Is Anything Better Than Pasta? Nope. Didn't Think So.

Seriously, if reincarnation exists, I was an Italian in my previous life. I love pasta. I could eat it everyday. I could eat with red sauce, white sauce, butter sauce...and if you add garlic into the mix, my day has pretty much been made complete.

Having said that (I always think of Curb Your Enthusiasm when saying this...haha), I eat it too often to always have a white sauce that is capable of clogging every artery I have. Enter, the greatest culinary epiphany I have had in the recent past: the not-full-of-cream-and-cheese sauce (sophisticated title, I know).

Here's what you need for 2-3 people:

- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 8 ounces of chicken broth (use low sodium, or take it easy on other salt in your dinner)
- 2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on how long you've known the person you'll be kissing later).

Melt the butter over low heat. When melted, add chopped garlic, and cook for a couple minutes. Next, add the flour, and whisk constantly for 2-3 minutes. Then, add in the chicken broth and whisk for 2-3 minutes until completely smooth. Turn up the heat a little and stir gently for as long as the sauce needs to become thick (not Alfredo thick, but enough to coat pasta).

This sauce is truly divine, and not full of cream and cheese (bittersweet, I know). Your waste line (and heart) will thank you.

I combined it with 6-8 oz of linguine, grilled chicken cut into strips, and pieces of roasted asparagus and it was magical. Oh, and I topped it with parmesan cheese, because what would pasta be without it? I can't even imagine.

Here is a photo of the deliciousness:

Here are some helpful hints I've discovered that really helped make this dish easy and delicious:

- Slice the chicken breasts in half (thinner chicken = more even cooking and shorter grill time).
- The asparagus roasted well at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
- Whole Foods sells organic chicken broth in 8 oz cartons (remember, avoid cans when at all possible. BPA is not your friend!).

Buona Sera!

The Best Pot Roast in the Whole Wide World

If you only cook one meal between now and the time the weather gets really warm (and you eat beef), make it this: The Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes.

I cannot stress enough how wonderfully comforting this meal is. 

This recipe is so good, I completely went against my grocery list in order to add it to this week's menu. If you do it right, it will be so tender and flavorful you'll almost  forget you spent $28 on your grass fed chuck roast. :) (I know $28 sounds like a lot, but this easily feeds 4 people; or better yet - if you are a family of 2 - it's dinner for two nights. The leftovers will knock your socks off, as well.)

Here is a picture of the last time I made it, just in case you need convincing: 

If you don't like it, maybe you should become a vegetarian; it really doesn't get any better than this. 

Enjoy!  

Grass Fed Beef

Did you know that when eating 100% grass fed beef, instead of traditional grain fed beef, many of the health risks associated with beef consumption nearly disappear? 100% Grass fed beef is better because:

- it has lower amounts of fat
- it has higher levels of vitamin E
- it has higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids
- its Omega-3 and 6 levels are health promoting 

AND

- cows are meant to eat grass, not grain. Thus, 100% grass fed cows are healthier - emotionally and physically.

To verify this information (and to learn more about grass fed beef) visit: http://novyranches.com/grassfed_beef_nutrition.htm

Eating Healthy

Eating healthy is so subjective. Healthful eating is often defined as counting calories, cutting out fat, drinking a diet soda instead of regular, eating one of those cute 100 calorie packs of your favorite snack, or getting the grilled chicken sandwich from a local restaurant's "light" menu. My weekly menus got me thinking about how how healthy my food really is.

What made me think of this? Well, for starters, every dinner I make contains olive oil, or butter, or - Heaven forbid - real sour cream (ahhhhh!). I often wonder if it's the right way to go. And you know what? After second- and third- and fourth- and fifth-guessing my self, I think it is. I think about our grandparents, and great grandparents. Never in a million years would I have found low fat sour cream in my granny's refrigerator. She was the kind of woman who had a little sour cream and a little butter and a little red meat. She drank one Manhattan almost every night. (Do you see a pattern?) She lived to be almost 90 and was healthy and self-sufficient for the first 85 years of her life. I think there's something to be said about that. 

When I really think about it, this is how past generations differed from ours:

- they didn't have the option of adding ridiculous junk food to an already gross meal for an extra 99 cents

- their coffee didn't contain 5 pumps of vanilla or gingerbread or hazelnut, and whipped cream

- they ate the majority of their meals from home

This week would've been my Granny's 94th birthday. She taught me what good food was. She showed me that orange juice can come from a hand-picked orange off the tree in the backyard, and that dinner should have a veggie. I think it's important to honor our past generations' reverence to food. Good food does more than fill your tummy for a short period of time; it nourishes us - body and mind. 

Enough with the mushy stuff...

I will try to frequently give small tidbits that pay tribute to real food, and not the convenience we've all grown accustomed to. I'll try to make these tidbits simple and time-friendly. After all, half the reason we reach for the frozen dinner is because there aren't enough hours in the day (true story).

So here's a tip for today: 

Next time you want tacos (or another Mexican dish that calls for a packet of taco seasoning), make your own. All you need is: chili powder, chili pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. It'll take a minute to shake a few containers instead of 10 seconds to open a packet, but you'll be saving yourself tons of sodium and other yuckies.

If you wanna be extra adventurous (and have 5 more minutes) omit the onion and garlic powder and chop your own fresh. After you cry from the onion, you'll cry tears of joy because your dinner tastes so much better. 

Adios, mis amgios y familia

This Week's Menu (3/18...)

Sunday: Fish (either Halibut or Salmon), Sauteed Swiss Chard with Leeks and Parmesan Cheese, and Basmati Rice Medley

Monday: Chicken Parmesan and Salad of Red Leaf Lettuce, Cucumber, and Balsamic

Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) has the the most delicious recipes. This one shouldn't be any different. Seriously, check out her blog. You probably won't know what to try first. 

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana/

Tuesday: Cheeseburgers and Fries
For the fries, I am trying this:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-french-fries-i/

For the burgers, here is my recipe (serves 2):

- 1/2 pound organic grass fed beef (85/15), seasoned with a sprinkling of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, mixed together, and divided into 2 patties; grilled to your personal perfection (I use a grill pan, because I am too lazy to get my BBQ going)

- 2 generous slices of cheddar cheese, or any other you'd prefer

- 2 buns, covered with butter and grilled butter side down until gold brown

- all the fixings (and, order matters. Here is the winning permutation: bun, mayo and ketchup mixed, hamburger patty with melted cheddar, onion, tomato, lettuce, mustard, top bun). After much research, this really is the best way to assemble a burger. Trust me. 

Wednesday: Chicken Paprikash (A family recipe given to me by my 85 year old Grandma, who received it from my Grandpa's mother - her mother in law. I am sharing an heirloom. Feel very fortunate:

You will need: 

- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use organic, free range...but Grandma doesn't. It's your call.)

- one small yellow onion (chopped)

- 1 or 2 heaping tbsp Hungarian Paprika (not the regular kind...the good stuff comes in a rectangular prism red container)

- 2 tbsp olive oil; another other oil is fine

- 32 oz of low sodium chicken broth (I use organic, free range...but Grandma doesn't. It's your call.)

- 2 or 3 large carrots

- 2 - 4 tbsp flour, a little water - combined until super smooth (you will be adding this to the broth at the end to thicken it up)

- 1/4 cup sour cream 

Start by heating oil in a large pan over medium heat. Sautee the onions until soft. Turn off the burner, and stir in paprika. Add each chicken breast, coating with the mixture. Once all chicken is coated, cover chicken with broth. Add in carrots. Bring to a light boil, and then simmer on low (covered) for 1.5 - 2 hours or until chicken is super tender. Longer is usually better in this case. 

Once chicken is tender, turn heat up slightly, and stir in your flour water mixture. Let the broth become thick. Usually a few minutes. Add more of a flour-water mixture as needed to thicken, but be careful not to put too much flour (yucky taste!). Once thick, put sour cream in a 2 cup measuring cup. Add a little hot sauce from the pan, and stir stir stir! Add a little more sauce until the cup is full. You want to add a little liquid at a time to avoid curdling the sour cream. Once the measuring cup has a nice sour cream- broth mixture, add it to the pan, and stir. Yummmmmmmm! 

Serve with dumplings (I have a great recipe if you want it). 

Here is a picture of the most nostalgic meal I know: 

Thursday: Chicken Ravioli in a Wine and Broth Reduction with Shallots, Garlic, Olive Oil and Butter; Paired with Baby Greens

The only thing homemade here is the sauce. Why? Because after the previous four days of cooking, I'm tired! 

Here's the recipe:

- 1 package of chicken ravioli (or any other you like)

Sauce: Sautee a shallot and 2 cloves of garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil; add 1/2 cup (total) of chicken broth and white wine; reduce down by half; turn heat off, and stil in 1 or 2 tbsp of butter. Toss with ravioli, and top with parmesan. Done and done. (I've never tried this...it'll be a first. If there's one thing I know, you can't go wrong with garlic, shallots, wine and butter. Always a winner.)

Ciao! 

Dinner Photos...and a few tidbits I thought I'd share.

Let it be known that no matter how organized and deliberate I try to be while planning my menu, I will ALWAYS need to change something because I didn't think something through. As much as I love filet, it is not a very economical steak (duh!). Now, while I won't jeopardize animal welfare to save money (as evidenced by my weekly gasp when checking out at Whole Foods), I will happily choose a different piece of meat. In this case, I opted for a nice ribeye instead. (If I was a really super duper food blogger there'd be a picture here. Just pretend, ok?) Another reason I like buying one piece of meat and splitting it between Mike and I is because we buy (and eat) less meat than if we bought two steaks. Would I love a whole 8-12 oz steak myself? Yes. Do I need it? No. I try to stick to the four-ounces-per-serving rule. Here is a picture of dinner. The highlight: steamed asparagus with melted butter and chives; the lowlight: roasted beet mashed potatoes. They weren't the best were terrible, in my opinion. Mike felt differently, but I don't know if that was him just being a good husband. Next time, I'll opt for mashed potatoes and a side of roasted beets...thank  you very much. Here's dinner: 

Here's the Halibut with Orzo Dish...and a tip: buy the Whole Foods Frozen Halibut. It comes in 2 individually-wrapped, perfectly-sized pieces for less than $8. The fish was flaky and delicious and would have been double the price had I bought fresh (which I would have, if they weren't out of it.) I love when things like this work out. How did that little slice of bread get on the plate? Oh, I know. I am obsessed. I don't care if carbs for dinner are unacceptable to some. They are acceptable to me, and I am quite happy about that.  

Here's the Linguini/Linguine with Kale, Turkey Bacon, Fontina, and Garlic (and Parmesan). As if pasta isn't dangerous enough, I had a piece of crispy french bread with olive oil, thyme, chives and mozzarella and fontina cheese on top. Why? Because on a night with a plate of pasta for dinner, calories certainly aren't that big of a concern. :) 

Last but not least, here are the Creamy Chicken Taquitos. Originally planned for Monday, I forgot my chicken was in the freezer. Oops. I paired them with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, green onions, and black beans. Trader Joe's has the best deal in town - organic, in a BPA free can for $1.19. Yes, please.

And in case I haven't rambled enough, here is a picture of the produce that inspired this week's menu: 

Visit www.abundantharvestorganics.com for more information on receiving organic and local produce. FYI: all of these fruits and veggies cost about $20 - worth every penny...and way cheaper than organic at the grocery store. 

Ciao! 

This Week's Menu

It's funny really. I can't keep one blog updated, so I thought I'd start another one. Twice the work will definitely get done, right? Oh, well. A girl can dream. I wanted to start a food blog where I took pictures of every step of creating a meal. Well, guess what? Alex doesn't think that's a good idea. His afternoon nap has gotten shorter, so I am lucky if I even get to finish a sandwich (at 3 o'clock) and chop a few veggies. Most of my dinner prep is done frantically while he's gnawing on a teething biscuit or my fabulous hubby, Mike, gives him a bath. Long story short - this poor blog will be lucky if it sees a finished meal at the end of each day. But I am going to try.

To start simple, here is this week's dinner plan. I figure this might motivate me to be more involved in the world of food blogging. So for now, here are my ideas. I am not nearly as creative as I'd like to be, so most dinners will have cute little links next to them - you know, giving credit to the real genius behind the dinner plate. 

Here goes nothing:

Monday: Chicken Taquitos
http://penniesonaplatter.com/2010/02/22/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/

I cannot emphasize enough how great these are. I usually make way too many and freeze them in individual servings. Trust me. This is a great idea for those days when there is nothing to eat.

Tuesday: Filet Mignon, Roasted Beet Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Asparagus
Here is the link for the Roasted Beet Potatoes:
https://www.abundantharvestorganics.com/recipes.php?id=429

Wednesday: Halibut with Lemon Garlic Parmesan Orzo and a Baby Green Salad with Balsamic
Here is the link for the Orzo:

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/orzo-lemon-garlic-parmigiano-herbs.aspx

Try this orzo recipe, but do cut it in half if you plan to only feed 2-3 people. I can't believe this is the first orzo recipe I had ever tried. It is scrumptious. 

Thursday: Linguini with Kale, Turkey Bacon, Fontina and Garlic

http://www.marthastewart.com/339257/whole-wheat-pasta-with-kale-and-fontina

Inspired by Martha Stewart, I've personalize this one. (Sorry, Martha. Sometimes, your recipes are too bland for me.)

I cut the pasta amount in half and used normal pasta instead of wheat. I also reduced the chicken broth by half, and substituted turkey bacon. I kept the turkey bacon, kale, garlic, and fontina amounts the same. I also topped mine with parmesan because, c'mon, when has adding more cheese ever been a bad idea?

I love this dinner because it's a one dish meal. Protein, carb and veggie are all in one dish. 

I'd love to dish more about my food, but I am sitting in my robe and a messy braid in my hair, and I am pretty sure everyone at Whole Foods would appreciate if I didn't go shopping looking like this. Plus, I am racing the clock until Alex gets up from his nap. 

If a personal creation is "Oh Faye" (name the movie?), I will add a detailed recipe. Can't do it now, because most of the time I just throw things in a pan and hope for the best.

Adios Amigos.