Dinner Meal Plan for August 28-September 3

This week, I am going to try and do something different... I'll try and post the ingredient list for each meal, along with a "quick" how to. I'll go into further detail with the "Video of the week" dinner though. 

Sunday: White Bean Chili with Cornbread
Monday: Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Grilled Tomato Sandwiches
Tuesday: Spaghetti with Lemon Butter Sauce
Wednesday: Fried Chicken with Coleslaw
Thursday: Tacos and Stuffed Jalapenos (Video of the week) side note: I did just make these a week and a half ago, but I like to make new recipes again, so I can get the "how to" down.
Friday: Chicken Kabobs with Rice
Saturday: This dinner, is the start of my fast (a religious observance in my faith), but I will be going to a fun new restaurant for lunch, so I'll give ya a Restaurant Review for Joe's Real BBQ in Gilbert, Arizona

This week is going to be FUN! I am really excited! Sorry for not getting this up sooner. I'm going to also try and change my posting day to Wednesdays or Thursdays for the following week. Let me know if you have any suggestions for my blog, or questions that I might be able to answer. Have a great week!

Kitchens = Peace. Comfort. Creativity. And Love!

Better perspective of me, Sarah, the food blogger.

This week, like I said, school started. My art class was my first class (which I was super excited about and still am), and it was the class that I finished the first homework assignment for.

The first assignment was to choose a location, explain what I see, and how I feel in it. The location needed to be somewhere that expresses who I am and be somewhere that for you, the reader, allows you to experience being there from my view. The first "place" that popped in my head, was... the kitchen! Of course. lol. I don't think anyone who knows me at all would be surprised about that one, so I wanted to share my first completed assignment with ya'll. Just so, that you know, I am in LOVE in the kitchen and what that all encompasses. You may think it's weird, and I'm okay with that. haha.

Here ya go...

Hi. My name is Sarah and I am a kitchen addict. Not just addicted to my own kitchen either, most kitchens will do, well almost. I do need order and cleanliness to function at my fullest. When those things are in place though, I find peace, comfort, and creativity there. I experience my thoughts deepen on many subjects while I am working in the kitchen. I also feel I can express a part of my love through my sacrifice of time; not only in the time preparing the meal, but in the time I take in learning and improving my skill. I am also able to express myself with the décor, food choices, and flavors that I choose to work with.

I truly love that, in a kitchen, there are colors everywhere! From the containers my foods are stored and cooked in, to what the foods are plated and presented on, to a beautiful rainbow of color in the food itself. It is my goal, to not only make the meal delicious, by using the right combination of flavors, but to make it just as delicious visually; Which is how I feel we truly “taste” anyway, by using all of our senses. I try to keep things interesting too, by using a combination of colors, shapes, sizes, and textures in all aspects of the kitchen.

Picture this… Bright red, imperfectly, diced tomatoes, slices of vibrant yellow and orange peppers. Dramatic green; fragrant basil, shredded Parmesan cheese, that not only adds the right flavor, but adds the right texture, for the taste buds and visually. Combine all of that color and texture together with some fresh cooked linguine, a few pinches of deep, dark, spicy crushed red pepper, a dash of pure, white, sea salt, and a drizzle of beautiful, rich green olive oil in a beautiful handmade saffron colored bowl… Oh the goodness that is in that dish!

So, yeah, I guess, that is the reason why I am a kitchen addict. I love to use all of my senses, so I am a "sensible" person you see. 

Here is hoping that my professor likes my angle :)

Apologies

Hello all! Apologies to everyone for not having more posts this week... I was a we bit busy. School started and I had a last minute trip out of state. I will be back on the ball by Saturday! Promise! Happy planning, cooking, and tasting til then!

Sarah

Dinner Meal Plan for August 21- August 27

Here we go for this week!

Sunday: Hawaiin Haystacks (Crock Pot Meal)
Monday: Stuffed Peppers
Tuesday: Bacon Wrapped Chicken with mashed potatoes
Wednesday: Chicken BLT Wraps
Thursday: Quiche (Recipe of the Week)
Friday: Lasagna with White Sauce, Chicken, and Spinach
Saturday: Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes!

This is a combo Recipe. I can't take credit for the Peanut Butter Pancakes or the idea to use Banana's in the way I did either. I know. I'm a cheater, but by golly, I know how to combine two amazing foods, to make an extra tasty one! Let me just tell you. These were FREAKING gooood! 

The Peanut Butter Pancake recipe, all props go to Sunny Anderson from Food Network. I found the recipe a few years ago, before she made a video for it. They are the fluffiest, best tasting pancakes ever! Here is the video in case you want to watch it too! Peanut Butter Pancake Video 

The idea to place sliced bananas and brown sugar on them before giving them their first flip came from the amaaaaazing Bobo's Cafe here in Tucson. They make the, Best. Breakfasts. Ever!

So tallah! The combination of these two things make these pancakes heavenly. Add a glass of cold milk and it's even better!

Here is the recipe!

 

Makes about 8 small pancakes, 4-6 medium

½ cup melted peanut butter

 1 cup flour

4tbs sugar

1/2tsp salt

1 tbs Baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk + more if you need it for the right consistency

2tbs canola/vegetable oil

 Cooked on Topping:

2-3 bananas

2-4 tbs brown sugar

You first melt the peanut butter. In the video, Sunny used the double boiler route. I usually use the glass bowl in microwave for 30 seconds route. Both methods work. You then want to whisk the warm peanut butter, egg, milk, and 2tbs of oil. Once the wet ingredients are mixed together, slowly combine with the dry ingredients. Living in the desert, I have found I generally have to add more liquid. So, if you're an Arizonan, you might want to automatically start with 1 1/4 cup of milk. You want it to be thin enough to pour out of a ladle and spread slightly, but thick enough that it will hold it's shape well in the pan. Thick like... a milkshake that has half melted and you stir the melting part with the solid ice cream left in the cup to "thicken" it up *grin*. FYI: You'll get a fluffier pancake if you don't over mix. It's okay to see a few small clumps.

Once you have the batter ready, get the pan heated up. Cast iron works the best, but a griddle pan, or saute pan will work too. Medium high heat. While the pan is heating up, you can slice your bananas and get them ready to go. Once heated, get a little butter and grease the pan. Then ladle/spoon your first pancake in.

Once the batter is in the pan, place sliced banana and sprinkle 1-2 tsp of brown sugar on each pancake (on the wet batter) The batter will not likely "bubble" like you are used to seeing with other pancakes because of the heaviness of the peanut butter, so check it often for done-ness and nice browning.

Once the first side is done, using a metal or thin plastic spatula, flip your pancake. Let the bananas and the brown sugar caramelize! My pancakes took about 1-1 1/2minutes per side.

Then you are ready to take out of the pan and plate up the goodness! I served them with a side of sausage and a glass of cold milk. Mmmmmm!

Also, from the recipe a few years ago, Sunny said you can make the batter the night before, which I have. I just thinned it out with milk in the morning. They were just as tasty too!

I hope you guys try these! They are my favorite!

Dinner Meal Plan for August 14- August 20

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner! Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes! (see Recipe of the Week)
Monday: Dinner Party at a friends house, Asian theme! I'm bringing Fried Rice
Tuesday: Pineapple Chicken with Rice
Wednesday: Salsbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes
Thursday: Creamy Noodles with Chicken and Veggies (I couldn't come up with a cool name for this dish, so when I do, this will be updated :)
Friday: Tacos/Burritos with Black Beans and Stuffed Jalepenos
Saturday: Pork Chops and Applesauce with Potato Pancakes

I'm excited for next week! Bring on the cooking!

Recipe of the Week: Linguine and Meatballs

Here are a few pics of tonight's meal! I paired the Linguine and Meatballs with a side of red leaf salad and a hodge podge of tasty veggies and  a few grapes, topped with oil and vinegar. I had forgotten I actually bought linguine instead of spaghetti, so that's what I made. It worked out perfect, because the homemade marinara sauce was a little creamy with the added Philadelphia Italian Cooking Cream. Creamier sauces pair well with linguine, not so well with spaghetti or angel hair. So yay! I've decided to turn this dinner into "Recipe of the Week". See recipe below or under the "Recipe of the Week" tabk.

Linguine and Meatballs
Serves 4

1/2 package of linguini, follow packaging for cooking instrucitons

Sauce:
1 16oz can of whole or diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, fine dice
2 tsp garlic, diced
2tsp EACH dried basil, thyme, oregano, and rosemary (break the rosemary up in the hand before adding)
1/2tsp crushed red pepper (if desired)
2tbs olive oil
2tsp salt (or to taste)
*you may find that the tomatoes are really acidic in the can, if this is the case, add 1/2-1tsp on sugar

In a medium saucepan, on medium high heat, saute the onion and garlic the the olive oil. Once the onion is softened, add all of the dried herbs and salt. Stir them for 1 minute to release their aroma. Then add tomatoes (if using whole, hand crush them before putting them in, or use a masher once they are in the pan) Turn the heat down to medium and let simmer un-covered for 20min. This let's the water evaporate and flavors to condense. Also, allows the sauce to thicken.

The sauce is ready to eat now, on spaghetti, but since I had linguine, this is where I added the Philadelphia Italian Cooking Cream. Mix it in and let simmer an additional 5 minutes. Now is the time to taste it. If it is still a little weak on flavor, add more basil or oregano. I would be careful with the thyme and rosemary since they have stronger flavors and can over power a sauce more easily. If you add more herbs, turn the heat down to medium low and let simmer while you make the pasta and finish the meatballs.(If you don't like a "rustic" type sauce, use tomato puree instead of whole or diced tomatoes, or when the sauce is done, place it in the blender until you get the desired consistency.)

Meatballs (I like to get these ready while the sauce is simmering):

1lb ground beef (you can use a half and half combo of ground pork and beef, or even turkey. The turkey will have a different end texture, but should still be good)
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1-2 tsp diced garlic
1tsp dried basil
1tsp dried oregano
1/4-1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (if using plain bread crumbs, oats, or crushed saltines, increase herbs to 2tsp each)
1 egg
1-2tsp salt or to taste
olive oil

Your hands will work the best for this, so don't be afraid to get a little messy. Mix the meat, diced onion, garlic, herbs, and salt together. Add 1/4c of the bread crumbs and mix together. Add the egg, then mix together some more. Make sure to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. If the mixture still feels moist, aka, gooey, add a few tablespoons of additional bread crumbs at a time. As weird as it sounds, the meat should feel "full", not to dry, not to wet and be able to hold the shape of a meatball.

Once this is done, I like to heat up my saute pan and cook a little piece of the meat to make sure my seasonings are right on. When you like the flavor of the cooked meat, it's time to make some meatballs. With this recipe, you can make about 14 medium, or 20 small meatballs. Medium meatballs is about 3tbs of meat, rolled together and the smaller ones are about 1 1/2tbs of meat.

Roll the meat and place the meatballs in the saute pan as you go, on medium high with a little oil in the pan. This will help to prevent sticking and to help with browning. If you prefer rolling them all first and then cooking, you can totally do that too. The medium size meatballs take about 2 minutes per side, and you want to turn them on all sides. Even browning and  cooked centers are what we are going for. Once they are done, set them aside, drain them on a paper towel if desired. You can also add the meatballs to the sauce before serving.

And there you have it folks, I hope you like it!