New Year, New Menu: Slow Cooker Chicken with Rosemary, Red Potatoes, and Green Beans, Mustard Chicken, Fried Brown Rice and Eggs, Taco Chili

No lie, I got 5 cookbooks for Christmas.  Hey, you can't go wrong giving someone who LOVES to cook a cookbook as a gift.  I was so excited!  Those cookbooks and my new vaccuum were favorite gifts this year.  The vaccuum was VERY needed, so I was extremely stoked about it.

This week, I am trying out some recipes from Melissa d'Arabian's cookbook 10 Dollar Dinners and The $5 Dollar Dinner Mom's One Dish Cookbook.  On the menu for the week are:  Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans, Mustard Chicken, Fried Brown Rice and Eggs,  and Taco Chili.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Chicken with Red Potatoes and Green Beans adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom's One Dish Cookbook
3 rosemary sprigs
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs
6 small red potatoes, quartered
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 pound green beans, stems removed

Using a sharp knife, crush the leaves of the rosemary sprig.  Place the rosemary sprigs around the edges of the bottom of a 5 quart or larger slow cooker.  Arrange the chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Spread the potatoes over the top of the chicken.  Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the chicken and potatoes, and then season with the garlic powder with salt and pepper.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 8 hours.  When there is 1 hour remaining in the cooking cycle, place the green benas on top of the chicken and potatoes to steam them.  Complete the cooking cycle.


Mustard Chicken adapted from Ten Dollar Dinners
**Just a heads up-this recipe requires a time commitment.  Either prepare ahead of time, like on the night you do the slow cooked meal or on a weekend, or just know you need ot have time set aside to get it done.

1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (about 8), rinsed and patted dry
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 pound button mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tomato, cored, halved, and chopped
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp dried tarragon (if you don't have this, substitute dash fennel seed)
1/2 cup dry white wine and a cup for you
1 cup chicken broth, plus more if needed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove skin from chicken.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add the thighs, smooth side down, and cook until browned, about 4 minutes.  Turn over the thighs and brown the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil along with the onion and cook until soft, stirring for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook until soft 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 mins. and then add the tomato and flour and cook, stirring, until the tomato begins to break down about 3 minutes.  Stir in tarragon.  Rais the heat and pou in the wine, letting it simmer for 1 min. before returning the chicken to the pot.  Pour in enough broth to read halfway up the sidesof the chicken, then cover the pot and place it in the ovento braise, until the chicken pulls away from the bone easily, about 45 minutes, removing the lid halfway through the cooking.  Remove the pot from the oven, use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside.  Add the mustard and sour cream to the sauce and stir to combine.  Then return the chicke to the pot and back into the oven to cook for about 5 minutes to bring the flavors together before serving.

Fried Brown Rice and Eggs with Garlic-Soy Vinaigrette adapted from Ten Dollar Dinners
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise with the grain
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp chili powder
4 large eggs
2 scallions white and green parts finely chopped

Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until crisp and fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the rice and chili powder and cook until the rice is warmed through and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Fry the eggs to your liking, either sunny side up or over easy.  Divide the rice among 4 bowls, top each with an egg, some scallions, and some of the soy vinaigrette, and serve.


Taco Chili with Mix adapted from Paula Deen
This mix was what I gave my co-workers as Christmas gifts this year.  Cooking with beans, not canned ones, is one cost cutting way to reduce your grocery bill.

Taco Chili Mix:
1 cup dried kidney beans
1/2 cup dried pinto beans
1 (1 1/4 oz.) taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz. ) pkg. buttermilk ranch dressing mix
3 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 cups corn or tortilla chips

Taco Chili:
4 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can (16 oz.)tomato sauce
1 lb. ground beef cooked and drained

For the mix: In a 1-quart wide mouth jar, layer kidney and pinto beans.
In a small bowl, combine taco seasoning mix, dried salad dressing mix, onion, chili powder, and cumin. Wrap seasonings in plastic wrap or cellophane and place in jar.
Put chips in a bag and place in jar. Decorate with ribbon or fabric.
For the chili: Place beans in a large bowl, cover with water and soak 6 to 8 hours, or overnight. Drain and add to a Dutch oven. Add seasoning packet, water, diced tomatoes and green chilies, tomato sauce, and ground beef.
Heat to boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Serve with corn or tortilla chips.

We Survived...

Dempsey will be a month old on Tuesday.  When you have a newborn and you make it through the first month, you wonder where the time has gone, but you also feel like it took an eternity to get there.  True, all the phases with children go by so quickly, but sometimes when you are in them, they go by soooo slowly it seems. 

It has been an eventful month.  Tessa broke her collarbone the first weekend we were home with Dempsey.  So we kept her home from preschool in order for her to heal for a week and a half.  She want back to preschool only to come down with a fever that kept her home this past week.  Needless to say, I have had to learn quickly how to be a parent of two while Ryan is at work.  I do love my days with both of the kids.  It's so nice to have Tessa at home because it makes me get up and get outside and it's so nice to have someone to talk to!

Dempsey is a good baby.  I don't handle the newborn phase well, so I've been the one having the meltdowns, not him.  I am learning to let go of some things and stop trying to be such a control freak.  Hopefully we will be on somewhat of a routine in the next few weeks!

I have not had to cook at all these past few weeks thanks to my wonderful family, friends, and coworkers.  We have had some yummy dinners brought to us!  This week I am trying to get back on track with the cooking and trying figure out how to cook with two kids in tow.   I will be attempting to make;  No Peek Chicken with Rice, Sausage Dinner Hoagies, and Southwestern Meatball Chili.

**This recipe comes from the cookbook my Aunt Cathy gave me.  This is a budget friendly and kid friendly meal with few ingredients!
No Peek Chicken With Rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
1 cup raw rice
1 cut up frying chicken
1 pkg dry onion soup mix

Put soup, milk, and rice in roaster and stir will.  Place cut up chicken on top of rice.  Cover with dry onion soup mix.  Cover with lid or foil.  Bake 2 hours at 300 without peeking.

**I get the magazine Better Homes and Gardens.  I was happy to see some of the recipes in it this month used stuff I had in the freezer!
Sausage Dinner Hoagies

Ingredients

• 4 6-inch thin-crust sandwich or hoagie rolls
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 jalapeno peppers,* seeded and minced (about 2 Tbsp.)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 lime, halved
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, fresh Italian sausage, or fresh Mexican-style chorizo**
• 1 cup finely shredded green cabbage
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Using a serrated knife, slice off top 1/4 inch of rolls. With fingers, remove most of the bread inside, making "boats" to hold sausage and dressing. (Reserve removed bread for another use, such as making bread crumbs.) Brush insides of rolls and undersides of tops with melted butter. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet, cut sides up; set aside.

2. For flavored mayonnaise, in a small bowl mix together 4 tsp. of the jalapenos, a pinch of salt, and the cayenne pepper. Add juice from haf the lime. Whisk in mayonnaise; set aside.

3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Loosely pinch off 1 to 1-1/2 inches by 1/2 inch chunks of sausage (about 24 pieces). Cook in hot skillet in a single layer with space between for 10 to 12 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through, turning once to brown evenly.

4. While sausage is cooking, place buttered bread boats in oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until golden brown and crusty.

5. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine remaining minced jalapenos and shredded cabbage. Add a pinch of kosher salt and juice from remaining half lime; toss to combine. Spoon a generous tablespoonful of flavored mayonnaise in the bottom of each boat. Divide browned sausage, hot from skillet, among boats. Top with shredded cabbage. Generously spread cut sides of roll tops with remaining mayonnaise. Place on sandwiches. Serve immediately.

From the Test Kitchen

• Note * When working with fresh chiles, wear rubber or disposable plastic gloves or cover your hands with small plastic bags.
• Note ** In some areas, these varieties are sold as links. If so, remove from casing before cooking.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 4,
• Calories 950,
• Protein (gm) 24,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 54,
• Fat, total (gm) 71

  Southwestern Meatball Chili
1 14 - 16 ounce package fully cooked refrigerated or frozen beef meatballs, thawed

1 16 ounce package Santa Fe medley frozen mixed vegetables (corn, black beans, and red peppers)

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes and/or cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon chili powder

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Sliced jalapeno peppers, chopped cherry tomatoes, and/or fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven combine thawed meatballs and vegetables, fresh tomatoes, water, chili powder, and tomato paste. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with jalapeno peppers, cherry tomatoes, and/or cilantro.

From the Test Kitchen

• Tip Serving Suggestion:corn muffins
• Tip Change Up: Substitute turkey meatballs for the beef meatballs. Substitute a 16-oz. package of frozen carrots, peas, and green beans for the Santa Fe vegetables. Substitute 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning for the chili powder.

Nutrition Facts (Southwestern Meatball Chili)

• Servings Per Recipe 4,
• Calories 386,
• Protein (gm) 20,
• Carbohydrate (gm) 25,
• Fat, total (gm) 24,

Goodbye 2011! Hello 2012!

Whenever New Year's comes around, I think of my dad.  He is all about "wiping the slate clean and starting fresh."  He loves taking out last year's resolutions and seeing how we all did.  We used to even have competitions and keep score as to who kept the most resolutions.  Ryan and I now do our own resolutions.  We make some as a couple and family and then write down some personal ones of our own. 

2011 was an eventful year.  We found out we were pregnant on Memorial Day weekend. We went on an awesome vacation with my family to the beach for the first time in a looooong time, and I went back to teaching at a school I have always loved when they finally had a position open up.  In 2011, we saw two of our family member's diagnosed with cancer-not cool.  My dad spent 7 weeks undergoing radiation and we just got good news before the New Year that he is healing well and his scans are looking good.  He is an awesome example of having a good attitude and determination throughout his ordeal.  We're really proud of him.

So, here's to 2012.  I'm hoping for a healthy year for everyone in the family!  We will finally get to meet our little guy sometime in the next few weeks and I will graduate from grad. school in May.  Hopefully, these fun events just mean there are more to come.

New Year's also means the end of winter break.  It's back to work this week, so I need to be really organized when it comes to our dinners!  I am going to try the following recipes this week:  Sardinian spaghetti, Chicken Chili Stew, and Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce.

I came across the Sardinian spaghetti recipe while searching for New Year's meals to make on Food Network.  I always read the reviews when looking at a recipe on this site and they all were raving about this recipe.  I might make some extra sauce to have frozen and then keep this on hand for anyone who may need a meal due to current surgeries or babies!  The recipe calls for saffron threads, but I think I may just use saffron.
****Sardinian Spagheti****

Prep Time:

30 min

Cook Time:  40 min       Level:  Easy
Serves:  6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian fennel sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained, seeded and halved, with 1/2 cup juice reserved
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, torn
• Kosher salt
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 1 cup shredded pecorino cheese

Directions

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 7 minutes. Push to one side of the skillet and increase the heat to high. Add the tomatoes, stirring to break them up a bit, and cook until the edges brown and the oil turns red, about 6 minutes. Stir the sausage and tomatoes together.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes to the skillet, then scatter the saffron over the mixture. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley, 1 cup basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the spaghetti, cooking liquid and reserved tomato juice to the sausage sauce and toss, about 3 minutes. Top with the pecorino and the remaining 1/2 cup basil.



I have an amazing mom who made me a cookbook last year with family recipes in it.  I love it and use it often!  I also have a close relationship with my aunt who did the same thing this year!  She gave us a binder with recipes she uses and that have been favorites in her household.  I have always wanted to try her chicken chili stew.  She actually got this recipe from a friend of hers who is the mom of a friend of mine from college.  Small world!

***Chicken Chili Stew***
6-8 boneless chicken breasts
4 cloves garlic minced
3 medium onions diced
2 T olive oil
6 15 oz. cans chicken broth
6 15 oz. cans Great Northern bans, rinsed and drained
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
2 10 oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
4 t cumin
1 t oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil in an 8 qt. pan.  Add chicken broth and chicken breasts.  Bring to boil and cook.  Remove when done and set aside to cool.  When cool, shred chicken.  Add remaining ingredients plus the shredded chicken.  Keep on medium heat for about an hour until the soup thickens and serve.  Yield 10-12 servings .  Add grated cheese as a garnish.


When we first got married, I didn't have a whole lot of experience cooking my own meals, let alone figuring out what to have for dinner.  I frequented the website epicurious.com A LOT to figure out what to cook.  I came across this pork chop recipe and have made it many times.  The sauce makes the dish.  I never knew pork chops paired so well with dijon mustard, but it does!  So yummy! 

***Pork Chops with Mustard Sauce***
4 pork chops
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 T vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 T unsalted butter
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup country style Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degreesF.
Heat a dry 12 inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot.  Pat pork dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Add oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat, then brown chops, turning over once, about 8 minutes total.  Transfer to a shallow baking pan, reserving skillet, and bake, uncovered, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Let stand, loosely covered with foil, 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour off fat from skillet, then cook shallots in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened 3 to 5 minutes.  Add broth and any juices from baking pan and boil, scraping up any brown bits, 2 minutes.  Add mustartd and cream and return to a boil, then add lemon juice and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.


Happy New Year and Happy Eating!