recipe: quinoa-crusted fish nuggets

photo from cookinglight.com

taken from: cookinglight.com 

changes: none - followed verbatim

ingredients list: 
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
- 1 large egg 
- 1 lb skinless flour or cod fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

to make:
preheat oven to 425 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray, then set aside.

cook quinoa in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes. transfer to a food processor, and process for 20 seconds or until finely ground. 

stir together flour, paprika, thyme, and 1/2 tsp blaok pepper in a shallow dish. stir together buttermilk and egg in a second shallow dish. place ground quinoa in a third shallow dish. 

dredge fish pieces in flour mixture, and shake off excess. dip fish in egg mixture, then dredge in quinoa, pressing to adhere. press fish in  single layer on prepared baking sheet. lightly coat breaded fish pieces with cooking spray. 

bake at 425 F for 13 minutes, turning once after 7 minutes, until golden and cooked through. serve with tarter sauce. 

result: presentation and taste-wise, these were good. texture-wise, the coating cracked and separated from the nuggets really easily - the coating was almost a bit dry so it didn't cling to the nugget like... a normal nugget. i'd still make/eat them again, but try and play around with it a little be to afvoid that 

recipe: eggplant parm

taken from: Allrecipes.com 

changes: 
- followed recommendations to "sweat" the eggplant before baking it (added in instructions below)
- used an Italian panko breadcrumb instead of regular breadcrumbs (which i will not use moving forward for breading anything)
- scaled down to 5 servings (from 10. recipe for 5 serving posted below)
- baked for 7 minutes per side at 425 F degrees (vs 5 minutes per @ 350. added in instructions below)

photo taken from allrecipes.com

ingredients list:
- 1 & 1/2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch thickness)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided 
- 1/2 (16 oz) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp dried basil

to make:
sweat the 1/4" slices by sprinkling with sea salt and letting them sit for 30 minutes (i let mine sit in colanders so both sides can breathe). rinse, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 

preheat oven to 425 F degrees. 

dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. place in a single layer on a baking sheet. bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes per side.  

decrease oven temp to 350 F degrees.

recipe: marinara sauce II

taken from: New York Times Cooking

changes: i didn't have fresh basil, so i opted for dried oregano. otherwise made verbatim.

photo from NYT Cooking

ingredients list*:
- 1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
- small dried whole chili, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano

*this will make about 3.5 cups, about enough for 1 lb of pasta.

to make:
pour tomatoes in a large bowl, and crush with your hands. pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. reserve.

in a large skillet (not a deep pot), heat the oil over medium heat. when it is hot, add garlic. as soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. add  the whole chili or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using), and salt. stir.

place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (if using). let it wilt, then submerge it in sauce. simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface has turned a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (if using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, and add more salt/oregano if needed). discard basil and chili, if using. 

result: i've made a ton of different red sauces and never really found "the one" - they've either been too sugary, or just... off. this was the first marinara i've made that was just right - just a very well balanced, perfectly simple good sauce. this will definitely be my keeper... as will be buying quality san marzano base sauce, which i think is a key to this recipe.  

recipe: cauliflower crust (for quiche)

photo from Fresh April Flours

taken from: Fresh April Flours

changes: none - made exactly as written

ingredients list:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, stems removed 
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

to make: 
spray and 8" or 9" pie dish with non-stick spray and set aside. cut cauliflower into pieces, removing as much stem as possible while keeping the florets in tact. rinse florets in a strainer or colander.

pulse florets in a food processor until they resemble corn meal. place in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes. when fully cooked, set aside and allow to cool for 10 min. after it has completely cooled, use a strong kitchen towel and wring out all of the moisture. transfer dry cauliflower back to the bowl. 

preheat oven to 450 F degrees. in a small bowl, blend together the Parmesan cheese, egg, and spices. add to cauliflower and mix together. transfer the dough to a pie dish, smoothing it out to it evenly covers the bottom and sides of the dish. 

bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are brown and the overall crust starts browning. allow to cool on wire rack while quiche (or whatever other filling your using) is prepared. 

results: good -- enough so that we've made this a few times now. i've only used this recipe for vegetable quiches, which it seems to perfectly fit the bill for (and saves quite a few calories) 

recipe: chicken thighs with couscous and kale

taken from: Eating Well 

changes: added onion powder and additional chicken broth, otherwise cooked as written

ingredients list: 
- 1 & 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 & 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups thinly sliced kale
- 2+ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

recipe: meatless (mushroom) meatballs

taken from: allrecipes.com (Chef John)

changes: none - made exactly as written.

ingredients list:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb fresh white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped or zipped through a food processor
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 oz finely shredded parmesian-reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- finely ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch dried oregano

recipe: vegetable lasagna roll-ups

taken from: Food Network - Ree Drummond

changes: decreased amount of mushrooms (from 24 oz to 16 oz, and used baby bellas instead), skipped yellow squash, subbed chicken broth for wine, added spinach, forgot to add tomato paste, didn't cook lasagna noodles -- let them soak in water while i chopped & prepped everything else, decreased amount of mozzarella (from 1.5 lbs to 1 lb)

ingredients list:
- 1 lb lasagna noodles 
for sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup white wine, or chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large handful of spinach
ricotta mix:
- 32 oz ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 eggs
- salt and freshly ground black pepps
- 1 lb shredded fresh mozzerella
- grated parmesan, for sprinkling

to make: 
noodles: cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold water and set aside until ready to use. OR -- soak in hot/warm water until ready to use (they should soften by the time the ingredients are prepped)

sauce: heat olive oil and a large skillet over medium eat. add the garlic & onions and cook for a minute. add red peppers and saute for another minute or so. add the mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach and cook for a few minutes. pour in the wine (or broth), and add the red pepper flakes, some salt & pep and stir. pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste. stir to combine, then simmer for about 20 minutes or so. stir in the parsley when removing from heat.

ricotta mix:
in a bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

to assemble: in large rectangular baking pan, spoon half the sauce on the bottom of the pan. spread out noodles on a work space, and spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mix onto each one, spreading it evenly across the noodle. roll each noodle + cheese mix tightly, and place rolled noodles in the pan on top of the sauce. top with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. bake immediately at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, uncovered, until bubbly. to cook from frozen, bake covered at 350 F for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly, about and additional 10 minutes. 

(this can also be prepped in separate trays / loaf pans if freezing separately) 

recipe: portobello mushroom stroganoff

taken from: allrecipes.com

changes: substituted chicken broth instead of veggie, increased amount of portobello, added worchestershire & marsala, decreased amount of sour cream, added flour in a slurry instead of straight in the dish

ingredients list:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 lb portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 1 & 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken or beef)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 8 oz dried egg noodles
- 2 tsp worchestershire
- 2 tsp marsala wine (optional)
- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: slow cooker carnitas

taken from: Gimme Some Oven

picture taken from GimmeSomeOven 

changes: skipped the searing step before adding this to the slow cooker. 

ingredients:

- 1 4-lb lean boneless pork roast, excess fat trimmed, cut into 5-inch chunks

- 1 can light beer (or chicken stock)

- 1 medium white onion, diced

- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

- 1 tbsp chipotle powder

- 2 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp blaok pepper

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

to make: 

add all ingredients EXCEPT the pork to the slow cooker, and stir to combine. add pork. 

cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until the pork is super-tender and shreds easily with a fork. 

once pork is cooked, preheat broiler to high heat and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil. use a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, then use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the baking sheet, spreading pork in an even layer. leave the juices behind in the slow cooker. 

place the baking sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the edges of the pork begin browning & crisping up. remove from the oven, then ladle bout 1/2 cup of the juices from the slow cooker evenly over the pork, and give it a good toss with some tongs. broil for an additional 5 minutes to get the meat more crispy, then ladle and additional 1/2 cup of juices over the crispy pork. 

results: YUM. though it's a little more work than regular pulled pork, i'd do the crispy step again b/c it adds a lot. (sometimes regular pulled pork has a mush texture like tuna fish... sometimes this is OK, sometimes it's just a bit meh) 

recipe: individual chicken pot pies

taken from: Food Network

changes: 1) halved the recipe since I was only making 2 mini-pot pies, 2) used puff pastry for the crust, 3) added extra seasonings (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, seasoning salt)

photo taken from MarthaStewart.com because
i can never remember to take one

ingredients (for 2 pot pies)

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1/2 a medium onion, finely diced

- 1 medium carrot, finely diced

- 1 stalk celery, finely diced

- 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

- 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

- 1/8 cup dry white wine (or addt'l chicken broth)

- 1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken breast

- 1/8 tsp tumeric

- 1/4 tsp ground thyme

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1/4 tsp white pepper

- 1/4 tsp parsley

- 1/4 tsp oregano

- fresh ground black pepper, salt & seasoning salt to taste 

- 1/8 cup half & half

- 2 5"x 5" squares of puff pastry

- 1 egg white

to make: 

lightly grease the insides of 2 ramekins and set aside. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. melt butter over a large skillet over medium-high heat, ten add the onion, carrots, and celery. cook, stirring veggies around, until the start to soften, about 3 minutes. sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. cook the flour-coated veggies for 1 minute, then pour in the chicken broth and wine, stirring to combine. let it heat up and start to bubble and thicken, about 3 minutes. 

stir in the chicken, then add the turmeric, thyme, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, white pepper, parsley, oregano, and salt/pepper. add more broth if it seems overly thick. turn off heat and let the filling cool to room temperature. 

divide the mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins. lay the puff pastry over each of the ramekins, pressing the edges slightly so they seal in place. mix the egg white with 2 tsp water, and brush it on the surface of the crust. cut small vents in the surface of the crusts.

add crusts to a baking sheet, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until crust is nice and toasty and the filling is bubbly. 

results: delish! much easier to assemble than I expected, consistency of filling & flavor was great. i could definitely taste the tumeric and i gave it a slightly-Indian-tasting vibe -- easy to leave out if you want a more traditional flavored p-pie. 

recipe: lingiuini with clam sauce

taken from: foodnetwork.com 

changes: reduced quantities since we only had ~2 dozen clams, used dried oregano & parsley since it's all we had, added shallots, added a few dashes onion powder, white pepper, & Italian seasoning.

result: absolutely delightful -- would make again without any changes.  

ingredients (for 2):
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 shallot, finely diced
- 2 dozen little neck clams, scrubbed under cold running water 
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 lb lingiuni
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp chopped Italian parsley leaves
- 1 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt 

recipe: lamb meatballs with spiced tomato sauce

photo from nytimes.com. i really need to get better at photogging my food.

MEAT BALLS: 
taken from: foodnetwork.com 

changes: baked instead of fried; whole wheat flour in place of semolina no changes to overall ingredients 

result: perfect. exactly what I was looking for in terms of flavor, and really easy to put together. 

ingredients:
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp semolina (or substitute flour, if needed)
- 1 egg, beaten

to make: put the lamb into a large bowl and add the scallions. sprinkle in the spices, salt, and egg. work everything together with your hands until evenly mixed, then cover and leave in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.  

when ready to prep balls, preheat oven to 400F degrees. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

form meat into 1 & 1/2 inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. bake for about 20 minutes, turning once during the cooking process. 

SAUCE:
taken from: NY Times Cooking

changes: very minor. can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole, subbed ground thyme instead of fresh, coconut sugar in place of white sugar.

recipe: chicken and wild rice soup

taken from: Taste of Home

changes: added minced garlic; added extra seasonings: seasoning salt, white pepper, paprika extra chicken bouillon; sauteed veggies before adding in broth mixture; reduced time for broth simmering from 30 to 20 minutes. 

result: was exactly what I was looking for, and a little creamy without having to add a lot of cream. would make again. 

ingredients (makes 14 servings): 
- 2 quarts chicken broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, chopped (i used white mushrooms)
- 1 cup finely chopped celery

- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules (+ a few dashes more as needed, to taste)
- 1 tsp dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
- 1/4 cup butter, diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 can (10 & 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups cooked wild rice
- 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
- salt & pepper to taste

recipe: spinach & cheese manicotti

this was part 2 of my freezer cooking day, and surprisingly enough, the first time i've ever made manicotti. since these are still in the freezer, not sure what the final verdict is, but the prep was actually easier than i expected it to be. i used the recipe from allrecipes.com.

photo from seriouseats.com

ingredients list:

- 1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese

- 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

- 1/2 cup minced onion

- 1 egg

- 2 tsp minced fresh parsley

- 1/2 tsp pepper 

- 1/4 tsp garlic powder

- seasoned salt to taste

- 1  & 1/2 cups shredded mozzerella cheese, divided

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

- 2 (26 oz) jars spaghetti sauce, or an equivalent amount of homemade sauce

- 1 (8 oz) package manicotti shells

- 1 cup water

recipe: baked ziti

photo from thepioneerwoman.com/

i needed some good freezer-friendly meals, so i took a Sunday and whipped up a mass amount of marinara sauce, then doled in out in a few small trays of baked ziti and manicotti. i'm usually not a huge baked ziti fan (i feel like it often has no flavor due to weak sauce or not enough sauce... it's just boring pasta), but i had a REALLY good batch of it a ways back by a gal who made it super-creamy, cheesy. that landed me at the Pioneer Woman's recipe, which was drowning in creamy cheese. 

i followed her recipe mostly verbatim, just cutting the amount of meat in half (1 lb instead of 2) and using turkey instead of beef + sausage. i also added a bit of sour cream to increase the cheese factor. 

i saved it a few small trays -- the tray i cooked up that night was pretty delicious, next test will be trying the freezer tray to see if it holds up.

ingredients list:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 can (28 oz size) whole tomatoes, with juice
- 2 cans (14.5 oz) tomato sauce or marinara sauce (or an equivalent amount of homemade sauce)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb ziti, cooked until not quite al dente 
- 1 tub (15 oz) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 & 1/2 lb mozzerella cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg 
- 1 (8 oz) container sour cream (optional)
- fresh minced parsley (optional)

recipe: london broil marinade

picture from Food.com

made this for a quick-prep din last week -- for a very easy thing to assemble (and inexpensive meat), this came out damn good. it was one of the better London broil's i've ever made -- not sure if that's attributed to this recipe, or a just-right cooking temp/time, but it's one i would definitely make again.

i used the "Ant" Kelly's London Broil Marinade from Food.com -- followed it to a tee.

ingredients list: 
- 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp rosemary
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp London broil beef