Lent: Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Lent is a season our family takes very seriously. We give up something important (ice cream for both boys this year) and work to grow in our faith. It is also an awesome cooking season for me.  I finally get to make seafood and the hubby and I love it. There is one small little problem--the kids don't really go for seafood.  They like sushi but that is it (weird I know, not even fish sticks).  So I am often stuck doing the one thing I hate--making two dinners.  To cut down on the duplicate work I have a few go to Lent recipes that freeze well that I cook in bulk.  This allows me to spend time cooking the seafood for us and only quickly microwaving the boys dinner.  The easiest and quickest one is sweet potato quesadillas.  They freeze great, are a cheap meal, and even entertain well. 

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

2 finely chopped onions

3 minced garlic cloves

3 tablespoons olive oil 

4 cups of grated sweet potatoes

1/2 teaspoon of oregano (better if you have fresh oregano but dried is fine)

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

1 teaspoon chili powder (leave out if your kids don't like spicy food)

Tortillas

Grated sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Homemade salsa or guacamole

Saute the onions and garlic in the vegetable oil until translucent. Add the sweet potatoes, oregano, cumin, and chili powder if you are using it. Cook covered for ten minutes stirring frequently or it will stick.  When the sweet potato is tender add salt and pepper to taste.  Make quesadillas by placing the filling and cheese inside then folding over or just use like a taco filling and top with whatever toppings you like. 

(Recipe adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home Cookbook--great cookbook if you are a vegetarian. I have only ever liked this one recipe from the book.)

Porky the Pig Part 4

"10 out of 10 but it's not my favorite" CB

If you made the whole pork shoulder you probably still have some pork in your freezer, so here is another yummy and super easy pork recipe. This one is actually my favorite left over pork recipe. It is probably one of the easiest recipes I make--it is so easy that my wonderful, supportive, intelligent but horrendous at cooking husband is even able to make it.

Hoisin Pork Rolls with Crunchy Slaw

Hoisin Pork: 
2 cups of pulled pork
3 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
1/3 cup hoisin sauce 

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat. 
Add the garlic and ginger and stir about 30-60 seconds
Add the pork and hoisin sauce. 
Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes

Crunchy Slaw:
1 bag of raw coleslaw or sliced cabbage
3-5 scallions, chopped (less if your kids are more picky)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1.5 tablespoon rice vinegar (do not substitute traditional vinegars, if you don't have just leave it out)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce 

Small tortillas, white or whole wheat

Mix together cabbage, green onions, and cilantro. Place the oil, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce in a resealable jar and shake. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss until coated.

Serve the hoisin-ginger pork along with the crunchy slaw with tortilla wraps. Place both inside of a tortilla and roll up. 


*Based on a recipe from www.mealplanning101.com* Highly recommend this blog!

Kid Favorite: Firehouse Chicken

This is part of a new series of the boys' favorite recipes.  If you don't have kids, don't cook this--it isn't very good. If I was rating it, I would give it a 5/10 but the boys love it. It is second to only their absolute favorite--cheesesteaks and if you have met my boys you would know this is very high praise.

10/10 ~PJ

Firehouse Chicken
2 lbs of bite sized chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, or tenderloins)
1 bottle (about 28 oz) of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Wegman's Brown Sugar BBQ)
1 can (20 oz) of pineapple chunks
1 onion diced
2 gloves minced garlic

Place chicken, BBQ sauce, un-drained can of pineapple (aka pineapple + juice), onion, and garlic into a 4 qt dutch oven or a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil briefly then turn to medium low and simmer with the lid on for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly. Then enjoy with your little people!

Side Dish Suggestions:
Sweet Potatoes
Corn
Applesauce
Yams au gratin

Porky the Pig Part 3

Here is another great dinner to make with your pork. This is a great dinner to entertain with and looks beautiful but is easy.  Homemade guacamole and salsa make a huge difference in flavor and taste when having tacos or fajitas at home. Below is a basic pico de gallo recipe that can be adapted for many different kinds of salsa.  I have included what I think are the best combinations but you can be as adventurous as you want. For the fruit salsas, some people like to omit the tomatoes. I love tomatoes so I keep them in but something to keep in mind.   

Pulled Pork Fajitas

Soft Flour Tortillas

Pulled Pork

Shredded Taco Cheese

Guacamole (see recipe below)

Fresh homemade salsa (see recipes below)

Fresh Homemade Pico de Gallo

3 chopped tomatoes

1 diced seeded jalapeno (feel free to leave out)

1 diced red onion

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste.

Combine all the ingredients and enjoy. 

Corn and black bean salsa

For pineapple salsa: chop 1 can of pineapple and 1/2 teaspoon allspice (pork or fish)
For peach salsa: chop 2 fresh peaches and 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon (chicken or beef)
For mango salsa:  chop 2 cups of fresh or canned mango and 1/4 teaspoon allspice (pork or fish)
For corn and black bean: add one small can of corn and one small can of black beans (any)
For cucumber salsa: 1 cup diced seeded cucumber and 2 tablespoons chopped mint (chicken or beef)

*For smooth salsas blend in a food processor.*

Fresh Guacamole
2 avocados
2 plum tomatoes
2 shallots or one small onion
2 gloves garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 seeded jalapeno

Combine tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and jalapeno in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Add the avocados and pulse leaving chunky.
I often double the recipe to have some to eat with chips later. If you are going to store overnight add additional lime juice.

C loves guacamole and gives it a 10. 

*For smooth guacamole blend in a food processor until smooth.*

Crap I forgot dinner: Dinner Eggs

So it has happened to all of us--you forgot to plan so you open the fridge and even worse it is practically empty. Take Out it is! Or wait...perhaps not. In the series "Crap I forgot dinner", we will explore easy, simple recipes made from stuff you have on hand.  Remember if you make recipes in bulk and freeze them this will be even easy because dinner will just be a quick microwave away.

This recipe is an easy one in which you can adapt with whatever you have on hand. The required ingredients are the ones in italics and the rest is whatever you have on hand. This is another great recipe to hide veggies in and is a simple one dish meal.  It also doesn't have a crust which is time consuming and in my opinion dry and gross.

Dinner Eggs*
*Because the name Quiche sounds weird to my kids*

2 cups of milk
4 eggs
3/4 biscuit baking mix
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 cup cubed cooked ham

Preheat over to 325 degrees. Grease a quiche or casserole dish.
In a large bowel mix together milk, eggs, and baking mix (it will be lumpy). Then add in your fixings. Pour into a baking dish and bake for 50 minutes.

Great combinations include:

• Sausage and mushroom with cheddar cheese
• Bacon and Gruyere
• Spinach, bacon, and swiss
• Smoked salmon, dill, and swiss
• Chorizo and tomatoes
• Anything that involves meat, veggies, or cheese

Serve with a simple salad and you have a beautiful simple super easy meal. 

On the Side

Trying to figure out what to make to serve with a dish is often more time-consuming and frustrating for me then cooking the main dish itself. That's why my favorite dishes are the ones that contain enough veggies in the main dish to make it acceptable for this pediatrician mom to not serve anything else.  These are a few of my favorite side dishes.

Carrots and Dip
Raw Carrots, Celery, or Snap Peas
Fat Free Ranch

I put this first because there is nothing wrong with serving your kids raw veggies with dip. Raw veggies are super healthy so if your kids are difficult about veggies like my PJ just serve your vegetable and after they have tried it, they can "trade" for uncooked veggies if they prefer. 


Brussels Sprouts for People who Hate Brussel Sprouts*
*Except for my children who still hate this*

I love this and could just eat this for dinner. PJ gives it a 2.

1/4 cup of Olive Oil
1/2 of a 4 oz pkg Italian Classics Diced Pancetta
1/4 cup chopped shallots or onions
14 oz shaved brussel sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Apple or Balsamic Vinegar

To shave the brussel sprouts place them in a food processor and pulse or cut thinly with a knife.  

In a pan put 1 tsp olive oil and pancetta until pancetta starts to render its fat. Then add shallots and brussel sprouts.  Cook until just start to soften. Add olive oil and vinegar stirring until brussel sprouts are slightly limp. 

*Based on a Wegman's Recipe for brussel sprouts* 

Hams O' Rotten (AKA Yams Au Gratin)

C absolutely is obsessed with this and is the one who gave it  this awesome name.
He helps make it and always gives it a 10!

2 cups of heavy cream

3 lbs peeled yams

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere

Fresh nutmeg

Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer 1/3 yams in baking dish and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layer with 1/3 yams and rest of cheese. Top with remaining yams

In a bowel mix heavy cream, pinch of salt, and some fresh ground nutmeg. Pour cream mixture over top of yams.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes then using a spatula press against top layer to let liquid flow over crust. Bake 30 minutes and repeat. Bake 45 minutes.

*This dish is quite heavy and delicious (and fattening) so I usually serve it with just grilled chicken to balance it out. It also freezes well so double up and freeze some for dinner another night since it takes awhile to cook*

Sweet Potatoes and Applesauce

6 medium sweet potatoes or yams (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1.5 cups applesauce
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Place sweet potatoes in crock pot. Cover with remaining ingredients and stir. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. 

*Freezes and reheats great so double up and freeze*

Porky the Pig Part 2

Everyone loves pasta--kids, adults, even my Batman.  They love it more when the sauce is homemade. Homemade pasta sauce is great for a few reasons:

1. The sauce can be made ahead, freezes well, and is easy to reheat on week nights.
2. It is a meal that doesn't require a ton of planning--so when you get home from soccer practice and realize you forgot to thaw that chicken you were going to make you don't have to get take out. 
3. It is delicious and hearty.
4. If you follow my instructions then there are enough veggies in your dish that if you kids don't eat the salad or broccoli or whatever vegetable you make it doesn't matter.

This sauce can be made on the weekend in a large batch and frozen or because the meat is already cooked can be made on a week night.  Remember that pasta sauce gets better the longer you cook it so don't stress too much about cooking times.  I used pappardelle for this because I was having a craving but you can use which ever boxed pasta you have around.  

Pork and Pappardelle
**This makes about 12-15 servings. So enough for dinner tonight plus two frozen batches in the freezer**

2 cups slow cooker pork, chopped
3- 4 oz cans of sliced carrots
2 onions chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2- 28 oz cans of kitchen cut tomatoes
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
4-5 fresh basil leaves
1/2-1 cup red wine or beef stock

In a large pot, heat olive oil then add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.  If using a slow cooker, transfer contents to slow cooker. De glaze the pan with red wine or stock then pour into crock pot. If doing on the stove stop just add in wine or stock and simmer. Add carrots, pork, cinnamon, and all spice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes to a few hours (longer you cook better the flavor will be) on the stove on medium heat or in the crock pot on high.  Add in fresh chopped basil leaves and serve over pasta. 


A few adaptations:

• Pappardelle is best with a hearty sauce so I left it very chunky. If you or your children prefer a smoother sauce--finely chop onions and carrots and allow to cook for at least 2 hours.  
• Red wine always adds a nice flavor to a dish. I like to cook with it then drink the rest with dinner :) Its fine to leave it out. 
• Canned carrots are one of my cooking short cuts. It shortens the time the sauce needs to cook because the carrots are pre-cooked. Remember if you use canned carrots and tomatoes don't add extra salt because they are canned with salt so your sauce will be nicely flavored. If you use fresh carrots and tomatoes you will need extra salt. 
• If you have a hard time getting veggies into your kids this sauce and all pasta sauce is great place to hide veggies. Adding a container of baby food carrots or dried baby food will add extra servings of veggies without changing the flavor.

Adding one of these containers of carrots adds an extra serving of veggies

Another way to add veggies