Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing

Eric loves taco salad. I don't. But this salad popped up on my facebook page and I decided it looked okay, so I made it (mostly for Eric). I used ground beef (though I would have used vegetarian beef-like crumbles if I had found them at the grocery store because I don't love ground beef outside of burgers and meatloaf) and only romaine lettuce (because I thought it would be silly to be left with two half-heads of lettuce). It was pretty good. I was surprised to be a big fan of the dressing because I thought I didn't like catalina dressing.

Next time I'm going to try to do a vegetarian version - maybe with more black beans.

Chopped Taco Salad with Homemade Catalina Dressing from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Slow Cooker White Bean Chili

I made this for dinner tonight and it was really good. The preparation was quick - I got everything into the crock pot while Moo was eating her breakfast pancakes - and once it was cooking there wasn't anything to do until about a half hour before dinner. We had a couple of people over for dinner and ended up with just one small serving of leftovers, and everyone liked it.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Slow Cooker White Bean Chili

White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

I made this for dinner tonight. I wanted to make a freezer meal to get ready for the upcoming new baby (but this is probably the only one I'll make - I don't make dinner every night, so why do I need a freezer full of freezer meals?), and when I saw this recipe on Facebook it looked good. I used my regular 8*8 glass pan and bought a disposal aluminum pan (that ended up being a little shallow but will probably be fine since the spinach does cook down quite a bit and the foil stays on for the first part of the baking). Instead of using 3 lasagna pieces I used two for each. And I didn't measure the spinach; I bought a big carton of it and tore it (tearing is like coarse chopping, right?) over the lasagna until it looked like there was a thick layer. Also I used Costco canned chicken (cooking chicken seemed like an extra step I didn't have time for) - 2 cans total.

I really liked the recipe. I like white sauce lasagnas, and overall it was tasty. I like that I can have it ready in the freezer, and I imagine it will make good leftovers.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl

Eric's sister made this a couple of weeks ago for family dinner and I really really really liked it. I love balsamic vinegar, and it was just really tasty. I made it a few days later and liked that it was mostly easy. I used Costco tenderloins for the chicken (I can't remember how many) and cooked the chicken before cooking the peppers. I left out the feta (just because I think Eric's sister had left out feta) and probably used more mozzarella (I used the entire ball thing I had gotten at the store), and I think I had less basil (I used fresh basil, but the little package I bought probably wasn't a half cup). When I made it the cheese got kind of melty, but it was still really good. Next time I might try adding some tomatoes.

It also made pretty good leftovers, and I hate leftovers.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Balsamic Chicken Noodle Bowl

Hoisin Rice Noodles with Chicken

This was a recipe that Eric thought was good (or not bad) and I didn't like at all. I felt like it *could* have been good - kind of a Thai-peanut-noodle dish - but it wasn't very flavorful to me.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe Hoisin Rice Noodles

Chicken with Zucchini and Mushrooms

This is one of Mel's Kitchen Cafe 30-minute recipes, so I tried it for dinner tonight. It was quick and easy, and it tasted fine, but it wasn't anything special. I expected it to be more flavorful because of the sesame oil and balsamic vinegar, but it was pretty bland. Maybe it would have been better if I had added some salt? I'd make it again, but it's not something I'd really get excited about eating.

Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

Made this stir fry (with the sweet-and-sour chicken) for dinner tonight (we had people over). It was pretty quick, pretty cheap, and a hit. The chicken was a little too peppery and there was a bit too much sauce. I used 6 Costco chicken tenderloins - probably both of those problems would have been solved with more chicken, or I could have used less salt/pepper in the salt/pepper/corn starch step. It really was easy (hardest part was cutting the chicken and veggies), though, so I think we're going to add it into the rotation.*

*We don't really have a meal rotation. Sometime I'd like to make a chart, but I haven't yet.

Chicken Sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks

I really like Hawaiian Haystacks. I had no idea they were a trend from the 80s. Anyway, the pictures on this recipe looked really good so one day I made the chicken sauce from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. It was a little more involved than I thought it'd be, but it was tasty. We had this over brown rice with tomatoes, green onions (I didn't eat those), chow mein noodles, and mandarin oranges. I wish I would have included black olives and maybe pineapple instead of the oranges. It was still tasty, though. And the leftovers were great.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

One of my favorite things to eat is sweet and sour chicken (Almond Chicken) at The Mandarin in Bountiful, UT. I've never had sauce like theirs anywhere else. This recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe looked like the same sauce, and it's one of the most popular on her site, so I decided to try it. I've made it twice. The second time the corn starch/egg step went a lot better - I didn't cut the chicken as small (the first time I did bite-sized pieces, and the second time I did chunks that were probably 3/4 inch by 1 or 1 1/4 inch), and I beat the eggs with a mixer. I also stirred the chicken through the eggs instead of trying to coat each piece. Both times the chicken pieces haven't been evenly coated, so they don't look just like the chicken in her picture, but it still tastes good. Next time I want to try to remember to include some bell peppers.

I use chicken tenderloins from Costco and usually do 5 pieces and bake it in an 8 x 8 pan (p.s. I *love* that you just mix the sauce and pour it over). With that amount of chicken it would probably be nice to 1.5 times the sauce recipe (or even double it), but it's fine as it is.

Curried Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

Another recipe from the "Indian" category on Smitten Kitchen.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/11/curried-lentils-and-sweet-potatoes/

I forgot to add the lime and wished I hadn't. I left out the cilantro because Eric doesn't like it, but it probably would have been nice (especially with the lime).

I used 4 cups of broth, but at the end (of what seemed like a lot longer cooking time) the lentils weren't as soft as I would have liked. So if I make this again (which I might, because it's pretty cheap and easy and fast except for how long it takes to cube the sweet potatoes), I think I'll add 5 cups broth.

I didn't use any almonds.

I did remove all of the seeds from the pepper. In the end the dish had a slight spicy kick but it wasn't too spicy for me.

Also, we had spinach so I used that instead of chard. I chopped it up, so I didn't really notice it.

I really like sweet potatoes, so I think it would be a little better with more sweet potato and less lentil (fewer lentils?).

It would probably be good with naan. Or rice.

Chana Masala

I can never remember what the Indian dishes are called. When I go to Indian buffets I know that I usually like the dish with spinach, the one with with lentils, and the one with chickpeas (and the bread and those fritter things and samosas). I saw this recipe and decided to make it in case it's the same as the one with chickpeas.

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/chana-masala/

I used the extra lemon juice instead of amchoor. I wasn't sure what she meant by "hot green pepper," so I bought an anaheim pepper.

I had to buy garam masala for this recipe. The rest of the spices I had (though I only had whole coriander, so I toasted and ground that with the cumin seeds).

Overall, it wasn't a bad dish, but I wouldn't make it again. It was a little too spicy for me (though that would probably be fixed with less chili powder), and it wasn't a thick enough consistency. Maybe it would have been thicker if I had pureed the onion/pepper, or if I had let it cook longer. Or maybe some coconut milk would have worked?

We ate it with our naan, but some rice would have been nice.

Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash and Kale Quesadillas

This is the only recipe currently under Pioneer Woman's "vegetarian" category, so I decided to try it for dinner tonight. But I had a couple of bad quesadillas in a row (I won't say what restaurant, but I will say that I don't want to go there ever again), so I took the "over pasta" option in the recipe description.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/01/butternut-squash-kale-quesadillas/

It was my first time buying/cooking/eating kale (remember when I asked the person in the store where it was and I was standing right by it?), and I didn't hate it. It's not my favorite green, though - it was a little bit tougher than I would have liked. I thought the meal (the squash and kale over shell pasta topped with shaved parmesan) was just okay, but my brother (who we invite over because we like him and also because he helps us have less food leftover) said it was one of his favorite things we've made.

I'm shocked that the meatloaf wasn't on his "top 3" list. It's really really good meatloaf.

He and Eric also said I should take pictures of what I make. I don't really want to get into that - I feel like typing up the recipes takes enough time as it is, and there are way prettier pictures than I would take on the sites I'm linking to. But here's a picture.

Hot and Sweet Meatballs

I saw this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website and decided it would probably work for the Costco meatballs we have. I used mango peach jam because we didn't have apricot (the next time I made it I used apricot and it seemed the same). Everyone who's had it likes it a lot (for me it's almost too spicy because the meatballs also have some spice, I think).

I've used this with about 16 meatballs up to about 32. When I did 32 I increased the recipe to 1.5, but it was almost too much sauce.

We eat it with rice, and the leftovers are just as good.

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/hot-sweet-drumsticks/

Sweet Potato Crepes with Cilantro-Tamarind Sauce

For about 5-6 years I had a vegan cookbook with a sweet potato crepes recipe that I wanted to try, but every time I looked at it I decided I didn't want to go buy the spices. I eventually tried the recipe a few months ago and now it's one of my favorite things to make for dinner (with naan instead of crepes, but I'll include the crepe recipe here). The recipe is from Vegan With a Vengeance, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Instructions are verbatim from the book.

Ingredients

Spices

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tsp mustard seeds

2 cardamom pods

6 whole cloves

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

2 tbsp peanut oil

1 1/2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch chunks

Half a 15-oz can coconut milk

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Sauce

1/2 cup raw cashews

2 cups lightly packed fresh cilantro

2 tsp tamarind concentrate

Half a 15-oz can coconut milk

1 tsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp peanut oil

Pinch salt

Crepes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

2 cups water

Instructions

Spice blend

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Pour in all of the seeds, pods, and cloves except for the cinnamon and cayenne, and toast for about 3 minutes, shaking the skillet back and forth for even heating. The spices should smell warm and toasty. Remove the mixture from the pan immediately and transfer to a bowl to cool. When fully cooled, place in a spice grinder (a coffee grinder works) or mortar and pestle. Grind to a fine powder and add the cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Set aside. 

Filling

Preheat a large skillet over moderate heat. Pour in the oil and heat, then add the onions and bell pepper, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; saute about 2 minutes more. Add the spice blend and make sure the onions are coated with is. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for a minute or two. Cover the pan and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring frequently, until the sweet potatoes are tender. (You should prepare the sauce while they are cooking.) Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, and lime juice, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. The coconut milk should be fully incorporated into the sweet potatoes. 

Sauce

Grind the cashews in a blender or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. That's it!

Crepes

Combine the flours and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the water and olive oil. Use an electric hand mixer to blend until completely smooth (if you don't have a mixer, mix with a fork for a good solid 3 minutes). Cover the batter with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 1/2 hour or so. 

Preheat your crepe pan or a nonstick skillet that is 8 inches or so across. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray or a very thin layer of olive oil. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the pan; tilt and rotate the pan so that the crepe batter has covered the bottom and crept up the sides of the pan just a tiny bit. When it looks like the top of the crepe has pretty much set and the corners of the crepes are just beginning to brown, flip over with a spatula and cook the other side for just under a minute. 

You can remove the crepe in one of two ways (and probably more than two but this is how I do it: (1) fold the crepe in half and then in half again, so that it's folded into a triangular shape; or (2) use a spatula to transfer the crepe to a large plate, putting a sheet of waxed paper between each crepe to keep them from sticking. You may be able to get away with not using the waxed paper if you'd like to chance it. Either way you do it, cover the plate with foil as you make the remainder of the crepes.

Assembly

There should be two crepes per plate. Place one crepe on a plate, fill with about 1/2 cup of filling and fold each side over, like a jacket. Repeat with a second crepe and drizzle with tamarind sauce. 

My notes

This is a great recipe that's hard to mess up. The most time-consuming part is cubing the sweet potatoes (use a food processor for the onion and pepper). On the spices - I use ground mustard and ground cardamom because that's what I have. I usually substitute about 1/2 tsp (a little less) ground cardamom for the 2 pods, though the Internet says that freshly ground cardamom would be better. I bought a spice grinder a bit ago to do this and it's kind of fun. And it smells really good.

The crepes are pretty with the filling and the sauce, but I really do prefer this with naan. Also, when I made the crepes the chickpea flour didn't seem to matter for the taste. Even when I used more chickpea flour and less regular flour.

And I haven't ever found 15-oz coconut milk cans. I think the ones I always find are 13 oz or something, and that's always seemed to work. 

Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash Risotto

I didn't really know what risotto was before I tried this, but I gave it a go and it turned out well. We've added it to our "rotation."

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/01/butternut-squash-risotto/

Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf

One day I was watching the episode of Grey's Anatomy where a couple of the characters were trying new recipes, and they were making meatloaf. It made me super hungry for meatloaf, so I googled for recipes and found one on Pioneer Woman's website. It's amazing.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/my-favorite-meatloaf/

I cook the bacon first and then chop it into small pieces and pat it onto the loaf before baking (because I don't like a lot of fatty fat around the meatloaf). Also, I've tried cooking this on a broiler pan, in a loaf pan, and on a roasting pan covered in foil, and only the broiler pan (covered in foil to make cleanup easier but with holes punched through so that the fat can still drain) works for me.

And I always use a meat thermometer.