Menu Mondays: Feb 24- March 2, 2014- Healthy Eating!

What a week! My whole family seems to be in such horrible moods, couldn't be because the winter has been so long, cold and bitter!  

 At least the sun has been out for the most part these last few days, that never fails to place a smile on my face!!

In that vein, like it or not, we are going to eat healthier!! I think when you get the proper nutrition your body just responds and your mood lightens. Not being bogged down with artificial flavors, dyes, or sweeteners is a step in the right direction too. 

Eventually the Family's attitude

will improve 

because of eating better...

Menu Mondays: February 17- 24, 2014

This week I received my menu inspiration from the

Taste of Home website.  

Before my days of using the Internet & Food Network for cooking influence- I would save each TOH magazine and insert with recipe index side up in a sheet protector w/my favorite recipes highlighted and then place 2 years worth of issues into a 3-Ring binder. 

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Yeah, I have always been a geek that way, LOL! That is also how I would plan my freezer cooking sessions and basically how I learned to cook and keep a house before we got cable TV and my beloved Internet. 

In honor of TOH magazine & the great reading material plus motivation this magazine provides, I dedicate my menu week~

Recipe Wednesday: A Brand New Twist on the Same Ol' THANG!!!

 We just LOVE our potato salad around here! In fact, the caramelized onion and bacon potato salad is one 

of the highest rated recipes on The MotherHOOD!! 

As it is often stated "Necessity is the mother of invention." A necessity brought about an invention: My VAST collection of dips mixes was about to expire & since they get all weird & clumpy when that happens...I thought, 

"WHAT IF?" 

Enter In

CILANTRO & JALAPENO POTATO SALAD
 ~You could use any dip mix you have: Garlic, Bacon & Sundried Tomato, Dill, Ranch, Chipotle Bacon....the possibilities are as endless as your pantry contents!

Menu Mondays: June17-23

 I don't know what is about Summer and Mexican Food, 

but it seems to go together like: 

• peanut butter & jelly, 
• cereal & milk, 
•  kool aid & sugar, 

it just fits! 

I love the unique taste of cilantro, the tang of lime, 
smokey heat of the chipotle tempered with the cool 
& creamy finish of an avocado!

Yum, YUM! If you love Mexican food like my family does you will appreciate this week's menu!

 

Mexican Cole Slaw W/Lime and Cilantro

Creamy Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

This is Soooooooooo Good! 

Even my 2 year old son was begging to eat my portion after devouring his own!!

Stuffed Marsala Chicken Deliciousness

Saw this on a TV cooking show and thought this would be a great hit in my house with a few tweaks to make it mine. 

My family just loves to find things "stuffed" 

in their food; 

like meatballs, cupcakes, burgers,  

you name it!

Pic Credit

Not super simple but SUPER YUMMY!! My mom used to make stuffed chicken breasts all the time and stuffed pork chops, with seasoned bread crumbs. I just forgot until I started getting into doing this and she reminded me, only back then there wasn't Pinterest to spark creativity as there is now-a-days!

EASY CROCK POT CHEESY CORN AND POTATO CHOWDER

I love this recipe, it is sooooooo delish! 

PIC CREDIT

 Though this hardy chowder doesn't need it, you can add 1 Lb Diced smokey ham or 1 Lb left over moist chicken pieces and make your meat loving family even happier...

Ice Box Yeasty Dinner Rolls

I have had this recipe for years and 

it is such time saver, super savory, and a real crowd pleaser every time. 

Your dinner guests will never believe this is such an easy recipe to make, no kneading required, just mix up and refrigerate. You can make ahead up to 4 days in advance, shape, then let rise and bake for perfect rolls every time!!

Heat's Kitchen Awesome rolls from my recipe!! Gr8 Job Heather!

Ice Box Dinner Rolls
Makes 24 Rolls

1 C warm water (105-115 Degrees F)
2 Pkgs Active Dry Yeast (Or 4 & 1/2t)
1/2 C Butter, Melted (1 Stick)
1/2 C Sugar
3 Eggs
1 t Kosher Salt
4-4 1/2 C Unbleached All Purpose Flour
Additional Melted Butter

1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes
2. Stir in butter, sugar, and salt. Beat in Flour one cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (Some of the flour make not be needed). 
3. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days!
4. Grease a 13X9" Baking Pan.
5. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 6 rows & 4 columns making 24 even & equal pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place in even rows in prepared pan. 4 Rows & 6 Columns.
7. Cover and let Dough Balls rise until doubled (About an hour, I place my pan in my gas oven with heart off but light turned on.
8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake until rolls are golden brown about 15-20 min.
9. Brush with melted butter, if desired. 
10. Break apart Rolls and wrap in a clean tea towel and place in a gorgeous hand woven basket or crock.

 

Tender Caramelized Crock Pot Roast Pork

This is a classic Pork [Shoulder/Butt]Roast recipe, it has a delicious seasoned & seared crust on outside and fall apart tenderness from the low and slow cooking of the crock pot underneath all the glorious crust!!

Pic Credit

 I make this often and will transform the leftovers 

to suit just about any pork recipe that call for "cooked pork"

... It is really easy and really flavorful!! 

"...With [a] honest seasoning of salt and sugar, you can simply set and forget a huge hunk of pork butt in a low-temperature [crock-pot]. This slow roasted pork butt meat is divine and falls right off the bone when slowly cooked. Now this is the gift that keeps on giving, and the shredded pork butt meat can be used in thousands of ways..." Eric Borzino on October 14, 2012 of Peck the Beak Blog

 CROCK POT PORK SHOULDER ROAST

• 3 -4 lbs Boneless pork butt (shoulder) 
• 1/4 cup Soy sauce
• 1/4 C Brown Sugar
• 1 large yellow onion 
• Any dry seasoning, your family likes- Seasoned with salt and pepper would be fine- (I use my "Family's House Seasoning": Coarse Kosher Salt, Himalayan Pink Salt, fresh cracked Black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and powdered chipotle pepper)  
• 1/2 cup water

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Season both sides of pork roast with your choice of dry seasonings & Brown Sugar-massage in well
2. Wrap Tightly in Plastic Wrap and allow to sit in Fridge Overnight in a shallow Bowl.
3. Pull Roast out of fridge discard the juices at bottom of bowl leave out for about 30 min b4 cooking to bring up to room temp.
4. BE SURE TO DRY MEAT WELL!! {WON'T CARAMELIZE IF IT'S WET!!}
5. In a shallow roasting pan brown the roast under the broiler about 5 minutes on each side or you can brown on top the stove in a cast iron skillet with a touch of oil.
6. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!!!{This step enhances the flavor and seals the juices in the meat, and renders any excess fat from the roast.}
7. While roast is browning, slice large onion into thick slices, separate into rings & saute on stove top in a 2 T of butter or EVOO.
8. Place 1/2 of the sauteed rings in the bottom of the crock pot.
9. Take the browned pork roast and place on top of the onion rings in the crock pot then cover with the other half of the onion rings.
10. Pour the 1/4 cup soy sauce over the top of roast, then pour the 1/2 cup water on sides of roast.
11. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5 hours. 
12. Meat should be falling apart.

You may have leftovers depending on family size and is great for: sandwiches especially Barb-B-Q Pulled Pork, Go North Eastern American with some Pennsylvania/Dutch Sour Kraut on the side and Just about any Asian Dish like Momo Foku Bo Ssam- Korean Lettuce Wraps, Chinese Pork Fried Rice, or Vietnamese Thit Kho To... 

YUMMY!!! 
   
Are you drooling yet??

Note: 

You can cook this exclusively in oven at 300 Fahrenheit in a roasting pan for 6 hours and braise with its juices every hour or so. The pork will collapse, yielding gently when prodded with a fork when fully cooked.

Remove it from the oven and let it rest for an hour, or next day if necessary.Then turn the oven up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Stir together the remaining salt or seasonings and the brown sugar. Rub it all over the pork. Blast it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the pork is covered with a nice caramel crust. 

This crust is extremely flavorful you will however have to use a knife to cut into it, to get past the caramelized crust, but you WILL DEVOUR it!! Trust me!!