Discovering Coupons and Making Good Food

Instead of working on WORK STUFF while my daughter is sleeping, I've been trying to save us some money on food.  Food is, by far, the most expensive part of our budget and where lots of "fat" could be trimmed - if you permit me that corny play-on-words!


I've discovered the "coupon matchup" world.  Apparently, while I've been finding myself too busy and important to save money, others have been racking up savings at the grocery store using coupons and sales.  Why should I be so different?  Can I really afford to pay way more for food?  The answer is that I'm no different and NO we cannot afford to pay regular price for everything.


Coupon matchups require the following:  1) the Sunday paper, 2)  meal planning (which I already do, as evidenced by this blog.  I even meal plan when I'm not posting - posting requires extra time and sometimes I just don't have it.  3) the time to comb through the sales ad.  Making all three elements work for you can seem tricky and daunting but it's NOT.  Here's how I did it this week.


Step 1.  Access the Tops (my local grocery store) ad online and examine the front page.  This is where are all the big savings is:  the loss leaders.  With whatever is on the front page that looks appetizing and what's already in your pantry, proceed to step 2:


Step 2.  Devise a meal plan for the week that utilizes things on sale and things already in your pantry while buying as little at full price as possible.


Step 3.  Go through your coupon collection and coupon websites to find "matchups" or things that are on sale AND have coupons.


I know what you're thinking:  Wow - what a colossal waste of my valuable time.  
     Do you think spending $97 on $165 of groceries is a waste of time?  I DON'T.


In addition, you're thinking:  I don't eat processed food so coupons don't work for me because most are on processed foods.
     It is true that there exist a majority of processed food coups.  But I don't eat lots of processed foods      either.  It still saves money to use the method!  


Here's how I did it this week.  Based on the Tops Weekly Ad, I saw that pork butt roasts were on sale, Hillshire Farms smoked sausages were Buy 1, Get 1 Free (B1G1F) and I have a really well-stocked pantry from previous sales and shopping.  My meal plan became this:

pork barbacoa wraps:  http://www.skinnytaste.co...sweet-barbacoa-pork.html

black bean chili with butternut squash:  http://www.epicurious.com...h-and-Swiss-Chard-234146

Shrimp and sausage jambalaya:  http://www.food.com/recipe/jambalaya-48322

Chicken enchiladas:  http://allrecipes.com//Re...enchiladas-i/Detail.aspx

I'm not done.  I'm still looking for 3 more recipes for the week, but I have the major ones and a leftover night or pasta night can easily be worked in.

Next, I went searching for coupons to match up with the ingredients I needed on my list.  I found a Hillshire Farms sausage coup from a previous weekly newspaper insert.  I found coupons for some of the loss leaders on the front page of the sales ad.  And then I went to the store and got the savings I mentioned above.  $165 of groceries for $97!!  This was a particularly big shop - normally I spend about $60 per week.  As I learn the best format for sharing the deals, I'll be happy to pass them along!

I stocked up on loss leaders that I had coups for and I bought what I needed for my major recipes.  The end!

Next post will be on what I cooked ahead of time to make these recipes easier to handle.

     

More recipe storage

Lemon and Almond Rice Pudding

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:

8 min

Inactive Prep Time:

4 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

45 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed, pod reserved
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 3 large lemons
• 1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
• 3 large lemons, zested
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted* see Cook's Note

Directions

In a heavy, medium saucepan, combine the milk, rice, sugar, vanilla seeds, vanilla pod, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender, about 35 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice, amaretto, and lemon zest. Slowly stir the lemon mixture into the rice mixture and cook for 10 minutes longer. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Stir in the whipping cream (mixture will still be runny but will thicken as it cools). Spoon the rice pudding into bowls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Sprinkle the chilled rice pudding with sliced almonds and serve.

Notes

Cook's Note: To toast the almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool completely before using.

More recipe placeholders

http://www.bitchincamero.com/2010/10/rustic-spinach-and-cornmeal-soup/
Rustic Spinach and Cornmeal Soup
Adapted from

6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
4 cloves roasted garlic, crushed (or 2 cloves raw garlic, peeled and crushed)
Coarse kosher salt
4 oz. baby spinach leaves
4 oz. baby arugula leaves

1 Toasted Parmesan rind, cut into pieces (optional)

Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan; cover to keep warm. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 1 – 2 cups hot broth; whisk over medium-high heat until smooth. Stir in butter and garlic; sprinkle lightly with coarse salt.

Gradually add 5 cups hot broth by cupfuls. Boil gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened, whisking frequently and adding more broth to thin, if desired, about 25 minutes. Stir in spinach by handfuls; simmer until wilted, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes longer. Season with more coarse salt and black pepper.

Ladle soup into 6 bowls, sprinkle with toasted Parmesan rinds and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

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Monday, September 13, 2010

cherry tomato salad with baked ricotta and olive tapenade crostini

i think i've posted about crostini, like, a dozen times. it's such a default for us because if you toss beautiful vegetables and herbs together, you've got a great veg salad. put it on toast, however, and you've got a meal. and since the matt's wild and white currant cherry tomatoes have been cranking out ripe fruit by the daily pint, making a meal from them has become a necessary delight.

this recipe is from my gorgeous book (a gift from my spectacular boyfriend) by amy goldman, the heirloom tomato. it's basically a crostini topped with olive tapenade, baked ricotta, and tomato basil salad. she includes instructions for making the olive tapenade, but i frankly saw that as no more than an opportunity to spend a bunch of money on ingredients i wouldn't otherwise have around. thus, i bought a small amount of kalamata tapenade from the olive bar at the grocery. the baked ricotta looks pretty, but i found it rather dry and an unnecessary step. do with it what you will!

cherry tomato salad with baked ricotta and olive tapenade crostini
adapted from the heirloom tomato by amy goldman

for baked ricotta:
1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
fresh-cracked pepper

for tomato salad:
2 pints mixed cherry tomatoes, halved, or larger tomatoes, cut into pieces
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 Tbps sherry vinegar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp finely diced shallots
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

for crostini:
1 baguette, cut into 1/2 - 1" slices
olive oil
salt and pepper
olive tapenade, store bought or homemade

preheat oven to 450 degrees. combine the ricotta with 2 Tbps of the olive oil and spread in greased ovenproof dish. drizzle with remaining olive oil and top with fresh cracked pepper. bake until heated through and beginning to brown on top. allow to cool before serving.

mix the vinegars with the shallots and soak for 30 minutes. whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. pour over tomatoes, add basil, and mix gently. adjust seasonings.

reduce heat in oven to 400 degrees. brush the bread slices with olive oil on each side, and season with salt and fresh cracked pepper. toast in oven until golden brown (but not too dried out!), around 5 minutes.

serve warm toasts with a layer of tapenade, then ricotta, and tomato salad. delicious.

My cooking rennaisance

I'm enjoying cooking SO MUCH lately!

I've made the following things with HUGE success:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/roasted-chicken-and-potatoes-recipe/index.html

modifications: I cooked the bird for the requisite 15 mins at over 400deg, but then tuned down to 285 for 2 hrs. PERFECT! MUAH! I forgot to add the wine, don't do this. Butter alone doesn't "do it" for the potatoes :) I also added carrots

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/succulent-braised-pork-recipe/index.html

modifications: I added a package of button mushrooms. Yum!

http://noblepig.com/2010/07/11/corn-and-basil-cakes.aspx

modifications: none. YUM. Ridic good. Next time I'll try this with cilantro and potato and some garam masala to make an "almost aloo paratha"

Next weekend I'm going to try to make my own sundried tomatoes - they are not really "SUN" dried anyway, they are just roasted. And since it's the last few weeks of fall harvest of roma tomatoes, they are cheap and easy to find. It's a no brainer! Here's the recipe I'll use:
http://sharemykitchen.com/how-to-make-your-own-sun-dried-tomatoes/

Yes, yes, I know. I'm not a great blogger.

But at least there are some good classic recipes on this blog, right? :)

I've been watching a TON of FoodTV lately - Aarti Party, 30 Minute Meals, 10 Dollar Dinners, Good Eats, Iron Chef, etc. I wanted to save a few recipes here as place markers to make at a later date.

Once I actually make them, I will update with comments and reviews. I know it's not OAWC but it's still cooking and I will adapt them to OAWC as I try them.

Almost Tandoori Chicken

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon turmeric, a palmful
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, 1/2 a palmful
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/3 palmful
• 1 lime, zested
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 green apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced into matchsticks
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and very thinly sliced lengthwise
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 4 pieces naan bread, plain or flavored, store-bought, warmed

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Combine the yogurt with the spices and zest of lime in a large bowl.

Cut the chicken into large chunks and season liberally with salt and pepper. Add to the yogurt mixture and toss to coat evenly. Put a small wire rack on a baking sheet or a slotted broiler pan. Arrange the chicken on the rack or slotted pan and roast until charred at the edges and juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Combine the apple, tomatoes and scallions in a serving bowl. Add the lime juice, oil, and salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with apple-tomato topping and warm bread.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Tue Sep 21 2010

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

1 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

25 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

8 pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Directions

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Edamame Salad

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh or frozen shelled edamame, about 2 cups
• 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, about 2 ears of corn
• 1/4 cup finely diced scallion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the edamame, corn, scallion, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper into a 13 by 9 metal pan and stir to combine. Place on the middle rack of the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until the edamame begins to brown. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator until completely cool, approximately 30 minutes.

Add the tomato, basil and vinegar to the edamame mixture and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Succulent Braised Pork

Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian

Prep Time:

25 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

3 hr 30 min

Level:

Intermediate

Serves:

4 servings plus leftovers

Ingredients

• 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth
• 1 bunch parsley stems, tied with string
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

weekly plan - it's May!!

Where did April go??

Last week I didn't make a meal plan and didn't go grocery shopping. As a result, we ate mostly takeout and junk food and as a result I feel gross. OAWC is the way to go for this family for sure.

I'm working on the following plan this week - days subject to change:

SUN: ground turkey/TVP tacos with guacamole
MON: pork tenderloin in the crock pot with potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and fennel
TUES: pork curry (leftover cubed tenderloin, garbanzo beans, potatoes, tomatoes) with brown rice
WED: spaghetti torta from the Giada DiLaurentis cookbook "Everyday Italian"
THURS: Dinner at Grammie's
FRI: grilled veggies and shrimp

BBL with details!
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Braised-Pork-With-Fennel-Crock-Pot-238161
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/torta-di-pasta-recipe/index.html

I got my background at ZingerBug.com

We're back - week 2!

OK my plan last week was a bit too industrious. We ended up putting off the Dal burgers because they are really labor intensive and we're having them today instead. I roasted the eggplant and cooked the lentils in preparation.

First things first: Review of last week's recipes.

Vegetarian taco "meat:" I got 3 lunches out of this, will get another 2-3 this week too. It is filling, yummy and low-cal. next time I will add some salt though, I forgot and it showed.

Chicken Marsala - this was really good! But the only reason I was able to make it was because I was home with a sick toddler. It took a while because of mushroom cleaning/cutting, chicken trimming, dredging and cooking, sauce prep and thickening, noodle cooking, etc. Things that could be adapted to OAWC: cut up all of the mushrooms in advance, trim the chicken (the husband would prefer breasts to thighs in the future) and cook the noodles/pasta or whatever we're serving it with. The dish could easily be adapted to a crock pot as well.

Grilled haddock - we ended up having this with grilled potatoes which were GREAT. We sprinkled some salt and pepper on some medium white potatoes and skewered them with metal skewers. The husband grilled the heck out of them at really high temp until they were all burned and charred on the outside but lovely and yummy inside.

Our takeout night was salads with chicken and a side of yummy breadsticks. For anyone in the Western New York area - try Say Cheese Pizza for takeout!

This week's plan:
Sunday: Vegetarian Dal Burgers with spinach salads
Monday: Pasta with wilted spinach and ricotta sauce
Tuesday: Spinach mozzarella meatloaf, grilled potatoes, steamer veggies
Wednesday: Dinner at Grandma's
Thursday: Ground Turkey Chimichangas - previously on this blog here.

OAWC PREP:
Meatloaf (store in baking pan with press-n-seal in the fridge)
Ground Turkey Chimi filling (can be made in advance and stored in the fridge)

Everything else is easy-peasy day-of prep.

Let's Talk Lunch.

I just put the following into the crock pot on high for 4 hrs:

1 bag lentils, thoroughly rinsed
24 oz water
1.5 tbl cumin
1.5 tbl onion flakes
1 tsp dried minced garlic
2 tbl Chili 3000
2 tbl Bold Taco Seasoning

This makes "Vegetarian Taco Meat" which I will eat for lunches.

Unfortunately, 24 oz water was not nearly enough! I added a small 4 oz can of salsa verde and another 10 oz water to cook the lentils thoroughly.

To serve, I will combine with salsa and add cheese and sour cream on corn tortillas. YUM!

Balance Schmalance!

Since I last posted, we have bought a house, moved and gotten settled. We LOVE our new house - we have a big deck with an in-ground pool, an awning for shade and a big side yard for the kiddo(s). With 3 bedrooms plus a finished basement that will eventually be an in-law suite, a family room AND formal living room, we feel like it's a mansion compared to any house we've ever lived in. :) We are finally planting ROOTS and hanging around for a while!

Balance has been difficult - if not impossible - over the last year. Between my Mommy duties, Senior Scientist duties and my duties to myself and my health, it's been a huge challenge. I'm trying to get back to menu planning, cooking most things at home and eating whole foods. If this means I'm not thinking about my job 'enough' or working out 'enough' or that my daughter has to play with Daddy for a few hours a week, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to eat healthy and take care of us all!

My plan this week doesn't require much in-advance cooking but it's spring and we are dying to make good use of our grill! As has become the norm, I chose 5 recipes for the week and I will make them on whatever day is most appropriate as our schedules dictate.

Here is the list, followed by recipes were available:

Grilled Haddock, Steamed Broccoli and Boiled New Potatoes (no recipe required!)
Durban-style chicken strips with Hasselback Potatoes and steamer vegetables
Whole Foods-style Dal Burgers with unknown sides?
Chicken Marsala
Ground Turkey/TVP Tacos


Durban-style chicken strips with Hasselback Potatoes

I have already posted the recipe for Durban chicken here. This time, I'm using chicken breast cut into strips and cooking them on the grill. I will baste lightly in teriyaki sauce, then dredge in Durban seasoning and grill. Yum!

Hasselback potatoes are Swedish baked potatoes. They look really fancy because they are sliced width-wise and then sprinkled with a mixture of parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs before baking. They taste lovely too! (image borrowed from the provided link)

The basic recipe is as follows:

4 baking potatoes
2 tbl fresh-grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I use italian-style)
1.5 tbl olive oil
1 tsp paprika
sprinkling of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450° degrees F. Oil a large shallow glass baking dish (I use a 9x13 Pyrex dish).

Peel the potatoes. Place on a cutting board and cut a narrow slice from the bottom of each potato; discard the slice (this helps the potato lie flat and not roll). Place two long handled wooden chopsticks on each side of the potato lengthwise. Use a sharp knife and slice each potato crosswise, making 1/4-inch apart slices, cutting down vertically. The chopsticks will prevent the knife from cutting entirely through the potato. As you peel the potatoes, drop them into the cold water to prevent discoloring.

NOTE: Potatoes may be prepared in advanced to the above point. Place potatoes in cold water (to prevent discoloring) until ready to bake. To bake, dry potatoes well.

Place the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, and salt in a food processor; process until blended. Brush potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and pat the bread crumb mixture on top of each potato. Place potatoes in the oiled baking dish; cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Whole Foods-style Vegan Dal Burgers with Indian-style Jasmine Rice

The husband and I have always loved Whole Foods's Dal Burgers on the hot bar. Every time we get there (which is not often since we moved to an area without Whole Foods!!) we buy some and every time he comments on how awesome they are. We found this website which claims to have made a close imitation of the burgers! We were so excited that they went right into the weekly menu.

Incidentally, I'm intruiged by this blog - "The Happy Healthy Long Life." The blogger is a medical librarian (which by the way seems like an awesome job) at a "leading US Medical Center." She posts topics in the media and her research findings for your reading pleasure.

I'm copy/pasting her recipe for Dal Burgers here, and I will let you know when I make them whether the recipe is a winner!

Vegan Lentil Dal Burgers ala Healthy Librarian

1 package of already cooked Trader Joe's French Lentils, 17 oz. (or 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils) [I'm using Goya-brand red lentils]

2 garlic cloves, chopped (I used 5 roasted Christopher Ranch garlic cloves--I was lazy)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 small eggplant, peeled, quartered, roasted & chopped (I used a Japanese) yielding about a cup of chopped peeled eggplant

1 small potato cooked, then peeled & diced. Yielding about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of small diced potatoes

1/3 cup of chickpea flour (Bob's Red Mill Garbanzo & Fava Flour) to mix + more for lightly dredging patties

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder (more to taste)

2 TBS. Major Grey's Chutney

1 tsp. cumin powder

1 jalapeno pepper chopped, or substitute 1/4 tsp. cayenne (I didn't have a jalapeno, so I subbed cayenne)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 TBS chopped ginger

1/3 cup thawed frozen peas (I didn't have peas, so I left this out)

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I didn't have cilantro, so I left this out)

salt & pepper to taste (I didn't use any)

Small amount of canola or olive oil for browning the burgers

Directions

1. Peel eggplant, cut it into quarters & roasted it in a 400 degree oven while preparing everything else. Chop it into smaller pieces when it's soft--about 15 minutes. When done, lower the oven to 350 degrees. You'll finish the burgers in the oven.

2. Saute the onion, ginger, jalapeno, & garlic until the onion is soft.

3. Pulse process the lentils in your food processor so they are chopped up, but not mushy. Empty into a large mixing bowl.

4. Pulse process the onions, garlic, ginger, & the eggplant until they are small tiny pieces. Empty into the mixing bowl with the lentils.

5. Add all the other ingredients: the chickpea flour, the cooked diced potatoes, the curry, the lemon juice, the chutney, the peas, the cumin, the cilantro--and mix well. Taste the mixture & add more of any spice you think it needs.

6. Using a large plate or foil, sprinkle some chickpea flour on the surface to keep the "burgers" from being too sticky. Form 7-8 patties, working one at a time, sprinkling a little chickpea flour on the top & bottom so they won't stick to the frying pan.

7. Heat up a little oil in a large frying pan. I quickly browned the burgers, in 2 batches, and then I "finished" them off in a 350 degree oven until they were nice & browned, about 20 minutes--I think. Just watch them!

8. These keep nicely for 5 days, or you can freeze them individually. Serve on whole grained buns or as is.

Chicken Marsala

I needed a recipe to use up my chicken thighs that I bought last week. They are nearing a week in the fridge, which is my limit for fresh meat. I found this recipe at cooks.com. I will post the recipe below and then edit when I make it.

MARSALA BAKED CHICKEN

1/4 c. dry bread crumbs 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley 1/4 tsp. paprika 8 chicken thighs, about 2 1/2 lbs, skinless olive oil cooking spray 2 tbsp. butter 1/3 c. Marsala wine 1 tablespoon Wondra flour Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring well; dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture. Arrange chicken in a shallow baking dish coated with olive oil cooking spray. Dot with butter; cover and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes. Remove chicken from baking dish and arrange on serving dishes and keep warm. Deglaze baking dish with wine, scraping browned bits from bottom of dish (this is where the flavor is). Add butter and flour and heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to make a gravy. This can be done in the microwave, or if a baking pan was used, the gravy may be made on the stove top. 8 servings, about 160 calories per serving.

We're gonna try this again.

I know, I know, I've been completely ridiculous about this blog for the last, um, year. You have to understand that I've been adjusting to my new career, living in a new state, moving TWICE.

I have a meal plan this week and I'm going to try this OAWC thing again. Bear with me while I work out the kinks and get back into it!

This week's plan:

Sunday: broccoli rabe with pasta and ricotta sauce
Monday: ground turkey/TVP tacos
Tuesday: whole chicken roasted in the crock pot with vegetables
Wednesday: "durban" style chicken strips with macaroni and cheese
Thursday: Greek turkey burgers with pasta salad
Friday: chicken enchilada soup

Many of these recipes are recycled - I will link to them as appropriate. The only "new" to the blog recipe is Greek burgers. See below.

Greek Turkey Burgers
adapted from Recipe Zaar #13285

1 lb ground turkey [I actually use 1/2lb ground turkey 93% lean and 1/2lb rehydrated TVP (do a search on this blog for TVP for info)]
1 cup crumbled feta cheese [I use low fat, not fat free or else it's chalky]
1/2 cup olives, chopped [I use black and use 1/4 cup because I don't love olives]
1 egg white
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
ground black pepper, to taste

Form into patties and grill! They can be prepped ahead of time and refrigerated overnight but I've never gone longer than overnight.



Broccoli rabe with pasta and ricotta sauce
This tastes rich but it's a nice healthy comfort food option!

Not many people know of the awesomeness which is broccoli rabe. It's a green, like kale or spinach, but it's also broccoli. Which makes it the perfect green, in my opinion! I loooove broccoli!

I buy a big bunch, chop off the ends and wash thoroughly. Then I steam the larger stems for 10 minutes in my vegetable steamer. Right before I serve the dish (pasta is cooked, tomato sauce warmed) I toss the rabe with 1 clove of garlic and some salt and pepper in a hot sautee pan.

Serve by spooning 1 cup of pasta in a pasta bowl and layer on tomato sauce, 4 tablespoon-sized dollops of ricotta cheese and the broccoli rabe.

DELISH!

Grilled haddock, green beans and potatoes

That's what I'm having for dinner tonight. There's not much OAWC to this meal.

I like my fish a little spicy so I will rinse off the fillet, sprinkle with some cajun seasoning and put skin-down on a piece of aluminum foil. Grill until no longer translucent.

I purchased some thin (haricot vert variety) string beans from the Bidwell Farmer's Market this weekend and I will be preparing them as follows: snip off the ends and boil for 3-4 minutes in a salted pot of water at a rolling boil. Strain and transfer to a sautee pan with a minced clove of garlic and about 3 tsp olive oil. Generously salt and pepper. Sautee for another 4-5 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and the beans are coated.

Also on the same Farmer's Market trip, I purchased some tiny potatoes. I will boil them and serve with light sour cream and pepper.

Simple, healthy, delicious!!



Here's my meal plan for this week so you can plan which days to read!
Monday: Grilled haddock, green beans and potatoes
Tuesday: Morroccan vegetable soup
Wednesday: at my mom's, sorry no recipes!
Thursday: chicken curry on brown rice
Friday: Willard bean soup

A few words on Life Balance.

After all, it IS the blog title!

As many of you know, I recently made a major move. Not only did I move 500 miles to a new city/state, but I also took a new more demanding job. All of these things are hopefully bringing me closer to my ultimate life goals. Life balance has been very difficult.

As a graduate student, I was taught that work came before all else. You don't get a PhD by pulling 9-5 shifts and not working weekends. As a matter of a fact, my mentor once told me:
"If you want to see your husband any time soon, bring TWO cots to lab." As you can see, the "culture" was that whomever works longest and hardest is bestest.

This culture was definitely alive and well during my postdoctoral fellowship. Before I got pregnant, I worked 60+ hour weeks as routine. That certainly didn't last while I was nauseous and exhausted through my entire pregnancy!! I started working more like 50 hour weeks with lots of work from home. Of course, once I had my daughter I realized that work is NOT the most important thing in life. Everything had changed. I wanted OUT of this culture that encouraged people to spend as much time as possible AWAY from their families. Don't get me started on how screwed up Academia is for faculty/postdocs/students!!

I switched to a Biotech company where I am definitely expected to get the job done - I have way more responsibility than I ever have before - but in a reasonable amount of time. No one encourages me to work 60+ hrs a week, in fact, they discourage it because you are more apt to make mistakes and waste time and reagents (AMEN!).

I tell you all of this because I'm having a bit of trouble adjusting!! I still wake up worrying about getting things done at work and I have a tendency to stay too long at work "just trying to finish up one more thing." Friends in the field say it will take YEARS to erase the academic brainwashing. Sigh.

This is why I have not been a great OAWCer since I've moved. I am having trouble with Life Balance.

But since that is what this blog is about, it is time to put my LIFE before my JOB and get in the gear once again. I want to be that mom who always has healthy dinners planned for her family, not that mom who breezes in 2 hours late with takeout every night.

Bear with me, faithful readers, the first few weeks may be rocky!! Leave me comments please, that would be encouraging and helpful. If I know you're ready to get recipe ideas, I will be more likely to post!

Thank you!! I really like the idea of this blog and need to keep it going!

Let's try this again.

I thought I was back last week but things got crazy and I only made a few things. This week will be better! Here's my plan:

Sunday: Dinner at Grammie and Grampa's
Monday: Takeout Chinese (switching takeout night to Mondays!)
Tuesday: Smoked whole chicken, corn on the cob and grilled pineapple
Wednesday: Chinese stir fry over basmati rice
Thursday: Finnan Haddie Gratin (smoked haddock with cheese)
Friday: Ribollita Soup (italian bean soup on a bed of bread and wilted greens)

OK this may sound elaborate but really it's not. The husband is off of work (he is starting his new job soon! YAY!) and he's experimenting.

Truthfully this will not be an OAWC week but since I haven't posted recipes in so long I will post them anyway and give my tips of what could be made ahead, OK?

Tonight is Monday and therefore my night was really easy. I just picked up the phone!

Tomorrow we are having Smoked whole chicken - The husband has a smoker and will be putting the chicken in around 2PM so it is ready by 5PM. Then we will grill up the pineapple and corn. Easy Peasy!

I will update later in the week on the other recipes!

I AM BACK. Sorta. Slowly. Getting there.

You might wonder why I've been gone for months and months. WELL. I took some advice given to me by a friend: "You can be miserable and just complain, or you can do something about it." For some reason those simple words struck a nerve and I realized that I was allowing a situation that I thought was unavoidable turn me into a negative person.

I am back!

I have a new job and my family and I have moved to Western New York. We are still unpacking, but we have a functional kitchen again and I am so excited to resume my OAWC lifestyle. This week's menu is very simple:

White chicken chili using leftover smoked turkey instead of chicken
Stuffed peppers in the crockpot
Willard bean soup in the crockpot
ground turkey tacos
grilled sausage and oven fries with steamed vegetables

Today is shopping/food prep day but since most of the meals are crockpot meals, I have little to no cook ahead duties - it's like I planned it that way!

Back later to fill in my shopping list.

Blog on hold!

Some important things have come up in my life - job interviews and whatnot. I will be back online very soon!

Baked Ziti and Willard Bean Soup prep

Ahhh another Monday. They are tough because I'm always tired from the weekend, and moreso when the baby wakes up at night. Because of plans and visitors I did not do as much pre-prep as I would like.

Baked Ziti
Adapted from All Recipes.com

• 1 pound dry ziti pasta
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound (1 package) hot italian turkey sausage, cut into coins
  
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 bag (2 cups) mozzarella cheese, shredded
  
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp italian seasoning
  

Cook the pasta to al dente (almost done), drain and set aside. Cook the sausage and onion together with some italian seasoning if you desire. Add some garlic, the spaghetti sauce and the pasta and stir together.

Spray a 9x13 pan with PAM or nonstick cooking spray and add half of the pasta/meat/sauce mixture. Spread the sour cream and 1/2 of the mozzarella on this layer and top with the rest of the pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese to taste.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted and browned on top.

_____________________

Tonight I am also prepping the Willard Bean Soup for the crockpot on Tuesday. First, I make what is called a mirepoix. This is fancy term for "soup base." Basically, you just dice up some onion, celery and carrot and sautee them with some salt and pepper and then add them to your soup broth. Into the crock:

mirepoix
8 cups vegetable stock (I use Penzey's)
1 lean ham steak, diced
pepper to taste
1 16oz bag white beans (Northern, canellini, small white, any type will do!) soaked overnight and rinsed

Cook on high for 8 hrs (takes that long that high to cook the beans)

It's delicious!

The week in review, Next week's plan

The baby and I came down with a virus so I was not great at keeping up with my blog. However, I stuck to my plan and ordered in chinese food for Friday. Here are my reviews of what we ate:

Sunday: Homemade turkey/soy meatballs and whole wheat spaghetti with spinach side salads ***** Easy to make, good to eat. I froze a bunch of meatballs for future meals.
Monday: Hard Times Cafe vegetarian chili. ***** This is so tasty but I totally got heartburn from eating it for dinner AND lunch the next day. :(
Tuesday: Chili lime chicken burgers (Trader Joe's) and leftover macaroni and cheese from the freezer with a side of broccoli. An old standby so I didn't have to cook that night.
Wednesday: Vegetarian chorizo Jambalaya (cheating and using a Zattarain's mix for this but I will post my Jambalaya recipe in case anyone wants to make it themselves) *** VERY good but only gets 3 stars because I subsequently found out that the chorizo has a LOT of sodium in it. Very disappointing.
Thursday: Chicken stir fry over brown rice. A classic.
Friday: takeout night

This week's plan:

Sunday: leftover vegetarian chili with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar
Monday: baked ziti with italian turkey sausage, spinach salad
Tuesday: Willard Family Secret Recipe Bean Soup (don't worry, I will share the recipe)
Wednesday: chicken wild rice casserole
Thursday: Crockpot ranch chicken and potatoes
Friday: Takeout

Grocery List:
Ziti, 2lbs
1 package of italian turkey sausage
1 large bag shredded mozzarella or 1 block of part-skim mozz
parmesan cheese
2 sweet onion
carrots
celery
Uncle Ben's slow cooking chicken wild rice flavor, 2 boxes
2 cans sliced water chestnuts
2 cans cream of mushroom soup, low sodium
1 can cream of chicken soup, low sodium
1 bag potatoes
1 box of Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packets (for making dressing)
1 block neufchatel cheese

Things you may need that are already in my pantry:
chicken
parmesan cheese
1 bag northern beans
1 ham bone or ham steak
vegetable stock
garlic
italian seasoning
tomato sauce

Mmmm Soyrizo.

Yep, it sounds weird. Chorizo made from soy?? But I promise you it was GOOD. It was actually vegan chorizo from Trader Joe's - and since it was vegan there was no casing on the sausages, it was wrapped in plastic. This made it so easy to use in the Jambalaya I made!

If you haven't had Zatarain's, I feel bad for you. Just kidding. Sorta. I buy their reduced sodium (remember the husband has high blood pressure so we try to eat low sodium whenever possible) Jambalaya mix. It is really good and ALMOST as good as my homemade Jambalaya.

Here's my own homemade recipe in case you didn't want to cop out on the mix like I did. If you have access to a TJ's, please try the soyrizo!

Jambalaya
Adapted from Cooking Light
*****This is just as good, probably better for you and better tasting, as Zatarain's!

1  teaspoon olive oil
1 package of sausages, either smoked turkey sausage, chorizo, andouille, or even spicy italian works!
1/2 diced onion
1 diced green or red pepper
1 cup uncooked brown rice
1 can of stewed, diced tomatoes, undrained
1/8  teaspoon salt
1/8  teaspoon dried thyme
1/8  teaspoon black pepper
1/8  teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tbl cajun seasoning
1  cup water
1  can low-salt chicken broth
a bit of hot sauce

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and bell pepper; saute 5 minutes if sausage is precooked, or until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked. Add rice; sauté 2 minutes. Add spices; sauté 1 minute.

Add water, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Alternatively, you can pre-cook the rice in a rice cooker and add it at the end, but it wont be as flavorful.

We are back in business! 2009 Week 1

Myspace Happy New Year Comments

It's the first full week of 2009 and I loooove the fresh start mentality of the New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, now let's make some meals and live healthy! My "resolutions" or goals for this year are to live healthier, eat more vegetables, less meat and exercise more. To that end, here's my plan for this week**:

**Disclaimer: you will notice that a lot of my menu this week is pre-prepared. Cut me some slack, I'm getting back into the swing of things after a 3 or 4 week hiatus and the holidays really took it out of me this year. I will be back into making everything homemade and posting shopping lists next week, I promise!

Sunday: Homemade turkey/soy meatballs and whole wheat spaghetti with spinach side salads
Monday: Hard Times Cafe vegetarian chili
Tuesday: Chili lime chicken burgers (Trader Joe's) and leftover macaroni and cheese from the freezer with a side of broccoli
Wednesday: Vegetarian chorizo Jambalaya (cheating and using a Zattarain's mix for this but I will post my Jambalaya recipe in case anyone wants to make it themselves)
Thursday: Chicken stir fry over brown rice
Friday: takeout night

I'm not making any baby food this week since my freezer is still chock full of squash, carrots and sweet potatoes from previous attempts. Also, since my little one is getting her first toof (I can feel a raised bump in her lower gum!), she is being ultra picky and has suddenly stopped eating things she used to eat with gusto. We're keeping it simple.

I make my Turkey Meatballs from scratch using a "recipe" my mom used when I was a kid. It is not exact and you have to be OK with using your hands to mush up the meat. Here is a tried and true (by myself) real recipe if you need things measured out.

My Turkey Meatballs with added TVP
***** If I do say so myself. And I do.

1.25lb (because this is a standard package size) 93% lean ground turkey - you need a bit of fat. Don't use turkey breast.
0.75 lb Re-hydrated TVP (measure after hydration on a food scale or just eyeball it) or Soy crumbles of any kind.
1/2 small onion diced REALLY small. Don't leave big chunks! It ruins the meatball texture!
1 tbl or more if you prefer, italian seasoning. I use the pre-mixed stuff from Penzey's because it's just as good as my own mix.
1 egg (the whole egg, don't skimp here)
A splash of skim milk
1/2 cup-ish bread crumbs - add until the texture is right - they shouldn't be too sticky but they shouldn't be dry either. This is one of those things you just feel.

Put everything in a large bowl and mix up with your hands. Yes, your hands. You have to feel to make sure it's not too sticky or mushy. Add bread crumbs accordingly.

To cook: Form the meat into balls - I make mine small (1 inch diameter) because the husband likes them that way but I truly prefer them big and meaty (cook longer if you do this!). Place on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and sprayed with a little EVOO or PAM. Cook at 350° for about 4 minutes and then turn them all over with tongs. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until you cut one open and it's not pink. Get them off the sheet immediately or they will overcook and be dry. Eeew.

OPTIONAL: leave the meatballs a bit pink if you plan to simmer them in your sauce, but don't just dump them in the sauce uncooked - they wont get browned at all and I find them mushy that way. Enjoy!