April 26th

Frozen Chicken

I had every intention of making dinner tonight, but I got home late and my chicken that I was planning on using for dinner was still frozen solid.  On to plan B...

Goat Cheese and Crackers

Goat cheese is one of my favorites and I just recently found out that Costco has a great deal on it.  In my mind cheese and crackers are a perfectly acceptable dinner.

Grades:

Megan - A (You can't go wrong with a soft, tangy goat cheese spread on a wheat thin.)

Noelle - She had something much more substantial and balanced for dinner than cheese and crackers.

April 25th

Cousin's Dinner

I have two cousins who live in Oak Park and unfortunately even though we live so close, we don't get around to seeing each other all that often.  Tonight I had a nice (and long overdue) dinner with them at one of my favorite local restaurants.

Truffle, Parmesan, and Shroom Macaroni and Cheese
Scratch on Lake
Oak Park, IL

I have eaten at Scratch once before this year and had their delicious burger.  This time around I went for the decadent mac and cheese.  Scratch offers all different flavors of mac and cheese...I'm sure you'll see some other flavors on this blog as the year goes on.  Dinner was so, so good and great to catch up with my cousins!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I love this twist on mac and cheese.  The truffle flavor is decadent and the parmesan and mushrooms make it perfect.)

Noelle - Noelle was already snoozin'

April 24th

Almost Piccata

This was almost like one of our favorite dishes, chicken piccata.  Except not quite as good.

Oven Roasted Pork Chops with a Lemon Caper Sauce
recipe from: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

This dinner had great flavor, the pork turned out tender, and the sauce was great, but it kind of just made me wish I was eating chicken piccata.  Stay tuned for that recipe coming up sometime this year!

Ingredients:

• 4 pork chops, about 1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 tablespoons oil or bacon fat for cooking
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 3 tablespoons butter

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450*F.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat, and brown the pork chops on one side, for about 2 minutes.  Flip and brown the other side, another 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the chops to a foil-lined baking sheet or large, wide baking dish (so they aren’t crowded or touching each other.)  Roast in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 140*F on a thermometer, about 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through cooking time.  Remove from the oven, place on a platter, and cover with aluminum foil. Let the chops rest for about 5 minutes, and check to make sure the internal temperature has reached 150*F.
3. While the chops are in the oven, add the shallot to the skillet you cooked the pork chops in, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 30 seconds (about 2 minutes if you are using an onion.)
4. Increase the heat and add the broth, stirring to scrape up any bits stuck to the pan.  Add the lemon juice and capers and cook until the sauce reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes.
5. Off the heat, whisk the butter into the sauce, and pour over the pork chops.

 Grades:

Megan - B (These were tasty, but like I said, made me wish I was eating chicken.  I also wish the sauce was thicker because mine was pretty runny.)

Noelle - C (It was hard to tell if Noelle didn't like this that much or if she just wasn't tat hungry.  Either way, she ate some of it, but not too much.)

April 23rd

Stretching It...

I knew this was bound to happen, but we were going out to dinner with other people to a pizza restaurant.  Well, I've already eaten all the "normal" flavors of pizza, so I was fretting over what I would do in order to not repeat a dinner.  Well, that's when I decided to really stretch it and say, "I haven't had this brand of pizza yet."  Really each pizza brand/restaurant is significantly different, so I feel like it's ok.

Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza
Home Run Inn Pizza
Bolingbrook, IL

I have never had Home Run Inn pizza, but it has quite a following in Chicago for thin crust.  We ordered the butter crust and it was delicious! 

Grades:

Megan - A (Delicious thin crust and it really is quite different that the Jewel brand frozen pizza, and Domino's pizza I have previously had this year.  If you go there, definitely get the strawberry lemonade and the cheesy garlic bread because they are really good too.)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle ate a giant piece of garlic bread, and 4 pieces of pizza!  I'd say she loved it.  She was asking for more pizza too, but I was worried she'd get a stomachache from so much pizza, so I cut her off.)

April 22nd

Mom Recipe

If you haven't noticed, whenever I make one of my mom's recipes they always get straight A's.  This one is no exception.  I'm so lucky my mom is such a good cook, and now you can enjoy her cooking too!

Linguine with Chicken and Asparagus
recipe from: Maureen Konieczny

This is a family favorite.  It's so good, I can never just have one helping.  I usually like to add a little extra red pepper flakes to make it spicier, but I held back so Noelle would like it.  Either way, it is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb asparagus tips
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp (or more) red pepper flakes
• 1 whole tomato or grape tomatoes, sliced
• 2-3 tbs lemon juice
• 1/3 cup white wine
• garlic powder
• salt
• pepper
• 1 lb cut-up, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• parmesan cheese
• 1 lb linguine 

Directions:

1. Cook linguine according to package directions.
2. Cook asparagus in microwave until tender
3. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Cook in olive oil until done.  remove
4. add 3/4 c olive oil to the pan.  Cook garlic and red pepper in oil.  Add chicken, asparagus, white wine, lemon juice, and tomatoes.  Heat through.
5. Toss with linguine and parmesan cheese 

Grades:

Megan - A+ (the white wine, lemon juice, and garlic work together to create an amazing flavor.)

Noelle - A (Noelle happily ate all of her dinner.  Pasta with a toddler is a messy dinner!)

April 21st

Fri-Yay!

It's Friday and time for something unhealthy!

Chorizo Nachos
no recipe...just deliciousness

Nachos are amazing.  They're one of those foods that I feel like I could eat every day and never get tired of it.  There's no recipe for these, just tortilla chips with a jar of cheese sauce, soy chorizo, tomatoes, and sour cream.  Usually we have sliced jalapenos on them, but I forgot to buy them.  The key to great nachos is layering.  Don't just put all the toppings on top, but layer them below as well.

Grades:

Megan - A (So good!)

Noelle - Noelle didn't have these.  She really isn't very good at eating tortilla chips.  I don't know why, but they always make her cough and choke.  I'll let her try these when she gets that under control.

April 20th

Bonus Time

Below is what I ate for dinner and a bonus recipe for overnight oats.  There are so many different ways to make overnight oats and I have been obsessed with them lately.  I've tried many different ones, but this is one of my favorites.  If you've never had overnight oats, they have more of a pudding consistency than oatmeal consistency.  I love to eat them cold right out of the fridge, but I think you could heat them up too. 

Mike Ditka's Grilled Sirloin Salad
recipe from: Chicago Tribune Magazine

My mom gave me a stack of old recipes she had from her house and this was one of them.  I know she tore it out of Chicago Tribune Magazine, but I have no idea what issue.  Probably sometime in the late 90s/early 2000s. 
The salad was good, but even though I put less onions than the recipe called for, it still had way too many onions.  Cut out most of the onions and it would be even better.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless strip sirloin steaks, 6 oz each or 2 12 oz steaks
• 8 oz arugula, cleaned
• 4 oz red onion, thinly sliced (1/2 medium onion)
• 6 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette (see below)
• 4 oz asiago cheese
• 2 tbs white truffle oil

vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbs sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Broil or grill the steaks to desired degree of doneness, 7-9 minutes.
2. While the steaks are cooking, make a bed of arugula on four dinner plates.  Sprinle sliced onion over the lettuce and arrange six tomato slices on the rim of each plate.  Drizzle vinaigrette over the lettuce.
3. Cut each cooked steak into six to eight slices; arrange the slices in the center of the plate so they overlap.  Sprinkle on shaved asiago and drizzle truffle oil over the meat.  serve.

 Grades:

Megan - B (Too  many onions, but other than that, it was great.)

Bonus...

Banana Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
recipe from: https://wholefully.com/8-classic-overnight-oats-recipes-you-should-try/

Ok, I have a huge obsession with these right now.  I look forward to eating them every day and am sad when they are gone.  I have made all of the flavors on this blog and the banana chocolate chip is my favorite because I usually have all the ingredients on hand and its so, so good.  My other favorite is the tropical fruit one, but that takes a little more planning because I don't usually have all those ingredients.  You really should make this and see if you're as obsessed as me!

April 19th

Facebook Food

There are so many of those videos on Facebook where they quickly show you how to make delicious looking food.  I always save them, but have never made one until now!  Maybe I'll start trying more.

Chicken Francais
recipe from: https://www.recipe30.com/chicken-francaise.html/

This chicken has an egg batter that reminded me of the batter on a chili rellenos.  The batter was not only delicious but helped keep the chicken moist and tender inside. 
The sauce was yummy, but a little runny.  I think adding some flour or cornstarch would help thicken it.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I liked this chicken but I would definitely make the sauce thicker.)

Noelle - A- (Noelle seemed to enjoy this and ate quite a bit of it without anything really interesting to say.)

April 18th

Old Style

The cookbook I got this from is from 1930 and it has some weird old French recipes in it.  This didn't seem to strange and according to the cookbook it only takes 10 minutes.  Well, it did turn out well, but it took me 20 minutes.  I guess I'm not quick like those 1930s home cooks were.

Filets of Sole with Mushrooms
recipe from: French Cooking in Ten Minutes by Edouard de Pomiane

My Sole filets got a little broken, so it doesn't look great in the picture, but it actually did taste good.  And, even though it took longer than ten minutes, it was still really quick and easy.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 lb fresh mushrooms
• butter
• 4 filets of Sole
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup white wine
• flour

Directions:

1. Place a generous tablespoon of butter in a frying pan.  When it begins to smoke, add the sole.  Brown them for 1 minute, then turn over and brown them for 1 minutes on the other side.  
2. Add the mushrooms (they'll give out water), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  
3. Add the wine and bring to a furious boil.  The water will evaporate.  All this has taken 10 minutes. 
4. Now lower the heat and add a lump of soft butter which has been mixed with a little flour until it is smooth and creamy.  Stir it into the sauce as it melts, put everything on a platter and serve.  
5. When you turn the heat down for the last step there should be just enough liquid in the pan to make a nice sauce.  So, as you're boiling the liquid off regulate the heat to make sure it doesn't evaporate too much.

Grades:

Megan - B (It was good, but it's still fish which isn't my favorite.)

Noelle - A (Noelle seemed to really enjoy this.  She liked eating the fish and mushrooms separately and ate all the fish and most of the mushrooms.)

April 17th

Goat Cheese is the Best Cheese

Enough said.  Argument over.  Goat cheese wins.  Especially in salads.

Baked Goat Cheese Salad
recipe from: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

Goat cheese is delicious and it makes salads delicious.  This goat cheese is baked with a crispy crust and an ooey gooey center so it just melts in your mouth with the salad.  And, it's my first salad without bacon!

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces white Melba toasts (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• 12 ounces firm goat cheese
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Process Melba toasts in a food processor to fine even crumbs, about 1 1/2 minutes; transfer crumbs to medium bowl and stir in pepper. Whisk eggs and mustard in second medium bowl until combined. Combine thyme and chives in small bowl.

2. Using kitchen twine or dental floss, divide cheese into 12 even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball; roll each ball in herbs to coat lightly. Transfer 6 pieces to egg mixture, turn each piece to coat; transfer to Melba crumbs and turn each piece to coat, pressing crumbs into cheese. Flatten each ball into disk about 1 1/2 inches wide and 1 inch thick and set on baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining 6 pieces cheese. Freeze cheese until firm, about 30 minutes. (Cheese may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen for 1 week.) Adjust oven rack to top position; heat oven to 475 degrees.

3. Remove cheese from freezer and brush tops and sides evenly with oil. Bake until crumbs are golden brown and cheese is slightly soft, 7 to 9 minutes (or 9 to 12 minutes if cheese is completely frozen). Using thin metal spatula, transfer cheese to paper towel–lined plate and let cool 3 minutes before serving.

Dressing:

Prepare the salad components while the cheese is in the freezer and toss the greens and vinaigrette while the cheese cools a bit after baking. Hearty salad greens, such as a mix of arugula and frisée, work best here.

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• Salt and pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 14 ounces (14 cups) mixed hearty salad greens
• 1 recipe Herbed Baked Goat Cheese

Combine vinegar, mustard, shallot, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl. Whisking constantly, drizzle in oil. Season with pepper to taste. Add greens, toss gently to coat, then divide among salad plates. Arrange warm goat cheese on greens and serve.




Grades:

Megan - B+ (I loved the goat cheese, but wished there was more of it.  I also didn't follow the recipe properly and made the salad too vinegary.  I think this could be made even better and heartier by adding things like candies nuts or dried cranberries.)

Noelle - Noelle likes goat cheese, but hates salad, so she didn't try this one.

April 16th

Easter #2

We had another round of Easter celebrations today, which meant no cooking for me and lots of fun and food!

Beef Sandwich
Doug's Dad's house

I ate a lot more than a beef sandwich, as I tend to get a little gluttonous on holidays.  However, the beef sandwich was the main dish.  And it was delicious.

Grades:

Megan - A (I love to eat and the holidays are full of eating, so it's a win-win.)

Noelle - A (Noelle didn't have a beef sandwich, but she did eat just the beef and loved it.  She likes to eat like her mom, so I think she likes holidays a lot too.)

April 15th

Casserole Time

Casseroles are packed full of lots of flavors and usually lots of cream and/or cheese.  They also used very few dishes and are typically pretty easy to make.  That's why I like them.

Cheesy Sweet Corn Tamale Pie
recipe from: http://www.thehopelesshousewife.com/?hhw_recipes=cheesy-sweet-corn-tamale-pie#.WPVYWRCGIww

This one sounded so good.  Unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype in my head.  It's full of cheese and chilis and topped with delicious toppings.  It was just a little too cornmealy.  Doug didn't really like it at all, but I thought even though it was a little strange, it was pretty good.  I think if I would have baked it a little longer and let it brown more, it would have tasted better.  But when hunger calls it's hard to wait too long!

Grades:

Megan - C (The texture and cornmeal taste was a little strange, but I actually ended up liking it.  It has a good corn taste and a little sweetness from the corn as well.  If I made it again I would bake it longer to get it more crispy.)

Noelle - F (Noelle wasn't impressed with the way this looked or the way it tasted.  She did want to eat the avocados, but wasn't really even into those when she realized there was cornmeal on them.)

April 14th

Easter #1

We had our first family Easter celebration today which meant lots of fun and no cooking for me! 

Grilled Cheeseburger
Doug's Mom's house

It was a beautiful day, so we were lucky enough to spend the afternoon outside.  We were having Easter with Doug's mom and they grilled delicious cheeseburgers for dinner.  It was my first grilled cheeseburger of the season and it was perfect!

Grades:

Megan - A (I love burgers and there's nothing like a home-grilled cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard to start out the outdoor season!)

Noelle - A (Noelle ate all of her cheeseburger and loved it of course, because cheeseburgers are one of her favorite foods!)

April 13th

A Slow-Cooked Meal Without A Slow-Cooker

This recipe was supposed to be made in a crock-pot, but I don't have a crock-pot.  I probably should have one, but if you know me, you know I'm really cheap.  I just can't seem to fork up the cash to buy one when I'd probably only use it a few times a year.  If you think I'm wrong and I NEED one, let me know why...maybe you can change my mind! :)
Anyway...since I don't have a slow cooker, I cooked it on low (325 degrees) in the oven.  It worked out perfectly.  The only downside to that method is that you have to have your oven on for a long time and you can't leave the house with it cooking.

Slow Cooker Beef Ragu with Papparedelle 
recipe from: http://pinchofyum.com/slow-cooker-beef-ragu-with-pappardelle

This recipe was from my sister who made it for her family and said they loved it.  My family agrees!
I thought it might turn out a little bland because there are so few ingredients, however I was wrong...not bland at all!
I adjusted the cooking time since I did it in the oven and I didn't have 6 hours to spare.  I only cooked mine for 3 hours at 325 and the meat was really tender and pretty perfect.
Also, I could not find pappardelle pasta, so I used Cavatelli pasta and it was good.  My sister said she used egg noodles and that was good too.

Grades:

Megan - A (The beef turned out really tender even though I was skeptical about using flank steak since it can be tough.  The sauce was tasty.  And you know, pasta is always good.)

Noelle - A+ (Noelle uttered multiple Mmm's while eating this.  She also said "it has special beef in it."  I'm not sure what that means...maybe just that it was different than the ground beef that she's used to.  After she had been eating a while she said, "Mommy try some!"  Like I said, she was really into it.  The only thing she didn't really like was that there were a couple carrots hiding in there.  Luckily there weren't many though.)

April 12th

More Bacon Please

So apparently I can't make a salad without bacon and/or bacon grease.  Well, they might not be super healthy, but they're delicious!

Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad from Liege (Salad Liegeoise)
recipe from: Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek

According to the cookbook, if you ask anyone in Liege, they would say that this is the most popular dish there.
This salad was simple.  I thought the taste was good, but I'd make a little more dressing because I thought it needed a little more flavor. The cookbook also mentions that this is commonly eaten as a main dish.  However, I think it would make a good side dish.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 new red potatoes, scrubbed
• salt to taste
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 tbs butter or vegetable oil
• 5 oz bacon
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 shallots or 1 small onion
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley
• freshly ground pepper to taste

 Directions:

1. Cook the unpeeled potatoes in boiling salted water covered until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain
2. Cook the green beans in plenty of boiling salted water until tender but still crunchy, 10-15 minutes.  Do not cover the pot or they will discolor.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still quite warm, peel them and cut each potato into 4 pieces.  Combine the potatoes and warm green beans in a salad bowl.
4. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a medium sized skillet over medium heat.  Add the bacon strips and saute until crisp but not too brown, 4-6 minutes.
5. Pour the bacon and the rendered fat over the green beans and potatoes.
6. Deglaze the warm skillet with the vinegar and reduce over high heat by two-thirds, 1 minute.  Pour over the vegetables and combine well.
7. Season with salt to taste.  Sprinkle with the shallots, parsley and a generous grinding of freshly ground black pepper.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I thought this needed a little more flavor, but generally was good.  I also think it would be great as a side dish.)

Noelle - F (When I first presented this to Noelle, she said, "my green beans are dirty" because they had bits of potatoes stuck to them.  She's not the biggest fan of green beans so that was a failure.  She usually loves potatoes, but I think the vinegar and bacon taste turned her off.  She wasn't having this one.)

April 11th

Classic Konieczny

This dinner brings back major childhood memories.  The only thing missing was a serving of baked apples (but it would have to be the frozen, microwavable Stouffer's brand.)

Fried Pork Chops
no recipe...this is just conjured up from memories

This was a classic dinner in my house as a kid and there are just some things you can not change about how it's served.
1.  The pork chops must be fried with a good crust.  I coated them in flour, then dipped in egg, and then coated in breadcrumbs.  Then I fried them in olive oil until they were brown and crispy.
2.  You must serve applesauce with the pork chops.
3.  Potato pancakes (aka latkes) must be served with the pork.  I just used a box mix because that's what we always had as a kid. 
4.  You need to have sour cream for the latkes. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (I gave these a minus because the pork lacked flavor in my opinion.  Maybe sprinkling it with some garlic powder or garlic salt in the breading would help.)

Noelle - A (Noelle was really surprised she was having applesauce for dinner and just couldn't stop talking about the fact that the applesauce was on her plate and not in a bowl like she usually has it for snack.  After she finished the applesauce, she ate a lot of pork and "potato cake" as she called it.)

April 10th

It's Cheesy!

Whenever I serve something to Noelle with melted, stringy cheese she always exclaims, "It's cheesy!"  I felt like yelling that while I was eating these cheesy masterpieces.

Soy Chorizo Quesadillas
no recipe...this is pretty basic

I love quesadillas...who doesn't!?  I made these with soy chorizo from Trader Joe's.  Doug always complains that I use the soy chorizo instead of the real thing, but I do it for a couple reasons.  First, I think it's slightly healthier and definitely less greasy.  Second, I like that there are no "mystery bites" like you get with some real chorizo...I don't know if I want to know what that stuff is made of.
I also made them with Chihuahua cheese.  We always joke when we use that cheese that Winnie must be so tired from being milked so much.  But, in all reality, chihuahua cheese is an awesome melting cheese and has a great flavor.
The final key to making awesome quesadillas is the toppings.  I made a little pico de gallo with chopped tomatoes and onions.  I also made a simple guacamole and had sour cream.

Grades:

Megan - A (These were absolutely delicious...restaurant quality quesadillas.)

Noelle - B+ (Noelle was initially excited about the idea of having quesadillas and when I said I was making them she immediately said, "I have to go cook some quesadillas for daddy!"  She went in her room, cooked some up in her play kitchen, and placed them in the daddy food shrine [whenever her dad is at work and she cooks him some food, she puts it on the floor right by the front door so he can eat it when he gets home.] Then she sat down to have her dinner.  She was a little taken aback by the chorizo since she's used to having hers plain.  But, she ended up eating almost all of it.  She wasn't into the toppings, which I though was crazy because they were delicious.)

April 9th

Copycat

I love making copycat recipes for some of my favorite foods for restaurants.  I've found that it's hard to get a good copycat recipe, but every once in a while it turns out just like the restaurant.

Bacon Egg and Cheese Bagel
recipe from: http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-egg-cheese-bagel-264938

I've never been a big breakfast sandwich person, but I love McDonald's bacon, egg, and cheese bagel.  It so greasy, yet so good.  This was supposed to be a copycat of that, but it didn't taste nearly as good as the real thing.  I think the sauce was too mustardy and there just wasn't enough grease!

Grades:

Megan - B- (This was just ok.  It needed more flavor and needed to be less mustardy.)

Noelle - B+ (When Noelle saw this, the first thing she said was, "I get eggs!"  She took a few bites of the sandwich, but then preferred to eat it deconstructed.  She ate the bagel and the eggs.  I don't think she really likes bacon (what's wrong with her?).  Then she said she didn't like the cheese. )

April 8th

Tiki Tiki

We went to a tiki restaurant for dinner.  My first tiki experience was a great one!

Chef Shangri-La
North Riverside, IL

This restaurant is super kitschy which makes it amazing.  I liked the big tropical drink selection.  I cant remember what my drink was called, but it had rum, amaretto, and some fruit juices.  It was so tasty!
The food was good...about what you expect from Chinese food.  It came out really quick which is always nice when you have a kid with you.  The portions were HUGE...you definitely get a lot for your money.

Grades:

Megan - A (I had spicy General Tso's Chicken.  It was tasty and my drink was perfect.  I only wish we had been there when they had live music.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had fried chicken and fries and loved it of course.  She also tried mine and liked that too.  She enjoyed looking at the fish and turtles in the restaurant too.)

April 7th

Smells Legit

Tonight I had my second attempt at an Indian dish.  I never thought I could make Indian food at home.  I'm sure mine is not really authentic, but it's good to me!  When Doug got home tonight he said my Indian food smelled legit, so I'll take that as a compliment!

Indian Butter Chicken
recipe from: http://thekitchenpaper.com/indian-butter-chicken/

This was not exactly like the butter chicken I've had from Indian restaurants, but it was delish.  It had a little spice to it, so if you don't like spice, add less cayenne.  I served it with garlic naan from Trader Joe's, which was perfect.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I loved the flavor of this and even more than the flavor, I loved the smell.  The naan was amazing.)

Noelle - D (I can't tell if Noelle really didn't like this or if she was just too tired and filled up on snacks to eat it.  She didn't want any of the bread which is soooo strange for her because she loves bread.  She did ask for more chicken several times.)

April 6th

Change of Plans

I was going to make dinner tonight.... But then Noelle and I went to my cousins house to visit and meet her new baby.  When we were almost home, I realized I left my purse there.  So, instead of making dinner, I went to pick up my purse after Noelle went to bed.  But, I still wanted dinner so....

Wendy's
Oak Park, IL

I had a spicy chicken sandwich, which in my opinion is one of the best fast food chicken sandwiches you can get.  Crispy, spicy, and fried.  Yum!

Grades:

Megan - A (I mean it's greasy fast food so of course it gets an A.  Probably an F for health though.)

Noelle - Noelle was sleeping so she missed out on this one.  I saw a sign though that Wendy's has $1.99 kids meals after 4pm.  That's pretty tempting....

April 5th

Delivery Without the Wait

Most times I am far too lazy to go pick up food for carry out.  That limits me to restaurants that deliver.  And delivery takes forever!  This is like ordering Chinese food, but cheaper and quicker.

Sweet and Sour Tempura Chicken
From: Trader Joe's (frozen)

I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of Trader Joe's products, especially the frozen ones.  If you haven't had this one, try it.  In my opinion it's one of the best and is a Trader Joe's classic.

Grades:

Megan - A (The chicken comes out nice and crispy and the sauce is sweet and tasty.)

Noelle - A+ (The last time Noelle had sweet and sour chicken with rice we were at Asian Harbor and she got to eat it with chopsticks.  Without me saying anything about that, as soon as Noelle saw this dinner she said, "I need my chopsticks!"  This girl has a crazy memory!  So, she ate the dinner with chopsticks and loved it!)

April 4th

What's for Dinner?

What's for dinner is exactly the question I had for Doug when he got home because tonight was take-out night and I am way to indecisive to decide on a restaurant.  He felt like pizza and that sounded good to me!

Domino's Pizza
Oak Park, IL

Pizza nights are getting rough because I've already had several different kinds.  I really wanted just pepperoni tonight, but I've already had that this year, so I decided to try pepperoni and green olive.

Grades:

Megan - A (Domino's might not be gourmet, but I love it.  And green olives are great on a pizza in my opinion.)

Noelle - A (When I served Noelle she said, "Thank you for giving me pizza mommy."  That melted my heart.  Noelle loved it and ate her whole slice.  She wasn't quite as into the broccoli and carrots I served her with it.)

April 3rd

Smothered

I think most meats are good smothered.  Most veggies are probably better smothered too.  Smother in cheese.  Smother in gravy.  These pork chops are super smothered.

Garlic Butter and Mushrooms Baked Pork Chops
recipe from: http://www.amomstake.com/easy-dinner-recipes-baked-pork-chop-recipe/

The picture on the blog shows the pork with just a little gravy and mushrooms on them.  I prefer mine to be almost not even visible under the gravy and mushrooms.
These could not be easier.  Cook them in the pan for a couple minutes, stick them in the oven, mix in some milk and voila - they're done!

Grades:

Megan - A (These had a great buttery, nutty flavor and were so so easy!)

Noelle - A (Noelle said, "Yay! Pork and Mushrooms!"  Then I told her it was hot and she said, "I just want to eat this mushroom."  She ate it and said, "It's too hot."  When she likes it so much she can't wait for it to cool off, that's a win!)

April 2nd

Sandwich Sundays

Just like the soups are gone during the week, the Stew Sundays are also over.  It's bittersweet because it means I have to make dinner on Sundays again.  But it's awesome because we get sandwiches, and really sandwiches are the best!

Fig and Prosciutto Sandwich
recipe from: http://slowrobot.com/i/41325

I don't know if I've ever had a sandwich I didn't like.
These were delicious even though I slightly burnt the bread. If you read this blog, you know about my love of prosciutto.  My perfect cheese plate pretty much consists of cheese, prosciutto, bread and dried figs.  This sandwich is like the perfect cheese plate all wrapped up.
The ciabatta bread is thick and crusty so it makes it hard to melt the cheese without burning the bread.  Next time I'd take the cheese out of the fridge and let it warm up a bit before putting it on the bread so it could get more melty.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I loved it, just wished the cheese was more melty.)

Noelle - B+ (Noelle was saying "Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy" while eating this.  For some reason midway through she decided she didn't like the prosciutto and for that reason I dropped her grade down from and A.  I happily ate her prosciutto and then she eagerly ate the rest.  I don't know how I'll live with the idea of my daughter not liking prosciutto.)

April 1st

Hello Spring!

With Spring here, it's time to say bye-bye to the soup I usually make each week and hello to salads!  When I eat a salad for dinner I like it to be giant and have lots of yummy ingredients.  Get ready for warm weather and salad days!

Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
recipe from: The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2013

Don't be fooled by this dinner.  You might think it's healthy because it's a salad, but it's not really.  It has A LOT of bacon in it and the dressing is made with bacon fat.  Not so good for you, but at least there's healthy spinach.

Ingredients

	6 oz	baby spinach (about 8 cups)
	3 tbsp	cider vinegar
	½ tsp	sugar
	¼ tsp	ground black pepper
	—	Pinch salt
	10 oz	thick-cut bacon (about 8 slices), cut into ½-inch pieces
	½	medium red onion, chopped medium (about ½ cup)
	1	small clove garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
	3	hard-boiled eggs (recipe follows), peeled and quartered lengthwise

Method

1. Place the spinach, washed and dried, in a large bowl.

2. Stir the vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set aside.

3. Fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the bacon fat into a bowl, then return 3 tablespoons bacon fat to the skillet.

5. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the vinegar mixture, then remove the skillet from the heat.

6. Working quickly for the rest of the steps here, scrape the fond from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen the browned bits.

7. Pour the hot dressing over the spinach, add the bacon, and toss gently until the spinach is slightly wilted.

Divide the salad among individual plates, arrange the egg quarters over each, and serve immediately. Waiting longer will wilt the salad into breakfast mush. 

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I liked this salad, but my spinach didn't wilt.  I think I should have made the dressing warmer and tossed it to make the spinach wilt.  I also wished I had more dressing and I feel like the dressing could've used a little more flavor.)

Noelle - This goes against everything I ever say, but there won't be any salad grades from Noelle.  I'm not even going to try to serve her salad.  Every time she's had something with lettuce or dressing she's been so grossed out.  So, she gets a pass on salad days.

March 31st

Dirty Grain

Oh quinoa, why are you so dirty?  The thing I hate most about making quinoa is rinsing it.  Why does it have to be rinsed?  Why is it so dirty?  We don't have to rinse rice before cooking it...why quinoa?

Garlic and Thyme Quinoa Patties
recipe from: http://www.cookrepublic.com/garlic-and-thyme-quinoa-patties/

I did not think these were going to be very good, but they were!  They had a good thyme flavor and I liked the crispy outsides.  I would add more thyme and garlic than the recipe calls for to add extra flavor.
Another thing I did was mix my chopped onions in with the quinoa after it cooked while it was still hot.  This helped soften up the onions a little so we didn't get bites of raw onion.
You must make sure you cook them long enough to get the outsides crispy.  They were good served with a little ketchup.

Grades:

Megan - A- (These had good flavor and were easy to make.)

Noelle -C (Noelle started out really excited about these because she thought they were some kind of chicken nuggets and since I served her the whole patty she wanted to "pick it up and take bites."  She was ok with the first few bites, but then when she realized it wasn't what she thought it was, she was not into it.  Maybe I should've given her some ketchup.)

March 30th

Not Picatta

Doug thought this was chicken piccata upon first glance.  But, it is quite different.  I'd say it's more garlicy than lemony and has a lot of onions while piccata has none.  Get it straight!

Lemon Chicken Scallopini with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
recipe from: https://cafedelites.com/2017/03/05/lemon-chicken-scallopini-with-lemon-garlic-cream-sauce/

So, mine turned out a lot more brown than the pictures on the blog, but it still tasted good.  I think I burned the oil/ butter a bit when I was cooking the chicken and that's why my sauce came out so brown.  Next time, I'd probably scrape out the pan after cooking the chicken and add new butter and oil...but then you loose all that good chicken flavor.  Tough decision...maybe it's better just having brown sauce.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I liked the flavors and my chicken was very tender and juicy.  The sauce was quite delicious too.)

Noelle - B+ (It's hard to tell what Noelle thought about this because I was mad at her during dinner and she was in trouble, so there wasn't much talking going on.  She ate a big piece though, so I think she liked it.)