Easy veggie side dish

Barefoot Contessa Cinnamon Donut Cakes

Vegetable Soup

Fabric Pumpkins

Summer Squash & Corn Chowder

So I don't have any photos of this soup, but it is delicious! I love it because I was able to use all of the corn we accumulated over the summer that we stored in the freezer as well as the last of the summer squash! This recipe made 2 freezer bags full(approximately 8 ladles worth).  Enjoy!

Here is a picture I stole from Cooking Light:

           

And here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 slices applewood-smoked bacon 
• 3/4 cup sliced green onions, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped celery 
• 1 pound yellow summer squash, chopped
• 1 pound frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
• 2 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided 
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. 1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. 2. Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

And here are the nutrition facts:

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

• Calories: 285
• Fat: 9.4g
• Saturated fat: 3.9g
• Monounsaturated fat: 3.4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g
• Protein: 13.3g
• Carbohydrate: 37.8g
• Fiber: 5.4g
• Cholesterol: 20mg
• Iron: 1.3mg
• Sodium: 605mg
• Calcium: 260mg

 

Couscous with veggies

Honey Garlic Pork Chops

Big Hit with the kiddos!

Marinate pork in:
1/2 c soy sauce
3 tbs honey
6 minced garlic cloves

baste a couple of times while grilling using some reserved marinade.

I served the pork with a green salad and sliced mango.  yummo!

Leftover Pork Roast with Cheddar Grits

Hamburger Soup

Vegetable Coconut Korma

Homemade Apple Sauce

Creamy Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

This is a good one: a baby recipe that could easily be adapted for the big kids (of all ages). You could turn this into a creamy soup or leave bigger pieces of broccoli and chicken for a hearty pasta dish.

Fairy Cupcakes

 These are so easy... my girls made them from start to finish unassisted.

 How to make them...
1.  preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3.  Mix following ingredients in bowl...

2 large eggs
2/3 cup superfine sugar
1/2 c soft butter
1 cup self rising flour

sneaky fingers stealing batter to taste

hm... technically not the safest/healthiest thing.  whatever.

 Fill cupcake liners with batter.

bake for 18-20 minutes.

and add your favorite frosting!  C and LK made a glaze with confectioner sugar and butter.
It may take me a couple of days to clean the kitchen after this!! ha.

Panini Sandwich

Smoke House Turkey Panini

So, my oldest is obsessed with the smokehouse panini sandwich from Panera Bread.  We decided to try and recreate this yummy sandwich for her first day of school lunch.  The secret is in the mustard!!

We used:
sliced asiago cheese bread
smoked turkey from the grocer's deli
sliced sharp cheddar cheese
bacon
and homemade mustard

To make the mustard, gather your ingredients...

mix in a food processor...

simmer for a bit to meld the flavors...

mustard recipe:

Sun-Dried Tomato & Ale Mustard

• 1/4 cup mustard seeds
• 1/4 cup dry mustard
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
• 1/4 cup malt vinegar
• 1/4 cup ale
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon salt 

1. Place the mustard seeds in a cup of warm water. Place in the refrigerator to steep overnight.
2. Strain out the water, and rinse the seeds off well.
3. Pour all mustard ingredients into a food processor, and process until smooth.
4. Simmer in a saucepan with a bit of water for a few minutes to meld the flavors together.
5. Remove from heat and refrigerate until ready to use. You can store the mustard for a few months before it will go bad.
6. Spread the mustard onto the slices of Artisan Three Cheese Bread.
7. Top 4 of the slices with 2 ounces smoked turkey breast, 1 slice of cheese, and 2 pieces of smoked bacon.
8. Top with the remaining bread slices and grill in a panini press until golden-brown on top and bottom. 

Pack in new monogrammed lunch box for one happy new 5th grader's lunch!!
(she also had an orange, pretzels and oreos :))

Asian Lettuce Wraps

 

I usually make this with my crock pot whole chicken left overs.  It definitely takes some time to prep... but this dish is so yummy it's worth it!
Gather all the ingredients...

First I take my left over chicken and put it in my food processor with the mushrooms.

before...

after!

Next, I rinse out the food processor bowl and shred a head of cabbage.  Set half the cabbage aside to make cole slaw on another night. :)

I find it best to gather all the ingredients in small bowls, so when your cooking (or re-heating) the chicken you can just throw everything in when needed.  The cooking goes by fast, so it's nice to have everything prepped and waiting by the stove top.

Start by sauteing your minced garlic and ginger in hot oil.

after about 30 seconds, add the chicken and mushroom mixture.

while this is cooking, heat your cabbage in a wok until it wilts.

add the rest of your ingredients to the cabbage, and then add to chicken mixture.

Saute is all together, and add more cabbage as needed.  I like a lot of cabbage!

I serve this with sliced mango.  Yum!

love this mango slicer!

 recipe from Our Best Bites Cookbook:

2tsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs minced fresh ginger
1 lb ground chicken (or left over chicken!)
3 oz mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 c shredded cabbage
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
1/2 c thinly sliced green onions
4 tbs soy sauce (I use braggs)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

Dipping/drizzle sauce:
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs rice wine vinegar
3 tbs water
2 tsp honey
1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger

Heat a very large skillet with to med/high heat on the stovetop.  When hot, add vegetable oil and then garlic and ginger.  Saute for about 30 sec and add ground chicken.  Cook until chicken is cooked through (at this pt you may need to drain some chicken cooking juice.  If using left over chicken, I add a bit of chicken stock to keep it from getting too dry.)  Add cabbage, water chestnuts, and green onions.  Cook until cabbage wilts.  Add soy sauce, sesame oil, and the zest and lemon juice.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce.  Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with the sauce.