee submitted uses Hoisin sauce, so if you are going to buy it-then another great recipe for you would be one from last year Asian Style Pork and Noodles that also uses this. I haven't made this recipe yet and if Rachel has she hasn't posted her picture yet, so when I do the reviews in February I will post a picture. So happy cooking!

Korean Beef in Lettuce Leaves

3 TBSP 100% fruit orange marmalade
2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
1 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 TBSP freshly ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup canola oil
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
8 scallions, sliced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
12 Boston or Bibb lettuce leaves

1. Whisk together the marmalade, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the beef, scallions, carrots, and pepper for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, or until the beef is browned and cooked through. Add the soy mixture and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until well blended.

3. Spoon the beef mixture into the lettuce leaves and serve, or roll like a wrap to eat.

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And get ready! This Tuesday-February 1st, will be the day to link up with January's Ten Things To Smile About! This is your chance to reflect on the month and write a list (with or without pictures) that made you smile, laugh or just the simple good things from the month. You can see some previous lists here.

Cooking Club: Italian Pot Pie

It's Saturday! Our Saturday is filled with two birthday parties (for friends) and hopefully a nap or too. I haven't made this next recipe yet, but it sounds great. This is the recipe that Raelynn submitted for the month. It came from the Martha Stewart App. And the beautiful picture is from the talented Rachel. You can see the cool shots she took while making this dish on her photo-blog here.

ITALIAN POTPIES
From Martha Stewart App

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound ground beef sirloin, thawed if frozen

2 cups homemade or best-quality store-bought tomato sauce

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce; bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat mixture has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, Parmesan, baking powder, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; make a well in center, and add butter and milk. Stir just until dough comes together.

Spoon meat mixture into four 8-ounce ramekins; mound dough on top. Place on a large rimmed baking sheet; bake until topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in topping comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes.

NOTES: Add other veggies with the onion and carrots for more variety and flavor, such as zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, etc. Also, some reviewers said the meat mixture was on the bland side, so they added additional seasoning to the meat before adding the sauce. And I'm sure we can make this in one dish, rather than individual ramekins... hopefully.

Cooking Club: Colorful Tuna Cassorle

Happy Saturday to you! We have another change in the cooking club. This year, as I said last week, we aren't doing the points, we are still supposed to submit our recipes and reviews by a certain date and here is the other new change. Every month not only do the recipes have to come from a different source than we have ever used, but each month one of the contributors (this month it was Rachel) will have to pick a recipe with a new ingredient they have never used before! We are going in order from youngest to oldest, so for February I will have to pick a recipe with an ingredient I have NEVER cooked with before. So there are might be some far out recipes by the end of the year.

This weeks recipe was submitted by me; this was my easy/food pantry recipe submission. Everyone but Rachel submitted their recipes late (doh! bad way to start the year) so we don't have a beautiful picture from Rachel like usual, but just the picture from where I got the recipe--which was from iFood an App on my iPad from Kraftfood.



Colorful Tuna Casserole
from iFood App by Kraft Foods

What You Need1/4 cup choppedonion

1/4 cup choppedgreen
1/4 cup (1/2 stick)butter or margarine, divided
1 can (10-3/4 oz.)condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1/2 lb. (8 oz.)VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
1 can (6 oz.)tuna, drained, flaked
2 cups (4 oz.)noodles, cooked, drained
2 Tbsp. choppedpimiento
1-1/2 cups freshbread cubes
pepper

Make It

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook the pasta as directed on box--Kraft did not add this step which made me have to back track and the dinner took longer

Cook and stir onion and green pepper in 1 Tbsp. of the butter in large saucepan on medium heat until crisp-tender; remove from saucepan. Set aside.

Mix soup and milk in same saucepan; cook on low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Add VELVEETA; cook until melted. stirring frequently. Add onion mixture, tuna, noodles and pimiento; mix lightly.

Spoon into greased 1-1/2-quart casserole dish. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. butter; toss with bread cubes. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Cooking Club: Curried Noodles with Vegetables

It's a New Year! Did you try any of the many wonderful recipes from last years Cooking Club? I hope so. I spoke with Eric's mom and sisters and we are going to continue the Cooking Club with just a few changes. This year we aren't going to bother with the points (which I am pretty sure Rachel and Raelynn ended up tying last year) but we are still supposed to have our recipes and reviews in by certain dates, otherwise well we might not follow through. Also this year, every recipe we submit has to be from a different source. So if I submit a recipe from Rachel Ray, then for the rest of the year I cannot submit another recipe from her. That will definitely increase the range of things we make and make us step out of our comfort zones a bit more.

So join along and cook up some great new food! If you do cook a recipe, just leave a comment under that recipe with what you thought of it and any changes you might have made and I will feature you when I review the recipes. I will be reviewing December's recipes next week, so there is still time for those. I know I never reviewed November's-December was just a crazy month.

This first vegetarian recipe was submitted by Rachel

Curried Noodles with Vegetables

From the Gourmet Cookbook

Serves: 8 as a side dish, 6 as a main course

½ pound very thin rice stick noodles (rice vermicelli)
¼ cup chicken stock
3 TBLS soy sauce
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBLS vegetable oil
1 ½ TBLS minced garlic
1 TBLS minced peeled fresh ginger
1 ½ TBLS curry powder
2 medium red onions, thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into very thin strips
3 medium carrots, finely shredded
½ medium head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
2 TBLS Chinese rice wine (I used extra chicken stock)
2 cups (about 6 ounces) bean sprouts, rinsed and dried

Soak noodles in boiling water to cover in a large bowl for 30 minutes. Drain.

Stir together chicken stock, soy sauce, salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl.

Add stock mixture, noodles, and bean sprouts and stir-fry until most of liquid is absorbed. Transfer to platter.

Heat oil in a wok or deep 12-inch skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Add garlic, ginger, and curry powder and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add onions and stir-fry until slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Add bell peppers, carrots, cabbage, and wine and stir-fry until vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes.

Cooking Club: Asian Style Pork-n-Noodles

How was your Christmas? I hope it was wonderful and everything you were hoping it would be. I still have lots of family in town and so will be off playing with them. But I do need to post the fourth recipe for the Cooking Club for this month and I obviously didn't do it on Saturday.

Also-I will be waiting to do my Ten Things to Smile about list until next week.


So next Tuesday the 4th, it will be time to link up with Ten Things to Smile about. For those who are new, every month, usually the last Tuesday of the month I like to reflect back on the month and remember the funny/happy/silly often simple things that gave me reason to smile. I often include pictures in my list, but you can even simply write a list. Then you can come back and link up. I am definitely a glass-half full kind of gal.

And of course-this Friday will be your last chance to join in the 2010 Review Extravaganza! It has been so awesome getting around and reading everyone's recaps. And the points are stacking up!

So here is the last recipe for this month.
Asian Style Pork-n-Noodles

Serves 4

• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup dark hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar (most of us halved the vinegar)
  
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• Coarse salt
• 1 large head broccoli, about 1 1/3 pounds
• 8 ounces wide egg noodles
• 8 ounces sugar snap peas, or snow peas, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound boneless pork loin or tenderloin, sliced 1/2 inch thick, each slice cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

In a small bowl, stir together orange juice, hoisin sauce, vinegar, ketchup, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; set sauce aside. Cut off tops 1 to 2 inches below florets. Trim broccoli and discard tough ends of stalks, then peel and thinly slice crosswise. Separate broccoli heads into florets.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente according to package directions, adding broccoli (stalks and florets) and peas during last minute of cooking. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Dredge pork in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Saute pork until lightly browned and cooked through, tossing frequently, about 3 minutes. Pour in reserved sauce, and bring to a boil. Add to bowl with noodles; toss to combine.

Raelynn's comments:

Oh and by the way, I am going to use CHICKEN!!!!! Since there is already one pork loin recipe this month feel free to use chicken and frozen broccoli, if you want. Make it work for you by not having to buy so many new ingredients (though I think the hoisin sauce is sort of necessary.)

Oh, and one more thing - many reviewers say to decrease the vinegar! So perhaps we should half it ((I did)). This looks pretty easy so hopefully it is.

Cooking Club: Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Happy Saturday! It is cold and rainy here. This next recipe is a big one that would be perfect if you have lots of family in town. If you don't you might want to cut the recipe in half. I picked it as it has two of my favorite foods, cream cheese and bacon. Can't go wrong there. You can find the other cooking club recipes here.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 1/4 hr
• Servings: 12

About This Recipe

"This is another great way to make something great ahead of time to thaw as needed or eat right now with little effort!"

Ingredients

• 12 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 (8 ounce) cartons chive & onion cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt
• 12 slices bacon

Directions

1. Flatten chicken to 1/2" thickness.
2. Spread 3 tablespoons cream cheese over each chicken piece.
3. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt; roll up.
4. Wrap each with a bacon strip.
5. Place, seam side down, in a greased pan.
6. Bake, uncovered, at 400F for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear.
7. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.
8. If you are making these ahead for future use, freeze these uncooked on a cookie sheet in your freezer. When solid, wrap and put in a ziplock bag or vacuum seal desired quantities.
9. To cook from frozen state, thaw before cooking and follow directions above.

Cooking Club: Quick Cheesy Ravioli Bake

Happy Saturday! Is it cold where you live? If so these warm ravioli might just hit the spot. This is the recipe that Rachel submitted for the cooking club this month. And anything with both quick and cheesy in it's name rings music to my ears.

Quick Cheesy Ravioli Bake
The Best 30-Minutes Meals (From the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

Fresh ravioli is preferred, but 1pound of frozen can be substituted.

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 TBLS olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBLS tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
3 TBLS minced fresh basil
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper
2 (9 oz.) packages fresh cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot.

Cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat up with wooden spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about five minutes. Drain meat and set aside.

Add oil, garlic, and tomato paste to skillet and return to medium heat until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in tomatoes and reserved sausage and cook until slightly thickened 8-10 minutes. Stir in basil and cream and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about two minutes. Remove skillet from heat, cover, and set aside.

Add 1 TBLS salt and ravioli to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain and return to pot.

Stir sauce into ravioli and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture into 13x9 dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve.

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Oh, and Rachel-my SIL who takes all of our wonderful food pictures, made the Pineapple and Pork Tacos with Avocado Crema last week and so now we have a picture.
Looks good! You can find that recipe here.