Reading Lately and a menu! Finally! Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas, Crispy Onion Chicken, Tilapia Fish Sticks, Pasta Carobanara

What have you been reading lately???  My husband puts up with a lot from me.  One of my lastest quirks is my constant reading.  The books go with me wherever I go.  I read when I'm putting makeup on, doing my hair, brushing my teeth, while the kids are napping, when I'm riding in the car...I. can't. stop.  I have to have a really good book if I'm reading at this rate. 



A few years ago I was given a book called Summer by Karen Kingsbury.  I knew it was the second book in a series and I hadn't read any of the other books, but I read it anyway and LOVED it.  I always meant to read the other books, but just didn't find the time to get them in my hands.  Then my church just happened to have a library, which had almost every single one of the books by Karen Kingsbury.  It was my heaven on Earth.  If you choose to read her books, begin with the Redemption Series, then move to the Firstborn Series, and then the Sunrise Series.  13 books later you will find yourself totally in love with the characters and feel like if you were to visit Bloomington, Indiana (where the books' settings are) you would run into any one of them.  Every book has a lesson to be learned about your walk in faith with God.  I have learned so much from these books and will forever be changed by them!  Go check them out.

On another note, I haven't posted a menu in a LONG time.  Try some of these recipes this week:  Black bean and corn quesadillas, crispy onion chicken, tilapia fish sticks, pasta carobanara.  Leave some nights for leftovers or to go out as a family! 

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas:  These were so good!  My husband has caught on and is now more interested in cooking and often asks, "What's in these?"  When he asked me this time, I responded, "I don't want to tell you."  He said, "Oh, there's no meat in them."  Occasionally, we will have a meatless night, just so I don't have to spend part of my grocery bill on meat.  These were so worth it!  I found this recipe during one of my many pinterest perusings.  And while you are chowing down on these check out the blog these came from!  http://mostlyhomemademom.com

8 burrito sized tortillas
15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, do not thaw
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1 packet taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa
shredded lettuce

In small food processor, (or just with a knife, who wants to wash a food processor?), chop parsley and red onion.  Dum diced onion and parsley into a large mixing bowl.  Mis in black beans, frozen corn, taco seasoning, and cheese until well combined.
Place 1/2 cup filling on half of a tortilla and fold.  Cook over medium heat on a non-stick griddle.  Flip when cheese has begun to melt and cook an additional 2 minutes.  Repeat for remaining tortillas and filling.  Allow to cool slightly, adn slice each quesadilla in half.  Serve with shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc.  Serve with a side salad or fruit and you are set!

Shopping list:  tortillas, black beans, frozen corn, red onion, parsley, taco seasoning, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, lettuce


Crispy Onion Chicken:  This recipe is from the same blog, http://mostlyhomemademom.com .  I had stocked up on chicken breasts when Kroger had them for 50% off and needed to find a different way to cook them.  I liked how simple and kid friendly this recipe was!  We liked it, but I had forgotten to season the chicken before doing all the steps in the recipe.  Don't ever forget to season with salt and pepper!  It makes a huge difference!

1/2 cup melted butter (I think I did 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon Worcestshire sauce (one of my fave ingredients)
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
6 oz. pouch french fried onions
4 boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness, or if you are like me, just cut them in half through the middle of each half.  There.  No pounding needed.

Combine melted butter, Worcestshire sauce, ground mustard, and galic salt in a bowl.  Crush french fried onions in the pouch and place in a separate bowl.  Heat skillet to medium heat on stove.  Dip chicken one at a time in the butter sauce and then in the crushed onions coating both sides.  Cook chicken in skillet until both sides are brown.    Preheat oven to 350.  Put browned chicken on a foild lined baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through.  Use a thermometer if you can to check doneness.

Serve with roasted potatoes tossed in oil, salt and pepper, garlic and rosemary, with a side of a steamed veggie, and you have a simple dinner the kids will love!

Shopping list:  butter, Worcestshire sauce, ground mustard, garlic salt, french fried onions, chicken breasts, potatoes, veggie of choice

Tilapia Fish Sticks:  One thing I do every week is peruse my grocery store's weekly ad to see what's on sale and to plan my meals based on the sales.  Tilapia was on sale and I was looking for a fun and different way to serve it up for the fam.  The kids eat fish sticks at preschool and day care and apparently love them, so I figured why not try my hand at them?  These were simple, easy, and yes, delicious.  The kids loved them.  You can find this recipe and many more at www.epicurious.com

1 pound tilapia filets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cajun seasoning
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Thaw the tilapia filets if not done already.  Mine were still a bit frozen, but that just made it easier to cut into stick like shapes.  Slice the filets so that you get about 4-6 sticks per filet.  prepare the breading station by collecting three bowls.  In the first bowl, combine the flour and cajun seasoning (or salt, pepper, any other seasonings).  In the second bowl whisk two eggs.  In the third bowl place the panko bread crumbs.  (I don't usually have these on hand.  But I do save the heels of my loaves of bread and freeze them.  I put two or three of these heels into the food processor and use those bread crumbs instead.  LOVED them.)  Bread the tilapia sticks by coating in the seasoned flour then dipping in egg and finally coating in panko crumbs.  Place the breaded sticks on a plate until all of the sticks have been breaded.  Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp of veg. oil over medium/high heat.  When the pan is very hot it is ready for the fish.  You will know it's hot when you put a wooden spoon handle into the oil and the oil bubbles, or it will sizzle when you flick water onto it.  Place half the sticks on the pan and cook on each side until golden brown in color.  Drain the fish sticks on a plate covered with a paper towel.  Wipe out the pan, add the rest of the veg. oil and cook the second half of the fish sticks in the same way. 

You can visit the site www.budgetbytes.com to see step by step instructions in photos. 

I served this with homemade macaroni and cheese and sliced cucumbers.  I was going to make a cucumber salad, but ran out of time and energy.

Shopping list:  tilapia, flour, cajun seasoning, eggs, panko breadcrumbs, vegetable oil, boxed macaroni and cheese dinner or macaroni pasta, shredded cheddar cheese, milk, cucumber


Pasta Carbonara:  Another cheap way to cook is by cooking with recipes that have eggs or bacon in them.  If the recipe has both, then you are in for a delicious treat.  I have made something like this before and loved that I found it on a site called www.cookingwithcaitlin.com  It can be calorie dense, so just don't fill up an entire plate with it!  Eat in moderation!

1 pound pasta
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (I used milk watered down to cut back on the calories)
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
3 eggs beaten (I only had 2 on hand and it turned out fine!)
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon

Fill one pot with water and place over burn on high heat.  Slice the bacon strips into little pieces and cook in a non stick saute pan until the bacon is golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.  Add pasta to boiling water and cook as box instructs.  Combine cream, parmesan, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, pepper and salt.  When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water, add the pasta bak to the pot, toss in your bacon and, stir in cream mixture.  Serve the pasta hot.

Have a side salad and you have a great, homey, comfort food meal!

Shopping list:  pasta (rotini, linguini, etc.), heavy whipping cream, grated parmesan (not the kind that comes in the green conainer), eggs, parsley, garlic, dried oregano, pepper, salt, bacon.

Happy July! Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach, Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream, Perfect Pork Burgers, Chicken Salad

July is one of my favorite months for a few reasons.  My wonderful husband was born in the month of July, we were married during this month, my grandmother also celebrates her birthday, July is the one full month that teachers have off during the year, and the country celebrates its independence!  I love it!  (There have been plenty of unpleasant things that have happened in my lifetime during the month of July, but the good stuff totally outweighs the bad.) 

I still have yet to make the fajitas and sausage burgers from this past week because of schedule changes, etc., but the corn dogs and the lo mein were huge hits at the Fletcher house!  Ryan even made the comment that we probably really don't ever have to eat out since we can make most everything at home.  Yay!  :)

I hope you enjoy this week's recipes!

***Chicken thighs are fun to cook with and a nice change-up to the old standby of chicken breasts.  I like it when my grocery store has the boneless, skinless chicken thighs on sale.  I bought two cases.  I'll use one for this recipe and cook the other case so I will have cooked chicken on hand.  This recipe comes from a blog called The Cookbook Junkie.

Sweet and Sour Chicken Thighs with Wilted Spinach
Marinade:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons hot chili garlic sauce

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 large handfuls baby spinach leaves

1.  In a small bowl, mix the marinade ingredients together.
2.  Place the thighs in a large resealable plastic bag.  Pour in the marinade.  Seal the bag tightly and turn it to distribute the marinade over the chicken.  Place bag in a bowl and refrigerate 1-2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.  (I might even marinate it overnight)
3.  Remove the thighs from the bag, reserving the marinade.  Pour the marinade in a very large skillet and set aside.  Grill the thighs over direct high heat until the meat is firm and juices run clear, 8-10 minutes.  Turn once or twice.
4.  Meanwhile, bring the marinade to a boil over high heat and allow to boil for 1 minute.  Add the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is just wilted, 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally.  Serve the warm spinach mixture under the chicken.


***This next recipe is an old stand-by.  Again, we love Italian sausage in our house and find multiple uses for it.  This was one of the first recipes I made as a married woman and needless to say, the hubby loved it.  The sauce has a nice kick to it and don't skip out on the cream.  You can substitute milk for it, but the cream really does give the sauce a nice color and texture.

Farfalle with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian Sausage, casing removed
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red peper
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with added puree
1/2 cup whipping cream

1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I have used Parmesan and it's just as good)

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sausage and crushed red pepper.  Saute until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.  Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.  Add tomatoes and cream.  Reduce heat to love and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.  Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.  Return pasta to same pot.  Add sausage mixture and toss over medium low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.  Transfer pasta to serving dish.  Sprinkle with basil.  Serve, passing cheese separately.

***This next recipe is another burger to try.  I'm holding to my word of trying a new burger every week!

Perfect Pork Burgers
5 slices bacon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground pork
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Freshly ground pepper
4 potato buns, split
Unsalted butter, softened, for spreading
Coleslaw, for topping

1.  Pulse the bacon and garlic in a food processor until coarsely ground.
2.  Combine the ground pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and the sage in a large bowl.  Add the bacon mixture and gently mix with your hands.  Gently form the meat into 4 balls, then lightly press into 4-inch-wide, 1-inch-thick patties.  Make a 2-inch-wide indentation in the center of each with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bluging when grilled.
3.  Preheat a grill to medium high.  Season the patties wtih pepper.  Grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, 5-6minutes.  Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, 4 to 6 more minutes.  Meanwhile, spread the cut sides of the buns with butter and toast on the grill.
4.  Serve the patties on the buns; top with coleslaw.

***One of my goals this week is to get the whole family to the pool after Ry Guy comes home from work.  If we do this, we usually bring dinner with us since there really is no place to pick up a good meal on the way to the pool.  Chicken salad would be a great meal to have after playing with the kids together!

Chicken Salad
8 ounces chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (could also try plain low-fat yogurt of Greek yogurt)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh basil or 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel (optional)
Bread slices or salad greens

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, and green onions.  For dressing, in a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, basil, salt, and lemon peel.  Pour dressing over chicken mixture and toss gently to coat.  Cover and chill 1 to 4 hours.  If desired, serve on bread or over salad greens.