Friday, September 26, 2008

Sloppy Joes for Two

1/2 lb. hamburger
1/2-1 small onion
small can tomato sauce
2 tbsp. mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar

Brown hamburger and onion. Add all the other ingredients and some pepper. Simmer. Plop it on a bun.

Monday, September 15, 2008

"Cafe Rio" Sweet Pork

This is SO yummy! Seriously, I ate it for lunch & dinner everyday for a week. It's really good on salads, baked potatoes, tacos, burritos and quesadillas.

1 small pork roast
1 c. salsa
1 c. brown sugar

Put pork roast (can be frozen) in the bottom of crock pot. Pour equal parts salsa & brown sugar over the top. Cook 8-10 hours or until meat is cooked through. Shred with a fork.

Apple Quesadillas

This sounds really weird but I promise it's good!

Tortillas (we like whole wheat ones)
Apples, any kind, cut in thin slices
Shredded cheese, any kind

Spray pan or skillet with Pam. Lay tortilla on the pan. Put some cheese onto half of the tortilla. Layer apple slices on cheese. Sprinkle some more cheese on top of apples. Fold tortilla in half and cook until cheese is melted.

*Monterey jack & Gala apples go well together, so do Granny Smith apples & pepper jack cheese. These are the ones we like the best but feel free to make up your own!

"Amazing" Mac & Cheese

This stuff is yummy. KJ took a bite and say "Whoa! This is amazing!" :)
*I half this recipe to make it for two

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
1 stick of butter
4 tomatoes
1/2 c. flour
8 oz. extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
12 oz. Gruyere cheese (I skipped this ingredient because I couldn't find it at the store and instead I used double the cheddar!)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs (I like the Italian seasoned)

Heat oven to 375. Cook macaroni and drain well. Heat milk in a sauce pan, don't boil. Melt 6 tbsp. of butter in a large pot and add flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes while stirring with a wisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for 2 more minutes until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add cheeses, pepper and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a baking dish. Slice the tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp. of butter and combine with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and it is browned on top.

Chocolate Marshmallow Brownies

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup butter
2 heaping tbsp. cocoa
2 cups flour
4 eggs
nuts (optional)

Mix together but add eggs one at a time. Pour into pan. Bake at 350 for 15-30 min. (depending on oven, just watch it). While hot, add enough miniature marshmallows to cover the surface. Put back in oven until bubbly.

Frosting:

6 tbsp. butter
5 tbsp. milk
1 cup sugar
8 big marshallows (about a 3/4 to a cup of miniature ones)
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips and marshmallows. Melt together. Drizzle over top of brownies and marshmallows. Top with nuts if desired.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Cedar Plank Orange and Sesame Pork

I've made this the last two times we've had people over for dinner and they rave about it. It really is easy and delicious, you just have to prepare it ahead of time.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of pork tenderloin
Zest of 1 medium orange
Juice of 1 medium orange
1 medium shallot, finely diced (i always just use a yellow onion)
4 garlic cloves diced
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Small bunch fresh rosemary
Small bunch fresh thyme

To make the marinade, place all ingredients in a bowl. Mix together. Add pork. Cover the pork with the marinade and refrigerate at least 8 hours (or overnight). Remove the pork and let sit 30 minutes prior to cooking. Place the meat on pre-soaked and heated cedar planks. Cook for 20 minutes.

If you don't have planks to grill on, I'm sure you could grill or cook the meat some other way--the marinade is what makes it super tasty.

**Sesame oil can sometimes be a bit expensive but it will last you a good while. A little goes a long way--we use it to cook sugar snap peas. Pour a small amount of sesame oil into a wok, add snap peas and cook for a few minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Couscous Vegetable Salad

Another great recipe from Essential of Healthful Cooking! This salad has great textures, colors and flavors and is really easy!

1 cup couscous
Kosher salt
1 1/2 cups boiling water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup thawed, frozen petite peas or blanched fresh petite peas
1/2 cup thin sliced green onion
1/2 cup minched red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced English cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 cup firmly packed chiffonade-cut romain lettuce leaves

In a heatproof bowl combine the couscous, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the boiling water. Stir to blend. Cover tightly and let stand until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Uncover the couscous and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon water and a grind of pepper until blended.

Add the peas, green onion, bell pepper, cucumber, parlsey and all but 1 tablespoon of the dressing to the couscous. Toss to mix.

Place the romain lettuce in a separate bowl. Add the remaining dressing and toss to coat.

To serve, divide the couscous mixture evenly among individual bowls or plates. Top each serving with an equal amount of the romain lettuce.

Calories: 190 Protein: 5 grams Carbohydrates: 26 grams Total Fat: 7 grams Saturated Fat: 1 gram Cholesterol: 0 Dietary Fiber: 3 grams Sodium: 280 mg

Roasted Mushrooms, Potatoes and Green Beans

For our wedding, Jason and I received the most wonderful cookbook. Everything I've made out of it has been amazing, and I recommend you all go and buy it. It's called Essentials of Healthful Cooking and can be found at Williams-Sonoma. This is one of the many recipes Jason and I have loved, and it's super easy.

8-10 white mushrooms
2 Yukon gold potatoes(my favorite potato)
1 yellow onion
1/4 lb green beans
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400. Trim the ends of the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Cut the mushrooms in half through the stems. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Cut the onion into wedges 1/2 inch thick. Trim the green beans and cut into 1-inch lengths. Set the green beans aside.

In a shallow 9x13 baking dish, combine the mushrooms, potatoes and onion. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, toss to coat evenly, and spread in an even layer in the dish.

Roast until the vegetables begin to brown on the edges, about 30 min. Remove the dish from the oven, add the green beans and carefully turn and rearrange the vegetables in an even layer. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano and thyme. Roast for 5 minutes longer to melt the cheese. Serve the vegetables directly from the baking dish or transfer to a serving bowl.

Calories: 90 Protein: 4 grams Carbohydrates: 10 grams Total Fat: 4.5 grams Saturated Fat: 1 gram Cholesterol: 5 mg Dietary Fiber: 3 grams Sodium: 150 mg