March 29th

No Dinner

I was full from a big lunch and tired, so I didn't have dinner tonight.

March 28th

Bread

After just posting about trying to limit my carbs, I decided to make this dinner full of lots of crusty bread.  Moderation, right?

Italian Country Loaf Rustica
recipe from: Mary Ann Tobin

Our downstairs neighbor is a pie lover, so for his birthday his wife threw him a pie party, which I thought was the best idea ever!  We had savory pies for dinner and sweet pies for dessert.  This is one of the savory pies she made and it was so good I had to get the recipe! 
I'm never very good at making bread, but this is so simple and the fact that it's rustic makes it easier. 
This has Italian sausage in it and I am not the hugest fan of Italian sausage.  I think it would also be good with ground beef and similar seasonings.  Really you could fill this loaf with almost anything...even pizza toppings would be good. 

Ingredients:

• filling:
• 1 lb sweet italian sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded or cubed
• 7 oz jar mild roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• bread:
• 1 -1 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I didn't have so I used more white)
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 pkg. fast acting dry yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 tsp butter (softened) or olive oil
• 1 egg beaten
• 2-3 tsp sesame seeds (optional)

 Directions:

1. If sausage comes in casing, remove casing, breakup.  In a large skillet, brown sausage, onion and garlic.  Drain well and set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine 1 cup white flour, whole wheat, conrmeal, sugar, salt, and yeast.  Blend well.  Stir in water and butter or oil, mix well.  Stir in remaining white flour to form a stiff dough.
3. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  This dough is extremely sticky to work with so flour your hands when working with it.
4. Spray a 9-10" springform pan and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal, shake to remove excess.  Take out dough and spread 2/3 in bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Add cheese and peppers to the meat mixture and spoon over the dough.  Drop remaining dough over meat mixture.  Carefully spread to cover as best as you can, but dough will spread a little bit as it's cooking.  Cover loosely with pllastic wrap and a cloth towel.  Let rest in a warm place for 20 minutes or so.
5. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush top of dough with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  To serve, cut in wedges.  Store leftovers in refrigerator.

 Grades:

Megan - A- (The only reason this got a minus is because I'm not the biggest Italian sausage lover.  It's really good though and the bread turned out nice and crusty.)

Noelle - A- (Noelle ate a pretty big piece of this even though it had peppers in it!  She liked that there was sausage in it even though she kept thinking the sausage was mushrooms.  I couldn't convince her that there weren't any mushrooms in it.)

March 27th

No Carb Craze

I'm never really on a diet (even though I probably should be), but I do try to limit my carb intake on a regular basis.  I've made these many times and they are perfect for those no carb, gluten free people out there and the regular carb and gluten eaters too!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers
recipe from: http://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/philly-cheesesteak-stuffed-peppers-low-carb-gluten-free/

These are so quick and easy to make, but are packed with flavor.  They aren't as good as a real Philly cheesesteak sandwich because, let's be honest, nothing can beat real bread.  But, these are a perfect low-carb gluten-free substitute. 

The only change I made was that I baked the empty peppers a bit before stuffing them in an attempt to make them less crispy.  I think it helped, but they were still pretty crisp.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I love the flavors.  I just wish the peppers were not so crispy and were more cooked.)

Noelle - D+ (I figured going in that Noelle would hate these because she really doesn't like bell peppers.  I considered scraping out the stuffing and not even showing her the bell pepper, but I decided to keep it as is because exposure.  Well, as predicted she saw that pepper and immediately said, "I don't like it!"  I sang a of little Daniel Tiger's "You gotta try new foods cause they might taste good" song and told her she had to try it.  She ate a little bit of the filling.  Then she started talking about being like Katarina and eating the pepper [I don't know...maybe that happened on today's episode?].  She picked up the pepper and I thought she was going to try it, but a lick was all it took and she immediately put it down and said "no thank you!"  At least she ate some filling.)

March 26th

The Finale

Doug's stew Sundays came to an end tonight with this finale recipe.  He will probably start them again in October.  It's bittersweet...I'm happy they're over because I'm kind of getting tired of eating stew, but I'm also sad because that means I have no one to cook for me on Sundays anymore.

Beuf Bourguignon 
recipe from: The French Kitchen Cookbook

This was a good finale.  This stew had tons of flavor, the meat was super tender, and it was very hearty.  The only thing I would do differently is use regular onions instead of pearl onions because I just don't really like them.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 6 oz bacon
• 3 lbs boneless beef chuck or beef round, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbs all purpose flour
• 3 cups red wine
• 1 1/2-2 cups beef stock
• 1 bouquet garni of 2 thyme sprigs, 2 parsley sprigs, and 3 bay leaves tied with string
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tbs butter
• 12 oz pearl onions
• 3 1/2 cups white button mushrooms
• chopped parsley to garnish
• mashed potatoes to serve

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat (we used a dutch oven).  Add the bacon and brown for 2-13 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Add the beef in batches to the dish and cook until browned.  Drain and keep with the bacon.  Add the carrots and chopped onions to the dish and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute until just golden.  Return the meat and bacon to the casserole dish. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook for 1 minute, stirring.  Add the wine, enough stock to cover, the bouquet garni, and the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for 3 hours.
2. Heat half the butter in a skillet.  Add the pearl onions, cover, and cook until softened.  Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.  Heat the remaining butter in the skillet.  Add the mushrooms and saute briefly.  Set aside mushrooms and keep warm.
3. Remove the casserole dish from the heat and strain the casserole liquid through a strainer into a clean saucepan.  Wipe the casserole dish with paper towels and transfer the meat mixture, mushrooms, and onions to the dish.  Discard the bouquet garni.  Remove the surface fat from the casserole liquid, simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce, then pour it over the meat and vegetables in the dish.  Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and with mashed potatoes on the side.

Grades:

Megan - A (As said above, this was top-notch stew.  It takes a long time to cook, but it's kind of a set-it-and-forget-it type dish.  Plus, it's worth the wait!)

Noelle - B- (Noelle started out loving this and was saying, "more beef! more beef!" while I was feeding it to her.  Then she suddenly changed tunes and wouldn't eat any more.  I'm not sure if she just got full or if she decided she didn't like it anymore.  Either way, she only ate about half her serving.)

March 25th

Be.Cha.Mel.

If you've never had something with bechamel on it, you're missing out.  It's a creamy, thick sauce with a hint of nutmeg.  I think you could put it on anything and that dish would be instantly improved.

Greek Moussaka
recipe from: http://12tomatoes.com/greek-recipe-mouthwatering-moussaka/

Moussaka is kind of like a Greek lasagna.  It doesn't have pasta, but instead has layers of potatoes, eggplant, and ground beef.  Then it is topped off with a creamy bechamel sauce.
My moussaka didn't really look how it was supposed to and that's because the thing I am worst at is letting dishes sit to cool a bit before serving.  I took this out of the oven and tried dishing it up right away.  It was so hot that all the layers kind of just melted into a big delicious blob.
Despite the way it looked, it still tasted really good.  I'm not sure it tasted exactly like moussaka I've had in Greek restaurants, but it tasted good either way.
This recipe was a little time-consuming because there were so many steps.  It's definitely more of a weekend dinner than weeknight, but it's totally doable.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought this had great flavor and the bechamel made it nice and creamy and rich.  I only gave it the minus because it didn't really taste like moussaka to me.)

Noelle - D- (Noelle started out by eating just the potatoes and seemed okay with them.  She was also really excited by the way I was saying moussaka to her.  However, once she started eating bites of everything mixed together, she was no longer excited.  I guess she's like every other kids in the world and doesn't like her food all mixed together.)

March 24th

When the Weather is Too Nice to Cook

Today was a gorgeous day and by the time we got in, it was too late for me to start making the dinner I had planned.  I was planning on us ordering take-out on Tuesday, but we did it tonight instead.

Cucina Paradiso
Oak Park, IL

I wasn't that hungry because I had a big lunch, so I just got some fried calamari.  I've never eaten at this restaurant before and I don't think this dish is the best thing to judge the restaurant by.  I quickly learned that calamari is not the best thing to order for carry-out.  The heat got trapped in the container and made the seemingly once-crispy calamari a little soggy.  It had good flavor and wasn't tough, so I think it would have been good if we had ordered it in the restaurant.  Doug had a margherita pizza and he said it was pretty good.

Grades:

Megan - C (Not really the restaurant's fault...I just wouldn't recommend ordering fried calamari as a carry out dish.)

Noelle - Noelle was already asleep, so she didn't get to try anything this time.

March 23rd

Limes, Avocados, and Cheese...Oh My!

The first time I had chicken noodle soup served with limes was in a Mexican restaurant Doug took me to on a date.  I thought it was a strange combination, but the minute I tried it, I was hooked.  Lime is the perfect compliment to it... who knew!?

Mexican Lime Soup with Chicken
recipe from: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mexican-lime-soup-chicken.html

First of all, Williams Sonoma has recipes...who knew??

Second of all, this is delicious and you should make it!

The only things I changed were that I used regular oregano because I didn't have Mexican oregano.  I also added extra lime juice so I could really taste that lime flavor.  Feta cheese sounds weird, but it works so well in this.

Grades:

Megan - A (The lime flavor is perfect with the chicken and then you have the soft, creamy avocados, and the crumbly, salty feta.  Perfect.  Good job Williams Sonoma.)

Noelle - C (Noelle loved the avocados in this of course.  After those were gone we got her to eat a little chicken, but she wasn't too impressed.  Doug showed her how to pick up the bowl and drink the broth and she really liked that.  She said she was drinking it "like a cup" and kept saying, "again, again!" to drink more.)

March 22nd

Sorry

Sometimes there are nights when you just don't feel like cooking.  This was one of those nights...and it sure is obvious.
All I said when I handed Doug his plate was, "sorry."  This was not one of my best showings.  Oh well, they can't all be gourmet.

Garlic Chicken Sausage

Trader Joe's has a pretty good selection of flavored chicken sausages.  They are usually my go-to dinner when I just can't think of anything to make.  They taste good and are pretty healthy.
This dinner just looks so pathetic.  At least it was healthy, right?

Grades:

Megan - C (Not bad, not great.  Average is the perfect word to describe this.)

Noelle - A (Noelle scarfed this down and loved it much more than me.)

March 21st

Butter it Up

When LouMalnati's asks if you want a butter crust, the correct answer is yes.  Actually, the answer is almost always yes to anything with butter.  I don't know what the non-butter crust is like, but this one was pretty, pretty, pretty good.

LouMalnati's
Oak Park, IL

My favorite deep dish pizza is from Pequod's in the city.  However, I think LouMalnati's comes in second place.  Do not order their thin crust...bleh.  But, the deep dish, yes, that's a good choice.  Oh, and make sure to get the butter crust.

Grades:

Megan - A (Deep dish is not my favorite style of pizza, but every once in a while it is such a great treat!  We had cheese deep dish.)

Noelle - A (Noelle was saying "mmm, pizza" while she was eating this.  The next day she was trying to take the pizza box out of the recycling to get "more pizza."  I think it's safe to say she liked it.)

March 20th

Like the Hair of an Angel

We had Capellini pasta, aka "Angel Hair" pasta for dinner tonight.  While I don't like the thought of eating hair, this pasta is one of my favorites.  There's something about those super thin noodles that just taste better than their thicker spaghetti relative.

Roasted Cherry Tomato Capellini
recipe from: http://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2012/08/roasted-cherry-tomato-cappellini-two.html

This dinner not only has deliciously thin pasta, but it also looks as beautiful as it tastes.  The red tomatoes and the green basil give it such a great, fresh color.
There is only one thing I changed from the original recipe.  I added a couple extra garlic cloves, and I cut them all in quarters before roasting so they give more flavor throughout the dish.  Otherwise, the recipe is pretty perfect.  I made ours vegetarian, but she also recommends putting shrimp in it.  I've made it with shrimp before and it was great.  I also think it would be good with some prosciutto in it.

Grades:

Megan - A (I love pretty much any pasta.  This one has a light, fresh taste.  And you know, it has angel hair.)

Noelle -B+ (Noelle had a chunk of garlic in her first bite and started saying, "I don't like it, I don't like it."  I told her that I thought she just didn't like the garlic and she should try another bite.  She did and she liked it.  She especially liked the tomatoes [which I was surprised by because I thought she'd be weirded out by their skin.]  She also really liked the pine nuts.  She couldn't remember the name of them and kept calling them pineapples or pinecones or acorns, but she liked them.)

March 19th

 Escaping the Boredom

Our weekends have been pretty lame lately.  And pretty boring.  Instead of just sitting at home today, we decided to go to my sister's house and hang out.  We also thought going out to dinner with them would be fun.  So, we invited ourselves over and got out.

Burrito Parrilla Mexicano
Naperville, IL

I love a good mexican place and this is one of them.  Authenti tasting, delicious, giant servings of mexican food and deliciously sweet horchata.  I'd recommend going here for sure if you're in the area.  It's a super casual place where you order at the counter and they bring the food to your table when it's ready.  I can't wait to go again.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I had a chorizo burrito, which is not a typical choice for me but since I already had a steak burrito this year, I had to switch it up.  I'm glad I did...it was so good!  And it was huge, which is always a bonus in my book.  I'm very picky about my horchata and this place passed my test with flying colors.)

Noelle - A + (Noelle had chicken quesadillas with rice and refried beans as a side.  She loved it and didn't ever want to stop eating it.  At the end of dinner [when everyone was done except her] she said she had to go to the bathroom.  She was worried about her quesadilla and I told her it would be there when we got back.  Well, we got back to the table to find it all cleared off and everyone gone.  Noelle's first reaction was not, "where is everyone?" but was, "where's my quesadilla?"  I felt bad for her, but I think she had enough.)

March 18th

Bye Doug

Doug has decided that he doesn't like grading the dinners.  He says it takes away from his enjoyment from the meal.  So, it's just Noelle and I grading from now on.  Not a big loss...Doug's grades were always pretty boring anyway :)

Indonesian Honey Garlic Chicken
recipe from: http://littlespicejar.com/indonesian-honey-garlic-chicken/

I get a lot of recipes off pinterest and this is one of them.  I really like this woman's blog.  She has great photos...something that I could really work on.  But, like I said, I like to keep my photos real.  I can't believe that normal people really serve dinners that look that picture perfect on a regular basis...or maybe mine are just unusually bad looking?
Either way, this is a simple dinner.  I changed a couple things from the recipe:
- I made it with chicken breasts instead of thighs.  It was fine, but the thighs would have given it more flavor, more juiciness, and would have been cheaper.
- I didn't bake the chicken.  Instead, I just cut the breasts into thin slices and made them in the pan.  I think this would've made a difference if I used the thighs, but since I used breasts without skin, I don't think it mattered.

Grades:

Megan - C (There was nothing really wrong with this meal except that I might have over-cooked the chicken a little.  I just am not that into eating chicken breasts.  I prefer my chicken to be shredded or cut up and mixed into something like a taco or pasta.)

Noelle -B+ (Noelle seemed to like the chicken.  I tried a new technique...I feel like she doesn't eat food as much when I serve it to her all cut up [because many times it doesn't look very appetizing all cut and smashed up into little pieces.  Tonight I tried serving her the whole chicken breast and cutting it in front of her.  I think it worked...for tonight at least.)

March 16th

Creamy and Leeky

Another hit from the Belgian cookbook.  You should really just buy this cookbook, because everything we've made from it is really tasty.

Leek and Potato Soup
recipe from: Everyone Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek

I did not have high hopes for this soup since it basically only has two ingredients - leeks and potatoes.  But, I was pleasantly surprised.  That will teach me not to doubt the Belgian cookbook!
There was a surprising amount of flavor in this from the leeks and I really liked that the potatoes were blended.  It made the soup really creamy and smooth without adding heavy cream.  
To make it even better I would add crumbled bacon and shredded cheese on top.  That would make it taste like a loaded baked potato.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs butter
• 5 large leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed well and sliced into thin rounds
• 1 lb baking potatoes (2 large), peeled and cubed
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium sized soup pot over low heat.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  The leeks should be softened but not browned.  Remove 3/4 cup of the cooked leeks and reserve. 
2. Add the potatoes and chicken broth to the remaining leeks.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer, covered until the vegetables are soft, 20-25 minutes.
3. Let the soup cool slightly, then press through a food mill or puree in batches in a blender or food processor (I used an immersion blender).  Return the puree to the soup pot and stir in the milk.  Add the reserved leeks.  Reheat slowly but do not let the soup boil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Grades:

Megan - A (As said above, this surprised me with the amount of flavor it had, and I really liked the creaminess.)

Doug -  B

Noelle - B- (Upon first bite, Noelle made herself gag after tasting it [which really is a disgusting habit she's starting].  Then she quickly told me she did not want to eat the "skin" [aka leeks].  When I started giving her bites with just the potato soup and peas [I put peas in hers to get some more veggies in], then she started eating it all up.  She made sure to remind me throughout dinner not to give her any more look pieces...I mean skin.)

March 17th

Luck of the Irish

I am half Irish and Noelle is a little Irish, so I thought we'd better have an Irish dish on St. Patrick's Day.  Doug doesn't like corned beef and cabbage (and I already had that this year), so Shepherd's Pie it was.

Traditional Irish Shepherd's Pie
recipe from: http://www.food.com/recipe/traditional-irish-shepherds-pie-302120

I really thought this was going to be great.  There were a lot of flavorful ingredients going into it and I made it with so much Irish love.  However, it was disappointing because it was a little bland.  Maybe next time I should put some Guiness in it.

Grades:

Megan - B (It was a little bland, but still tasted good and had delicious mashed potatoes on it.  The two cans of Guiness I had with it helped too.)

Doug - B

Noelle - B- (Noelle ate the potatoes so fast she was out of breath.  After that she ate as slow as slow could be.  I don't know why she didn't like the meat.  I think maybe she doesn't like it when things are all mixed together in a casserole-type dish like that.  If it weren't for the potatoes this grade would've been a lot lower.)

March 15th

It's Greek to Me

Spanikopita is a cheese and spinach pie.  This recipe is made with lots of cheese and a buttery, flaky crust.  And the recipe is from my mom, so you know it must be good.

Spanikopita
recipe from: Maureen Konieczny

This not necessarily a healthy meal, but it is delicious and it's vegetarian so if you're looking for a break from meat or you don't eat meat, this would be great for you.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 C olive oil
• 2 lbs frozen, chopped, spinach
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs feta cheese, crumbled
• 1-2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 C butter
• 1 lb filo dough
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3/4 C sour cream
• 1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat 1 TBS of oil in a large saute pan - add 1/2 the spinach and saute till spinach wilts, toss with tongs, about 2 minutes (make sure to squeeze out excess liquid).  Repeat with remaining spinach, using 1 more tbs oil.
2. Pour off any liquid from pan and add remaining olive oil.  Add and saute green onion and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach to green onions along with salt and pepper.  Cook over low for 1-2 minutes (can be done ahead and refrigerated.)
3. Stir in feta, sour cream, and 1 tbs lemon juice.  Stir in as much beaten egg as needed to moisten the cool spinach mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 350
5. Butter a 9x13 inch baking pan (use cold butter to grease pan completely) and then spread 6 sheets of filo; brushing top of each sheet with butter.  Spoon the spinach filling over the filo evenly.  Then cover with 6 more sheets of filo, buttering each sheet.
6. Score the top 3 sheets with a sharp knife.
7. Back 40-45 minutes or until top is golden, let stand 15 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Grades:

Megan - A (Any pie is a good pie...even if it has spinach in it.)

Doug - A-

Noelle - F (I thought Noelle might like it after her first bite.  Then she took her second bite and stared making herself gag.  After that, she wouldn't try any more.)

March 14th

Feeling Like the 50's

When I think of a 1950's family I think of a husband coming home from work and sitting down to smoke a cigarette while his wife pulls a pot roast of of the oven and calls the family to dinner.  We didn't have any of that tonight...except the pot roast.

Savory Pot Roast
recipe from: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/savory-pot-roast-54353.aspx

This is about the simplest recipe there is.  It had a good flavor, but I wished the meat had gotten a little more tender.  Maybe if I would've let it simmer more it would've tenderized more?

Grades:

Megan - B (I liked the flavor of this and I loved that it was absurdly easy to make.  The veggies also got a good flavor from being cooked in the sauce.)

Doug - B

Noelle - C (Noelle liked the potatoes and ate a little beef.  She seemed pretty ambivalent about it all though.)

March 13th

This Lettuce Wrap is Making Me Thirsty

Nothing makes me feel healthier than a lettuce wrap.  This dinner is protein packed, carb free, and full of taste.  Just watch the salt.

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps
recipe from: https://aseasyasapplepie.com/cashew-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

The only problem with these was that they turned out too salty.  I think it's because I used salted cashews instead of raw.  Definitely get the raw ones and use a low-sodium soy sauce.

Also, I didn't have oyster sauce so I used fish sauce (but fish sauce is pretty strong stuff so I didn't add the full amount) and it worked well.

Grades:

Megan - B (These would've been an A if they weren't so salty.)

Doug - B

Noelle - F (Noelle tried a couple of pieces of chicken and was done.  I was able to get her to kind of like the cashews.  She kept saying she wanted "more crumbs" which meant more cashews.)

March 12th

Movie Night

Doug and I went to see the movie Get Out.  It was way better than I expected.  We also went to an awesome theater that had a fancy bar and reclining seats.  It was so nice to get out...haha get it?

Popcorn and a Frosty

Since we got home late from the movie, there was no time to make dinner.  I was pretty full from the popcorn I had at the theater, but Doug wanted to pick up some Wendy's for dinner.  I have been wanting ice cream for a while now, so tonight I satisfied that craving and got a Wendy's Frosty.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (Popcorn is one of my favorite foods [especially movie theater popcorn]. And frostys are always delicious.)

Doug - Doug didn't have popcorn.  I'm not sure what he'd give the Wendy's, but I'm sure it was good.

Noelle - Noelle was crying and tantruming because she couldn't have any of the Wendy's we ordered.  She had already eaten a healthy dinner at her grandparents while we were at the movie.

March 11th

Top O' the Evening To Ya

We went to a St. Patrick's Day party tonight.  Noelle had fun playing, I had fun visiting with friends, and I didn't have to cook...I'd call that the luck of the Irish!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

We had a delicious dinner cooked by my friend.  It consisted of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, and vegetarian shepherd's pie. Yum!

Grades:

Megan - A (So, so delicious!)

Doug - Doug was sick so he missed the party and didn't get to partake in this deliciousness.

Noelle - A (Noelle was hesitant to try the corned beef, but once she did she was asking for more.  She also enjoyed all the other food and snacks.)

March 10th

Easy as Pie Enchiladas

These are about as easy as it gets and come packed with a pretty impressive flavor.  They are much easier than making pie.

Better-Than-Ever Beef Enchiladas
recipe from: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/better-than-ever-beef-enchiladas-90553.aspx

The only thing I changed from this recipe was that I used flour tortillas instead of corn.  Since I used flour, I did not use the Italian dressing either.  I also added some hot sauce and sour cream on top.

Grades:

Megan - A (These are so easy to make, pretty healthy, and really pack in some good flavor.)

Doug -

Noelle - D- (I thought Noelle would like these since she likes tacos.  I obviously was wrong.  I think part of the problem was that I cut it up before she saw it, so it kind of looked just like a mushed up mess.  Whenever Noelle sees something thin that she doesn't want she calls it skin (like skin on fruit).  When she saw the tortillas she said, "I don't want the skin."  After I told her it wasn't skin but was like a taco she tried it, but still didn't really want to eat any more.  She ate a little of the beef but that was about it.)

March 9th

Schwarmaaaaaaa!

I never had any kind of schwarma until I was an adult.  Actually I never really had any Mediterranean or middle eastern food until I was an adult.  Boy, was I missing out.

Jerusalem Cafe
Oak Park, IL

Tonight was a delivery night and we chose the Middle Eastern restaurant Jerusalem Cafe.  We all had the chicken schwarma platter which came with a pita, hummus, rice, and vegetables.  I like Jerusalem Cafe for carry out/delivery (I have never eaten in) although I think I like their schwarma sandwich better than the platter.

Grades:

Megan - A (I thought the chicken had a good lemon, garlic flavor and I really liked the hummus with the pita.)

Doug -

Noelle - B+ (Noelle liked the chicken kind of liked the rice but wasn't really enjoying the vegetables.)

March 8th

Put the Lime in the Coconut

A classic combination...a little tropical, a little tart, and a little sweet.  Put the lime and the coconut on the chicken and you have a delicious dinner.

Lime and Coconut Chicken
recipe from: http://chaosinthekitchen.com/2009/07/lime-and-coconut-chicken/

This chicken had good flavor and turned out moist as well.  It would be really good grilled, but it's winter so I made it on the stove.

Grades:

Megan - B (I liked the flavor of this dish, but I just am not the biggest fan of eating whole chicken breasts.)

Doug -

Noelle - B (Noelle didn't have anything interesting to say about this chicken.  She ate it and didn't seem wowed or disgusted.)

March 7th

Frenchy

A lot people have tried sweet crepes, but if you've never tried a savory one, you must!  They are pockets of deliciousness.

Leek Crepes
recipe from: The French Kitchen Cookbook

Buttery leeks in warm, melted goat cheese with just a dash of nutmeg = perfection.

Crepes can take a little while to learn how to make correctly (I still haven't masted it and had a couple I had to throw out).  I think the trick is to make sure the batter is thin so it can spread easily and to spread the batter on the pan quickly before it cooks too much and the crepe becomes too thick.  I think I'll have to make more crepes soon...for practice.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I really love crepes and these turned out really tasty. I can't wait to make more flavors.)

Doug - A-

Noelle - D (Noelle was excitedly shouting "yay pancakes!" when she sat down at the table [which I guess is my fault because I told her crepes were kind of like pancakes] but then she took a bite and lost all excitement.  From the look on her face, I'd say she was thinking, "Um, mom.  These are not pancakes."  I only was able to get her to take a few bites.  Then, when I asked her if she wanted more she replied, "No, I'm busy chewing my potatoes mom."  Ok...that just meant more crepes for me!)

March 6th

Fancy Fish

Every time I make this dish I feel like the name of it sounds so fancy.  However, it's really not...it could just be called fried lemon butter fish.

Sole Meuniere
recipe from: The French Kitchen Cookbook

This is one of my favorite fish dishes.  It's fried, it soaked in butter, and it has capers (well, the recipe actually doesn't have capers, but I add them because hello...they're delicious!) Plus, even though it's easy to make, I feel like it sounds impressive.

Ingredients:

• 4 sole fillets about 6 oz each, skinned (I buy frozen fillets from Trader Joes)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tbs butter
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish
• lemon wedges to serve
• capers (not in the original recipe, but really good with it)

Directions:

1. Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.  Pour the milk into a flat dish at least as large as the fillets and put the flour on a plate.  Season each fillet on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. working with one fillet at a time, pull it quickly through the link then put it in the flour, turn once to coat all over, and shake off any excess flour.  Continue until all fillets are prepared.
3. Melt half the butter in a saute pan or skillet, large enough to hold the fillets in a single layer over medium-high heat. Add the fillets to the pan, skinned side down, and cook for two minutes.
4. Turn over the fillets and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily.  Transfer to warm serving plates and set aside.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining butter in the pan.  When it stops foaming, add the lemon juice and stir, scraping up the sediment from the bottom of the pan.  Spoon the butter mixture over the fish and garnish with parsley (or capers).  Serve with lemon wedges.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (So lemony, so buttery, so capery, so good.)

Doug - A

Noelle - A- (Noelle didn't like the brown bits of sauce on her fish [I think it was too concentrated of a lemon flavor for her] and she didn't like the capers.  However, once that was all off, she devoured the fish.)

March 5th

Heavy Metal and Silent Thrillers

My family has a tradition of going to 3 Floyds Brewery every winter and today the tradition continued.  We like 3 Floyds because they have awesome beer and just as awesome food.  The brewpub is full of heavy metal music and plays various movies on their TVs...today it was a mix of kung foo movies and silent horror films.

3 Floyds Brewpub
Munster, IN

The worst thing about eating here is that it's really popular, so the wait can be very long.  There's not really anywhere to wait inside (unless you can find a spot at the bar, but that's hard to do), so most of the time you have to sit in your car and wait.  This time we went on a Sunday around 3:30pm and we didn't have to wait long at all, so I recommend going at an off-time.
They have some beers that are constant, but many of their beers change throughout the year.  Same with the food.  It's nice to go and always have different options.

Grades:

Megan - A (We shared cheese curds for an appetizer and they were delicious!  Not your average cheese curds.  They had a tempura-like batter on them and were drizzled with a really good semi-spicy sauce.  I had a Floyds Burger which was a double cheeseburger with hot sauce, smoked pickle relish, remoulade, and arugula.  It was yummy and huge.  I only could eat half and got to enjoy the other half for lunch the next day.  I also had a peach sour beer and it was perfect.)

Doug - A (Doug had a steak sandwich and a couple different beers...one was an excellent beer made in honor of Jean-Claude Van Damme called "Man Splits".)

Noelle - B (Noelle was pretty obsessed with the cheese curds and really disappointed when I wouldn't let her eat any more.  She also had mac and cheese that had beer cheese and smoked brisket in it.  She wasn't really into the mac and cheese and that's the reason her grade wasn't an A.  I think maybe the beer flavor was a little too weird for her.  She also had garlic-Parmesan fries and being the fry lover that she is, just couldn't get enough of those.)

March 4th

Thawing Out

Oak Park had their annual Jazz Thaw, and since we'd never been, we thought we'd see what it was about.  I think it's a good idea...various restaurants around town have jazz bands and you can go and listen while enjoying the local restaurants.  We originally thought we'd try a couple other places, but everywhere was so crowded we couldn't even get in.  We ended up getting a table at Bar Louie.  It was nice hearing the jazz, but I think the event needs a little tweaking.

Bar Louie
Oak Park, IL

When Doug and I first moved in together we lived in Hyde Park and there was a Bar Louie in our building.  So, every time I go there, I can't help but think of our first apartment.  Those great memories keep me going to Bar Louie...and their food is usually pretty good.
I think the Jazz Thaw event is a great concept, but I feel like all the restaurants were too crowded.  So they either need to add more restaurants, or figure out some other locations to add besides restaurants that can hold more people.
Also, Bar Louie didn't seem prepared for the crowd.  It took forever to even get someone to come over to take our order.  The waitress warned us that the food would take a while, but geez...it took forevvvveeeeer.  Luckily Noelle is awesome and was able to hang out with us while we sat for a very long, long time waiting.  We were so proud of her!

Grades:

Megan - C- (We had bacon cheeseburger sliders and they were delish.  I also had an awesome cocktail called Effen Good, which was a cucumber martini.  It was so effin good I decided I NEED to buy cucumber vodka to try and make my own.  I would've given the food/drinks an A, but the service was terrible.  We've been there before when there wasn't an event and the service was fine...I think they were just unprepared for some reason.)

Doug - B

Noelle - A- (Noelle had pizza and scarfed it down and wanted more.  I just knocked her grade down a bit because I don't think she liked all the waiting...even though she tolerated it for pizza.)

March 3rd

A Special Noelle and Mommy Dinner

Doug was out for the night, so I decided Noelle and I should have a special mommy-daughter dinner.  It was mostly in my self-interest because I wanted ice cream, but I decided we'd go to Culver's for our "special dinner."

Culver's
Berwyn, IL

One great thing about living in the Midwest again is Culver's.  I don't go there often, but when I do I love it.  They have butterburgers, cheese curds, and frozen custard.  Plus many, many more yummy dishes.  It's better quality than other fast food chains, but still fast food.  It's rare that I take Noelle to a fast food restaurant, so she was pretty excited.  I thought we would have a quick dinner and get home to put Noelle to bed, but I forgot who I was with.  There's no such thing as a quick meal with Noelle, especially when it's something she really likes.  We were eating at Culvers for just under an hour and a half.  Yep - an hour and a half dinner at a fast food restaurant.  And I'm pretty sure Noelle would've stayed longer and kept eating if I would've let her.  She had to eat everything.  Every. Single. Bite.

Grades:

Megan - A (I had a fried cod sandwich, cheese curds, and shared Noelle's ice cream.  Goodbye health, hello deliciousness!)

Doug - Doug was out being fancy at the opera so he missed our non-fancy dinner.

Noelle - A+ (Like I said, Noelle ate every bite.  It was a lot of food for a kid, especially a little two year old.  She had chicken fingers, fries, and chocolate frozen custard with strawberries.  She wasn't really into talking to me, but loved creepily staring at people in the tables near us and kind of joining in on their conversations.  She loved dipping her chicken in the sweet and sour sauce and was so excited about the ice cream at the end.)

March 2nd

My First Indian Recipe

I've always been intimidated by cooking Indian food, so I've never done it.  Well, this was super easy to make and didn't require any hard-to-get ingredients.

Chicken Tikka Masala
recipe from: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

I am no expert on chicken tikka masala, but I think this turned out good!  I served it over basmati rice, which in my opinion is a good choice.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

Masala Sauce

• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)
• 1 fresh serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced [you can keep the seeds for added heat which is what I did or use a jalapeno if you don't have a serrano chile]
• 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2/3 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves 

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine salt, cayenne, coriander, cumin and in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together ginger, garlic, oil, and yogurt; set aside. 2. FOR THE MASALA SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 mins. Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, chile, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 mins. Add salt, sugar, and crushed tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.
3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 mins, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.
4. Let chicken rest 5 mins, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

Grades:

Megan - A (Tasted good.  I'd make it again!)

Doug - A-

Noelle - C- (I thought she'd like it, but she wouldn't eat much of it.  Oh well...you can't always get straight A's...oh wait, I never do.)

March 1st

Who Made This?

I've said before that Noelle always seems to like her dinner better when she knows her dad made it.  Tonight when I put this bowl of soup in front of her she literally asked, "Who made this?"  I think she was disappointed with the answer.

Lasagna Soup
recipe from: http://www.cookingclassy.com/lasagna-soup/

Another easy dinner, and that's one of the top priorities to me.  It also tasted pretty good, so that's another priority.  If only Doug had made it, it would have been perfect because it always tastes better when someone else makes it (or when Doug makes it according to Noelle).
The only thing I will say is that I used Trader Joe's lasagna noodles in this and I would not recommend that.  Their lasagna noodles are completely flat and they pretty much all  stuck together in this like a lump.  You need the classic lasagna noodles with wavy edges.

Grades:

Megan - B- (I thought the soup had good flavor.  It just wasn't a blow-me-away dinner.)

Doug - B

Noelle - C (Noelle liked eating the noodles out of this and surprisingly wasn't excited about the rest.  I think she was upset it was made by me.  She also has a new thing when eating soup where she only wants to eat the "soup" meaning the broth.  There wasn't too much broth in here for her, so not her favorite.)

February 28th

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

You might be thinking I'm going crazy and getting ready for Christmas.  Nope.  The most wonderful time of the year in terms of eating is when Doug and I have our annual dinner at Geja's Cafe.

Geja's Cafe
Chicago, IL

I was way too busy eating and savoring to take pictures.

This is a fondue restaurant and it is my favorite restaurant.  Doug and I went here the night we got engaged and since then we have been going back every year.  I can't say enough good things about this place.  It's very dark and romantic inside.  It's fondue and there's not much better than dipping your food in cheese, frying your food in oil, and then dipping more food in chocolate.  The service we've had has always been great too.  I guess the only negatives would be that it's expensive and when you leave all your clothes smell like oil.  But, it is sooooo worth it! 
FYI - If you ever go, you can usually get a Groupon or Gejas will usually be having some kind of promotion that they will advertise on their website.

Grades:

Megan - A+ (One word....amazing)

Doug - A

Noelle - Noelle won't be eating here for a long time...maybe like 16 more years.

February 27th

Lemons Love Fish

Lemon and fish go together like ketchup and mustard, like peanut butter and jelly, like macaroni and cheese, right?  Well...usually I think that's true.

Lemony Scallop Risotto 
recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/lemony-shrimp-and-risotto-recipe

Wow - I'm really sorry that looks so disgusting in the picture.  It wasn't the greatest dinner, but it was better than it looks there!
This was another one I thought was going to be a winner.  It's from Giada...how could it be bad?  Oh, maybe because I changed the recipe from shrimp to bay scallops.  And maybe because I forgot to buy the arugula that was supposed to be in it.  Yeah, and maybe because I used vegetable broth instead of chicken. The shrimp would've been really good in it.  Scallops, not so much.  The arugula not only would've added a good taste, but would've also made it look less like a blob of vomit and more like food you would want to eat. And, I think you need the chicken broth - sorry vegetarians.
That being said, I have made this before without scallops and it was good.  If I were you, I'd make it wish shrimp or just plain with no protein.  I wouldn't use bay scallops.

Grades:

Megan - C (This was edible and had a good lemon flavor.  The scallops were just a little weird in it and there was something off.  Like I said, the arugula would've helped and so would the chicken broth.)

Doug - B

Noelle - C- (Noelle actually said while eating this, "I love scallops."  It's so strange, but she really does love them.  She was SO excited to see scallops on her plate and she ate them all.  Quickly.  She was not so excited about the risotto.  A couple tries and she was done.  She just kept saying, "scallops, where are you?" and refusing the risotto.)

February 26th

Salt Baby Diet

When Noelle was a baby I was always really worried about her eating salt since I read somewhere that baby's kidneys can't process salt.  Doug thought I was crazy and said he thought salt was fine.  Then he joked that he was going to create the "Salt Baby Diet."  This diet has been an ongoing joke in our house.  However, tonight I think Doug really was cooking for the Salt Baby Diet.

No-Sear Beef and Chickpea Stew
recipe from: http://recipes.177milkstreet.com/recipes/no-sear-lamb-or-beef-and-chickpea-stew

This recipe seemed promising since it is from Christopher Kimball, who after leaving America's Test Kitchen (one of my favorite cooking shows and cookbooks), has started his own cooking blog.
I think it could've been great...if it wasn't so salty.
I don't think I've ever thought something was so salty that I couldn't even eat it.  I like salt and usually can handle a lot of it.  However, this stew was just too salty!  Doug said he followed the recipe and put in the amount of salt it asked for.  So, if you make this, be sure to add WAAAYYY less salt.  Like only add 1/4 of the amount.  Then I think it will be delish!
Oh, and it says you can make it with beef or lamb.  Jewel's lamb wasn't looking so great, so we made it with beef.  Good for me since I'm not the biggest lamb fan anyway.

Grades:

Megan - D (It only got this grade because the salt made it pretty inedible and also gave it the nickname "salty stew."  If it weren't ruined by the salt it probably would've been a high B or maybe even an A)

Doug - B-

Noelle - F (Noelle didn't say it was too salty, but I'm pretty sure she was thinking it.  She ate a couple chickpeas and a couple bites of beef and was thinking, "no more Salt Baby Diet for me!"  Usually she loves chickpeas and that couldn't even entice her. )