Summer Vacation is Here! Special Grilled Cheese

As I begin my first full week of summer vacation I am trying to get back into the swing of things and posting a lot more. I still have occasionally been taking photos of things that I have cooked when I think about it, so this first entry is a backlogged entry from the beginning of June, daddy was busy for First Thursday at his shop and Molly and I were on our own. Daddy had this when he came home but I think he didn't fully appreciate how good I personally thought it was. Molly, by the way, ate the entire egg first then dove into the grilled cheese. You never know what she will dive into, to be honest.

I am looking forward to our summer starting, we have camping, swimming, stories and crafts, lots of walks, and sports classes to help keep us busy and doing things. Not mention the up keep of our gardens, yes Molly has her own container garden going (fully of pumpkins and watermelon seeds, plant starts of parsley and cilantro we will see if she doesn't drown them before they start to produce - the girl really loves to water!) More on the gardens to come!

Now for the recipe of the day:
Gruyere Grilled Cheese with Egg, Spinach Salad and Hash browns

Serves 4
10-14 WW pts (depends on what butter you use and how much, as well as your servings of salad and hash browns!)
(4)Thick sliced sourdough bread
8 oz Gruyere Cheese, shredded
2 tbsp Butter
(4) Eggs
*Spinach Salad Kit
*Frozen Hash browns (this is a fast week night meal! you will have a few pans going at once though)
1. Cook hash browns according to packet instructions, slather one side of bread with butter and build with cheese in the pan on medium high heat (use cover to help melt the cheese but don't forget about them, which can lead to burning!). Flip when one side is golden brown.
2. In a nonstick skillet on medium heat with a little pad of butter crack the eggs, and salt and pepper to taste. Once the whites start to solidify toss in a few tablespoons of water and cover with lid. Cook eggs to desired doneness, I like my yolks a little runny! 1-3 minutes. Don't forget your sandwiches!
3. In a salad bowl put together salad kit, serve the sandwiches with the eggs on top and dinner is served!

Thanks to Relish for this dish!

Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

Great tasting quick pasta! See Relish for more recipes like this!

Spaghetti With Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

Prep and cook time: 35 minutes
WW+ pts 9
10 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), julienned, chopped reserving oil
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
[1] Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water and return the pasta to the pot.
[2] Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, basil and cook for 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes (and juices) and the sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes, for about 15 minutes.
[3] Add the tomato halves and simmer for 10 minutes more.
[4] Add the pasta to the sauce, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add pasta water by the tablespoonful if needed to moisten.
[5] Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with Paremsan.

Crock Pot Taco Soup -great for lunch leftovers!

Made this on Sunday and we will be having it for at least two lunches throughout this week! Great flavor, once again there was something in this Relish recipe that I questioned but I still do it, I have learned it is what makes this dish at this point. The ingredient in question this time, ranch dressing mix, and like the lettuce wraps my daughter LOVED this meal. She ate her whole bowl! FANTASTIC FLAVOR!

 

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 red onion , chopped

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1-ounce envelope ranch dressing mix

2 11-ounce cans corn, undrained

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, undrained

1 15-ounce can black beans, undrained

2 10-ounce cans Rotel tomatoes with chilies, undrained

 TOPPINGS

1/4 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack

1/4 cup sour cream

1 2.25-ounce can sliced black olives

4 green onions , chopped

[1] Cook the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain.

[2] Combine the meat mixture and taco seasoning with the ranch dressing mix, corn, pinto beans, black beans, tomatoes in a slow cooker.
[3] Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve warm with the toppings.

 Linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table,  & Tasty Tuesdays.

German Meatballs and Garlic Noodles

I have been very sick the last few days and completely unmotivated for both lunches and dinner, hence the absence of posts and bento pics. SORRY! Since I didn't want to eat out again and I knew I had everything I needed for this recipe it was important to me that we have a good homecooked meal last night. This is what I came up with!
German Meatballs

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20 minutes

1 pound ground beef

3/4 cup of panko crumbs

2 tablespoons Italian parsley

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 large eggs , white only

Sauce (in pan)

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 cup white wine

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Wrocestershire sauce

Wonderflour to thicken
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

[1] Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and egg white(s). Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
[2] Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 10 minutes or until browned, flipping frequently. Remove from the skillet to a plate lined with a paper towel.
[3] Add the garlic to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Return the meatballs to skillet, cover, and cook 5 minutes or until done. Remove from heat.
[4] Remove the meatballs from the skillet to the plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Add sour cream, milk, Dijon, Worcestershire, Wonderflour, salt and pepper to the wine mixture in the skillet and stir well. Add as much Wonderflour as you think you might need (you don't want it too thick so really just a few shakes will do).When serving, pour the sauce over the meatballs.

Egg Noodles with Garlic and Parsley

Prep and cook time: 10 minutes
16 oz package egg noodles
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

[1] Cook the noodles according to package instructions. In a small bowl, microwave the garlic and butter for 20 seconds or until melted.
[2] Drain the noodles and toss with butter mixture and parsley. Serve with extra sauce from the meatballs, if desired.
Note: You might have leftover noodles. Take for lunch with salt and pepper and Parmesan.

This is a fantastic side dish for most meals not just this one!

Recipe from Relish, my meal planning site!

German Meatballs

Flank Steak Gyros

The meat in this recipe, if marinated, becomes so tender and has great flavor! I would have to say if Molly were a bit older this would be a hit, but she still is having issues with sandwiches. After making tacos last week I was reminded how we used to wrap our tacos in paper towels to keep them wrapped tightly. Well great idea, but there is a problem I don't buy paper towels. My mom mentioned wax paper, brilliant! I tried that, but she was too entranced with the wax paper and why it was on her food to actually eat it. I will keep working on it though... again I would think for 3 or 4 year olds and up this would be a great meal for the whole family. The flavors are great, not too over the top but still very Greek gyro! This recipe came from Relish, my go to meal planning site!

Flank Steak Gyros

Prep time: 5 minutes Marinate time: 2 hours +
Cook time: 20 minutes

MARINADE
1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

SAUCE
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice

**You could also just buy the premade tazitki sauce!**

4 6-inch pita pockets
1 white onion , thinly sliced
1 cucumber , peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 good tomatoes (if they are on the smaller size, mine came from my garden)

1. Cut the flank steak into thin strips against the grain. (To make slicing easier, place the meat in the freezer for about 10 minutes and then slice it). Prop open a large ziptop bag and add the olive oil, oregano and salt and pepper and mix well. Add the meat slices to the bag and turn to coat. Place in the refrigerator and let marinate 2 hours or up to all day.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

2. In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, dill, garlic and lemon juice and set aside.

3. Spritz the pitas with a little water, wrap in foil and place in the oven to warm. (Don't skip this step it makes the pita nice and pliable, if you don't have a spray bottle just wet your fingers and brush them over the pita)

4. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove meat from bag and discard marinade. Add meat slices to pan and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Return the meat and any juices to the skillet and stir until heated.

5. Arrange the pita bread on plates and top with the cucumber rounds and the beef mixture. Spoon some yogurt sauce over the meat and top with feta. Fold the gyros in half and serve.


Linked to Mingle Mondays, Meet Me Monday, & Making Friends Monday.

BEST DINNER EVER!

So tonight my husband isn't feeling well, a tummy bug is being passed around the house from daycare, but Molly is finally back to 100% and she showed it tonight at dinner. The child ate a HUGE dinner, and she sat there for the whole time. She never does this, usually she sits for about half of the time that Brian and I actually eat. This time she sat there the whole time. AMAZING! She had several helpings of the bread, TWO helpings of salad, and all of her pasta. This was sooooo tasty if you are looking for a really great meal you have found it, try this and I guarantee you will love it.  And I finally got to use my fancy pancy salad dressing mixer! (see add to the right to check it out!)

Shout out to Relish, for the recipe on the salad and pasta.

And if anyone tries this at home I have to hear back on if you liked it!

Orecchiette with Prosciutto and Breadcrumbs
10 oz orecchiette pasta (I couldn't find any at my local store and didn't want to go to a specialty store so I just used the bigger shells)
1/2 cup of olive oil, divided in half
8 slices of prosciutto
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to directions, (salted boiling water) Saute prosciutto till crispy in half of the olive oil.
2. Remove the bacon, then add the remainder of the oil and the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley. Stir constantly so they don't burn, and get them a golden brown (you will smell the most wonderful buttery garlic toasty goodness at this step)
3. Drain the pasta (reserve a little water to help the shells not stick together) put the pasta in your saute pan that you have been using. Add a little water (maybe 1/4 cup) and the Parmesan cheese. Let the water be sucked in by the pasta (this is another reason why it is so important to salt the pasta water) I didn't have to add any salt to the recipe because the bacon and Parmesan and the salt in the pasta water was more than enough. Toss back in the bacon then transfer to dinner plates and top with the crumbs.

The salad and the amazing dressing I have talked about before, go here for the recipe.

You know you have been blogging awhile and constantly taking photos of your food when your 2 year old daughter insists on you taking a picture of her plate before she starts eating. So here you go Moll's here is your picture too!

She got started on her bread before I got to her pic! The bread recipe is one from my mom, and it takes me back only instead of using a french bread loaf I used a baguette. It has a little butter, garlic powder, Parmesan Reggiano, and dill on top and then broiled until cooked through.

Linked to Family Food Fridays, Boost My Blog Friday, Friendly Friday Follow,  & New Friend Fridays Fresh Clean and Pure Fridays ! Also linked with Susieqtpies recipe swap click here!

Burrito Bowls... and Gourmet Smores???

This is a family favorite, so get ready! Burrito bowls and cheesy nachos.

Burrito Bowls
2 chicken breasts
Taco Seasoning
2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 can black beans
1 tomato diced
2 green onion
1/4 cilantro chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
Jar Salsa
Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt

1. Sprinkle taco seasoning all over chicken breasts, then grill till done.

2. While chicken is cooking make rice (add a touch of salt to rice for flavor), prep other ingredients (I put beans, tomato, green onion, salsa, sour cream all out on my island for easy assembly)

3. The cilantro and lime juice will be stirred into your rice when it is finished.

4. Once chicken is cooked remove from grill and cut into bite sized pieces (during colder months when I don't use the grill, I use a wok and cut the chicken up before I cook, your preference)

5. Assemble bowls, layer Cilantro lime rice, chicken, beans, tomatoes, green onion, sour cream and salsa... the key to this dish is the sour cream it makes everything so creamy and tasty... this is a family favorite and one that I make A LOT! It reminds me of Cafe Yum (a Eugene favorite, or The Whole Bowl - a food cart here in PDX)

I served this with cheesy chips, I made one little plate and put it in the middle of the table for us to munch on between bites of the burrito bowl. Another nod to Relish for this one, although there are some variances to their original dish.

So my family goes camping a lot in the summer, and when I mean family I mean extended family from my dad's side that can reach upwards of 40-60 people. This trip was small, closer to about 25, but we had a great time. We had two potlucks, one is cocktails and appetizers (this time was a little difficult for some because it was mostly spicy or seafood - I had to go and make myself a sandwich because I am a wuss when it comes to spicy food and I can't do seafood) the second potluck was fantastic and more than made up for the previous one, everyone turned out to have a Tex-Mex sort of dish. We ended up with taco salad, yum bowls, BBQ pulled pork, tequila lime wings, Frito rice pie, beans (SO GOOD), and for dessert we had a dump cake (apple cinnamon) made in a dutch oven on the fire.

But I digress, after the cocktails and appetizers on Friday I brought a Fantastic Smores Buffet (say it like the British do, that is how I say Buffet in my head -think Turkey Curry Buffet from Bridget Jones's Diary) my family has been experimenting over the years a little with smores, we thought we had hit the jackpot with substituting a peanut butter cup for a slab of Hershey's chocolate until I cam across an article in the last Food Network Magazine, there was a two page spread devoted to gourmet smores. I immediately tore it out and thought we had to try them at the next camp out, I went to my local WINCO and bought everything I needed mostly from the bulk section and brought it to the fire after our Friday night potluck, it seemed to be a resounding success and one we will replicate hopefully next year. Here are some of the interesting combinations:

Elvis Smore (this one I think was the resounding winner)

Honey Graham

Peanut Butter

Banana

Roasted 'mallow

**we also did a variance where we used a chocolate covered graham cookie instead of just the regular graham, I thought it was a bit heavy but others thought it was divine**

Cinnamon Toast Smore

Cinnamon Graham

White Chocolate square

Butterscotch Chips

Roasted 'mallow

** key to this one is to melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips on the fire while toasting the 'mallow**

Peppermint Patty Smore

Chocolate Graham

Small Peppermint patty

Mini chocolate chips

Roasted 'mallow

**we did a variance on this one too with a mint chocolate covered chocolate cookie -store brand grasshopper cookie, again I thought this was a bit heavy but those that liked mint swooned - said it was refreshing**

Caramel Apple Smore

Cinnamon Graham

Thinly sliced green apple

Rolo's Candie (although maybe a different caramel that was easier to soften might have been better)
Roasted 'mallow
**must melt candy while roasting 'mallow**

Do any of you have interesting smore recipes? I would love to add it to the buffet!



Linked to Mingle Monday, Meet Me Monday, Making Friends Monday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday.

Anniversary Dinner and Successful Ribs

So yesterday was not my anniversary (it was actually on Saturday but I couldn't get a babysitter) so we celebrated last night. We left Molly at home and headed into Portland for a "fancy" meal. I say that with quotations around it because it was a nice place, with great plates, but the atmosphere was relaxed and fantastic. We went to Three Doors Down Cafe, you live in PDX or you are visiting for whatever reason you should definitely make a stop.

We started with an antipasti of Italian cured meats and cheese, then had an appetizer of heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and 30 year old balsamic vinegar. Then we each had a salad, mine was bib lettuce with pancetta and a garlicky aioli and Brian had the classic romaine Cesar salad. For our entrees Brian got the hangar steak -cooked to perfection medium rare- some caramelized peppers with what Brian thought were currants and potatoes au gratin. I got the orecchiette pasta with oven roasted cherry tomatoes, corn, smoked bacon, and scallion sauce. It was also very good, and topped off with a few classes of their house white wine. It was a great date with my husband. We don't do presents for our anniversary or for valentines because -I probably more than my husband- request that we go to a nice restaurant, spend time together, enjoy the food and spend the money there. It was a great night. I thought about taking pictures but I didn't have the balls to do it, sorry!

Then today I tried ribs in the slow cooker, I have attempted ribs only ONCE before and they were not good. My husband really likes ribs and will frequently when we go to a gastropub order them so I actually do have an invested interest in trying to find something that will work. When I found the recipe as an option on my favorite meal planning site Relish, and saw that they used the slow cooker I thought BRILLIANT! Of course! Why didn't I think of that! Fool proof fall off the bone easy-peezey ribs. Here is the recipe, but again I got it from Relish so I am not taking credit for it.

Saucy BBQ Ribs
2 slabs of baby back pork ribs
(I couldn't find this at my store when I went so I got St. Louis style... now I am not a fan of eating meat off the bone, and I hate fatty meat and this was very fatty does anyone know if St. Lois style ribs are just more fatty??)
2 tsp coarse salt
1 yellow onion chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Cut ribs apart to fit in cooker, coat with salt set aside.
2. In a bowl mix sauce ingredients together, put some of the sauce on the bottom of the crock pot, layer the ribs and the sauce into the crock pot make sure to pour some sauce on top of the ribs before putting on the lid and turning to high to cook for 6-7 hours.
3. Towards the end I took the lid off to try and cook off some of the sauce, and I must say the tips and pieces that were above the sauce and got more of a "burnt" look to them were the best parts in my opinion!

** Served with regular ol' baked beans and corn on the cob.

It was a success and if my husband requests ribs again this is the way I will cook them, no more messin' with the oven and then the BBQ and what not. Slow cooker is the only way for me, and if people think that is lazy well I just don't really care, ribs are hard for me and this was foolproof.

Slightly Spicy Sloppy Joes

So we ran out of propane last night so my original idea for tonight's dinner didn't pan out. Instead we had Sloppy Joes, local corn from one of my favorite farm stands that is unfortunately on it's way out- it needs to be eaten, and homemade coleslaw -cabbage from CSA bag.

Hold on, pregnant pause as the say, so that I can watch Anthony's show on Rome real quick.

Ok I am back.

I made up the cole slaw tonight so I thought I would share that recipe as well as the sloppy joes.
Sweet Mustard Cole Slaw
1/2 big head of cabbage

1/3 cup Mayo

1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tsp sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Shred the cabbage, mix rest of ingredients in a separate bowl and then toss all together. I didn't have any nectarines but these have become my favorite thing to add to coleslaw, give it a try and tell me what you think.

Slightly Spicy Sloppy Joes

1 lb hamburger meat

1 yellow pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 can Original Rotel's tomatoes with chilies
1/2 cup of ketchup, or more depending on your tastes
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns

1. Saute meat, onions and peppers together. When meat is brown drain excess fat.
2. Add canned tomatoes, ketchup, and mustard let cook until thickened a bit.
3. Toast hamburger buns, top buns with meat mixture sprinkle with cheddar cheese to melt and top with green onions before finishing with the other bun.

** Now I find sloppy joes to be, well sloppy, so I usually have mine open faced and eat it with a fork (as seen in pic above) my husband however eats it as a true sandwich. To make it kid friendly, my two year old still has a hard time with "sandwiches" so I just gave her a bit of the meat with some cheese on top sans bun. By adding peppers and tomatoes into the mixture I don't feel too bad about giving it to her, and it wasn't too spicy (believe me I am a wuss, and my daughter never mentioned a word about it being, "Spicy momma!" So for those of you that like more spice get the hotter brand of tomatoes,or add red pepper flakes or saracha to make it to your taste buds but for my family it was just right!)

Added bonus, you have more than enough left over for lunch the next day. This is my husbands meal for tomorrow. Yet another reason why I am so passionate about cooking and eating at home it makes leftovers for lunch the next day so great and EASY! I love easy lunch boxes but all of mine are dirty, husband doesn't always bring them back, and this little box was found for $2.99 at Target in their summer section (I have seen them there the last two years be on the look out they are great!)

Slight nod to Relish, my favorite meal planning site for giving me some direction with this meal.

Linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays At the Table, and Tasty Tuesday.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork and Nectarine Coleslaw

I have done inexpensive pork shoulders in the slow cooker before for pulled pork, if you haven't tried it you MUST! Easiest is the Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork, literally a 3-4 lb pork roast (1) can of Dr Pepper, and (1) 16-18oz bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (throw it all in the slow cooker set on low for 8 hours, shred and put on a toasted bun ~couldn't be simpler I have even done it while camping a few times) This recipe has a few more ingredients, my husband said he liked this one a bit better -little less sweet I think. We used it for dinner one day, lunch and dinner the next so it really gives you a bit of meat (we had it just as is the first time on buns, the second time on whole wheat bread in my sandwich press, and then for dinner on a grilled BBQ pizza).
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

1 yellow onion , chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 3-4 pound shoulder pork roast

1. Throw all ingredients into the slow cooker, make sure you flip the pork roast over a few times so it is really coated with the sauce turn on low and let go for 8 hours.
2. Once done, pull roast out and put in a big bowl, using a fork and tongs (it will be hot) shred the pork, turn the slow cooker on hot to reduce the remaining sauce, once pork is shredded put the pork back in and coat with sauce and serve on toasted buns with Hawaiian Sweet Onion chips, and dill pickles

Nectarine Coleslaw
1 head of smaller head of cabbage, shredded
1 nectarine, chopped
1/2 cup of mayo
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
Pepper to taste
1. Mix together in a medium size bowl and let sit for 30 minutes in the fridge for ingredients to meld and serve, the nectarine is so good it adds a nice sweet/sour element.

We have been given a huge amount of cabbage this summer from our CSA so I am trying some things to shake it up a bit. This is another nod to Relish, I really can't say enough about the site I know around my family and friends when I first became a user it was all I could talk about. I have since calmed down around them-them being my family and friends, not because I like it any less but because I believed they had gotten tired of hearing me rant and rave. But know this, I am every bit as in love with this site as I have ever been. They are constantly giving me new things to cook, that I never would have tried on my own. It is helpful, yes in planning meals with its shopping lists and ease of use, but it also has a chef behind all of the recipes so even though they might sound odd; and most of the time I only make a few changes, for the most part I have gotten to the point that I completely trust their judgement. I have had enough of their meals to say, "Ok, put that in, sure!" And would you know it, it is always fantastic.

The pizza at the back in the BBQ pizza with the left over pulled pork, don't know about you but those are some good leftovers!

Tasty Summer Meal (Sirloin Skewers with Corn and Fava Bean Salad)

Molly LOVED this corn salad, she had two helpings. I was a little worried as I was letting it cool, it is supposed to be a salad after all, because Brian said something smelled funny - I think he was referring to the smell of the roasted red peppers- anyway he ended up saying it was the star of the meal. I will definitely make the salad again and I LOVED the marinade for the meat, the meat could have been more tender but the taste was delicious!

This is another nod to Relish, my favorite meal planning site, I only made a slight changes to the salad.
**Make the salad in advance and let the flavors meld.

Sirloin Skewers & Marinade
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

** I know a lot of recipes call for the bamboo skewers, but honestly just invest in the metal kind. You don't have pre-soak which I always found daunting, and these are reusable.
 
1. Mix oil, mustard, vinegar, and thyme ( I know it seems like a lot of Thyme, but it makes the marinade!) in a small bowl.

2. Toss the meat with the marinade in a plastic bag and let sit at least two hours (this was my mistake I believe as to why the meat was not more tender, I am not sure if it made it to two hours but I imagine if I had let it keep doing it's magic maybe even all day it would have made a difference)
3. Skewer meat on the metal skewers, alternating the tomatoes in between and grill about 2 minutes per side (don't overcook, I love my husband but he constantly overcooks our meat, no matter what I tell him!)
 
Corn and Fava Bean Salad
3 cobs of corn, cut kernels off
1 cup of shelled fava beans (original recipe called for fresh lima beans, but I got fava in my CSA bag so I used those instead)
4 strips of roasted red bell pepper, chopped (you could do this with a fresh pepper, but I actually thought the red peppers were really expensive this week, not to mention it would have been a much bigger time commitment and I had already spent about 20 minutes shelling the fava beans!)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
 2 tbsp julienned basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1. Saute corn and fava beans for about five minutes, let cool for about ten minutes and then mix with all other ingredients. Put away in the fridge and let sit for a couple hours to let flavors meld together.
 
** You will notice in the picture we also had some fresh zucchini and vidalia sweet onions from the CSA bag, so I just tossed with olive oil and salt & pepper and grilled. Molly LOVED zucchini last summer, she didn't seem too keen on it this time, I will keep trying though, because I hope with my garden that we will have a HUGE amount of zucchini this summer (of course that is if our weather gets better and things start to actually grow).

Salsa Verde Enchiladas

This was one of the tastiest meals I can remember in awhile. And it couldn't be more super, and since we got a reprieve here in the Northwest, we all joked because we said you know your an Oregonian when its sixty degrees out and cloudy and you are happy as can be, after a few 80-90 degree days we were all thankful for typical Pacific Northwest weather. And as such my house hovered around 70 degrees all day and I had no problem cooking the enchiladas in the oven, otherwise I was going to pass them off to my husband to do it outside on the BBQ, and use it like an oven. Hey Bobby Flay uses his grill to cook everything, why can't I? Any who the entire meal was so good, that I was about half way through the meal before I realized I didn't take a picture. Thankfully the recipe makes so much there was leftovers, this was my lunch the next day. I apologize that it doesn't include a picture of the three berry salad, there weren't any leftovers of that, but you get the idea, SO GOOD! You must must must try this one, it was too easy!

As I was taking pictures of the dish Molly was practicing saying cheese and smiling. She was watching daddy and mimicking him.
I did take some shortcuts with the Relish recipe, again because it is summer and hot I used Foster Farms precooked Grilled Chicken (you can buy a big bag at Costco and they are a lifesaver!) Instead of grilling two chicken breasts as an extra step I used the precooked chicken. Other than that I pretty much followed the recipe.
Salsa Verde Enchilada
2 Chicken Breasts (Since I used the precooked I just guessed on the amount)
Olive Oil & Salt and Pepper
2 cups of Prepared Salsa Verde
(8) 6 inch corn tortilla
Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese (I didn't want to grate my frozen block but I had some Mozzarella on hand and I used that -worked fine and didn't add to the spicy which was good for my daughter and myself, Brian might have liked it but it would have been too much for me)
1. Season Chicken breasts with olive oil and salt and pepper and grill till done. Cut into bite size pieces.
2. Heat tortillas for 10 minutes to make pliable (375 degrees)
3. Pour 1/4 cup of salsa verde into a shallow dish, dip warmed tortillas in salsa verde and put a small handful of chicken and roll up and place in an oven safe dish. Fill dish, and then pour the remaining salsa over the top, and cover with mozzarella.
4. Heat for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Salad Topping for Enchiladas
1 romaine heart shredded
6 radishes sliced thin (I used a mandolin, if you don't have one then slice with your chef night just be careful)
Juice of one lime (2 tbsp)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Avocado sliced
1. Toss all together and then top the enchiladas with the salad

Triple Berry Salad
1/2 of a personal seedless watermelon (cubed)
8 oz Strawberries sliced
8 oz blueberries
1/4 cup sugar
1. Toss together and serve!

You know I believe it takes me longer to write these up than it takes to cook!

Grilled Chicken & Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic Rolls

Marinade for the Chicken:
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger (I freeze my ginger it lasts longer and is super easy to grate)
1 tbsp grated garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, put 1/4 cup of the mixture in a  plastic Ziploc bag and then toss in the chicken marinade for 20 minutes up to 2 hrs.
2. Grill Chicken, and then cut into 1 in pieces (wish I would have taken a pic of just the chicken because it was gorgeous grilled)!

For Angel Hair pasta salad
12 oz of pasta
**Reserved marinade**
1 Red pepper diced
1 Yellow pepper diced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (be careful here, I am a wimp with hot spices, I usually leave this out and my husband who loves it spicy will then put in saracha sauce instead)
2 green onions

** Disclaimer: I made this before going to the store and I didn't have any bell pepper, so I am using what ever I have in my fridge (I am thinking since this has some Asian undertones that some carrots, broccoli, and onion will be fine and add good color) I think sometimes when you have a great base like this that it is easy to just mix and match with whatever you have. This is a great meal to have when you are in need of a grocery store stop.

Adapted from a recipe from Relish.

Magarita Grilled Chicken, Black Beans and Rice, and Watermelon and Jicama salad

So I marinated this chicken for only maybe two hours, and it was some of the most flavorful, juicy chicken I have had in a LONG time. Again another nod to Relish for this recipe (again a slight variation on it, but the basis is from them).
* Marinate Chicken ahead of time

Marinade for Chicken
1/4 cup cilantro (ruff chopped)
10 oz of margarita mix
1/2 cup Tequila
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Chicken Breasts
1. Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag and allow to marinade for 1 to 2 hours or up to all day.
2. Perfect for summer BBQ, grill chicken until desired doneness, discard marinade.

Rice (Start this first during the cooking process)
Basmati Rice (my go to long grain rice)
1 Can black beans
1/4 cup of margarita mix
1. Make rice like normal, towards end of cooking process drain and wash a can of black beans.
2. Mix in can of black beans and Margarita mix. Stir carefully so as not to destroy the beans.

Watermelon and Jicama Salad
1/2 Seedless Personal Watermelon
1 small Jicama (diced)
3 tbsp basil (chiffonade)
1/2 cup toasted coconut
2 tbsp rice vinegar
Pinch of salt
1. Toast coconut on stove top in a clean pan, don't let burn, look for a nice crisp brown color.
2. Toss everything including coconut  in a bowl and serve.

Thai Noodles

This was an original recipe that I adapted to fit my tastes from Relish. If you haven't checked them out yet, you should it is a masterful menu planning site! One that I have been using for a year now, and I have yet to have a meal that I haven't truly enjoyed!

Thai Noodles Recipe:

Sauce:

1 cup chicken broth

4 tbsp spoons creamy peanut butter

4 tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce

6 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp fresh grated ginger

1 clove garlic minced

Noodles/Chicken:

A couple handfuls of pre-cooked grilled chicken (I use Foster Farms, that you can get at Costco)

1 tbsp veggie oil

10 oz linguine (this makes a lot, which is what I prefer because then I have leftovers for lunches)

2 red bell peppers, cored/seeded, and sliced

1/2 white onion, sliced

1 bag bean sprouts

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

1 whole lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

[1] Cook the pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through but still firm to the bite. Combine chicken broth, peanut butter, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sauce becomes smooth and well blended.

[2] Defrost the chicken then cut into bite sized pieces (to make this veggie just omit the chicken or use a meat substitute in its place- tempeh would work well here.

[3] Oil the skillet, add bell peppers and onion and saute for a few minutes.

[4] Add the chicken and bean sprouts to the skillet turn off heat. Drain noodles and place in the pan with the peppers. Add peanut sauce and turn to coat. Garnish with peanuts and limes

Tonight’s Dinner / Tomorrow’s Lunch

So tonight we had southwestern meatloaf, baked potato, and the BEST salad I have had in a long time. I should probably mention that I don't do all of this stuff on my own. In the last eight months I have found the joy that is Relish a wonderful meal planning site. They provide you with options to pick from every week, and then it will create a PDF file with a categorized shopping list and all the recipes you will need for the week. Sometimes I come up with my own stuff for the night, and sometimes I borrow a recipe here or there from them as a side dish, in tonight's case however it was all Relish.

The salad was a spinach, apple, and golden raisin salad; which in and of itself isn't that unique or different but it was the dressing that made it out of this world. Now the original recipe was WAY too much dressing but it was so good we will surely use it all up in the next week. On a side note something that I am curious about recently is the idea of getting away from as much processed food as possible, I am currently reading Real Food by Nina Planck, as well as I notice it keep coming up in lots of different media (Relish, various Food Network shows). I like the idea that there are things that we have all started buying under a misguided idea of "convenience" when in reality it is really just more expensive and sometimes contain ingredients you can't even pronounce. Why do we really have to buy salad dressing? Or pancake mix, or any of the other things that are "preassembled?" Well now I am just getting off on a tangent but you get my point. I have a Nigella Lawson show on my DVR from months ago because she talks about her own personal recipe for a homemade pancake mix that she always keeps in her pantry. I am thinking, yes, totally why not do that it is way cheaper! Anyway I digress. The key to this dressing I think was it called for a tiny amount of celery salt, yes celery salt in a salad dressing. GENIOUS! Even Molly was happily munching away on her spinach!

Tangy Apple Dressing

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ olive oil

¼ teaspoon celery salt

Pour all ingredients into a little jar (I use leftover baby food containers) and shake vigorously. Use enough to lightly coat salad.

Now I have been looking at these lunches lately that are so fantastic and colorful and look so tasty, they are the bento style lunches for kids. It is Thursday, on Friday Molly takes a little lunch box to daycare. So I thought I would try my hand at a bento inspired lunch for her. Obviously I don't have all the neat little gadgets that are a "prerequisite" the little bento boxes, the seperaters, the mini-cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes and what not, the fun animal tooth picks etc. However I do believe my first attempt was quite good, and we shall see how Molly liked it tomorrow. She has a sandwich, cut with a sandwich cutter that Nana got us. Some blueberries packed with the sandwich. Cheese cut into a flower shape, with some crackers. Carrot coins (cut with ridges on my mandolin) and some Asian dipping sauce (she likes to dip) so I am hoping she will eat these raw carrots due to the dip. She does well with cooked carrots, raw ones not so much yet, and a juice box. Should be good, not that I have a hard time getting her to really eat anything but if I were a kid I would think it was cool. A little mini-adventure to see what mom packed me today. I don't know, maybe I am just a nerd like that!