It's been awhile!

Well, first, here's the boy. Doodlebug is just over two years old. He'll be 27 months tomorrow!

I've been exploring new recipes these last few weeks, and it's been really fun to expand the food repertoire. Healthy and creative, and tasty too, these have become fast favorites with our little family!

Recipe 1 - Baked Chicken and Orzo

Oh my goodness. What deliciousness! I made this because I was bored of my regular rotation and I had a house-full of people to feed (the in-laws were in town for awhile). Of course, with a toddler, food is always a challenge, but Doodlebug ate this one up, especially the orzo. He just loved it! It was hard to not overcook the chicken. I was easily phased by this one because you do not precook the orzo. It cooks while in the oven, so I set the timer for longer than suggested because I just wasn't convinced. But it turned out beautifully, aside from dry chicken. :) I will definitely be making this one again. And the fresh sage is a must. Really added great flavor to the dish.

Recipe 2 - Soy Sauce Drumsticks

Wow. Just Wow. First off, if you can, marinate this one over night. Make sure to, as the author suggests, score them once or twice on each side, because that marinade will just soak in and you have less of a chance of drying out the meat inside. 

This is so good! I served it with rice and a garden salad. It was a fantastic meal and again, we will add it to the regular rotation. Do make sure to turn them every 7 to 10 minutes or so so they don't burn. And they do taste better the next day!

Future recipes on the menu for the next week: 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Baked Chicken Fajitas

Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Now, I am going to school for wine, so at some point I hope to tell you what wine I paired the meals with and how it tasted! For now, with summer, beer and hard cider have been tasting very good. And strawberry margaritas.

Soup au Pistou

Thanks to my hubby for getting me my new fancy slow cooker for Christmas. And thanks to Tina for getting me this inspiring cookbook!

Soupe au Pistou
From The Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Bible

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, chopped
2 onions, chopped (I used only one onion)
2 cloves garlic, mashed
2 leeks, chopped
1/2 pound small zucchini, diced (I used a pound, since I left out the lima beans and an onion)
1 can (15 ounces) lima beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14 ounces) diced plum tomatoes, drained or 3 to 4 fresh plum tomatoes, chopped
6 to 8 cups chicken stock (I used chicken broth)
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound small pasta, such as ditalini, cooked al dente
1/2 cup parmasean cheese, grated
6 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bunches fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, onions, garlic, and leeks and cook, stirring until softened. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

2. Add zucchini, lima beans, tomatoes, and enough stock to cover vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW six to seven hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 hours.

3. Add green beans, cannellini beans, and pasta. Cover and cook an additional 15 minutes on HIGH or until green beans are crisp-tender and bright green. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. For garnish, combine Parmasean, butter, garlic, and basil in food processor. Use on/off pulses to make coarse paste. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with Parmasean mixutre.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with crusty french bread.

Barley Pilaf Stuffed Squash

I love love love this cookbook. It's called Almost Meatless. While I'm not a vegetarian, I do try to limit the amount of meat I eat, and also do my best to be mindful of where it comes from. This is a great recipe for winter. And as a side bonus, my husband, who hates squash, loves this recipe, too!

Barley Pilaf Stuffed Squash
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 small butternut squash, or 1 large squash halved, seeds scooped out
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup (about 1/2 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms*
3 cups hot water
1 cup barley
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces sweet Italian sausage (or your favorite flavor)
2 cloves garlic minced (about one teaspoon)
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (I use about 1/2 tablespoon dried)
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons basalmic vinegar
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375.

To Prepare The Squash: Rub the insides with the 1 tablespoon oil, salt, and pepper and transfer to a large roasting pan that will fit all the pieces without crowding. Roast in the oven, cut side down, for 45 minutes to an hour, until the squash is fork tender.

Meanwhile, to prepare the filling, let the mushrooms steep in the hot water in a medium saucepan for about 15 minutes. Remove the rehydrated mushrooms, chop, and set aside. Bring the soaking water to a boil, add the barley, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the barley is cooked through.

While the barley cooks, add the 2 teaspoons oil to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Cut and remove the sausage casings and crumble the meat into the pan. Cook the sausage until it begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, shallot, sage, cranberries, and reserved mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.

Drain the barley through a mesh strainer and add to the sausage pan. Add the vinegar and stir to combine thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients. Season to tasted with salt and pepper. Keep warm until the squash is ready.

When the squash is done, remove from the oven and stuff the craters with the hot barley mixture. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and serve.

* To save time, I use fresh mushrooms, about 8 ounces, and slice them rather thin.

Potato Leek Soup

I took my own pictures, but they aren't very good so I'll let the original website do the work for me. We got some leeks in our organic delivery this week, and I thought with the rainy weather we're having today, that a steaming bowl of potato leek soup sounded really good. I was right!

(And I should mention that my kitchen smells AhMayZing.)

Click here for the recipe. It's dairy free, with a gluten free option.

(Photo courtesy of Simply Recipes.)

Fun with Fish

I made these last night for dinner during one of those hot, humid evenings. So so yummy! Matt inisted I make them again, and soon. :)

Fish Tacos (from Better Homes and Gardens)

1 pound fresh or frozen skinless cod, orange roughy, or other fish fillets
2 tablespoons butter or margerine, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons mayonaise or salad dressing
1 teaspoon lime juice (we were out of limes so I used a lemon and it still tasted good)
1 1/2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix) or shredded cabbage
8 corn taco shells, warm according to package directions
1 recipe mango salsa (I just bought premade salsa at the store)

1. Thaw fish if frozen. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. Cut fish crosswise into 3/4" slices. Place fish in single layer in greased shallow baking pan. Combine butter, cumin, and garlic powder. Brush over fish. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together mayonaise and lime juice. Add cabbage; toss to coat. Spoon some of the coleslaw mixture into each taco shell; add fish slices. Top with mango salsa.

Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

In the words of Rachael Ray...

Yumo! These burgers are so so declicious. I made them last week and they were a big hit with my guy.

Turkey burgers with grated zucchini and carrot
(From Real Simple Magazine)

3/4 pound ground turkey
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices crusty bread
4 small leaves Boston lettuce
4 tablespoons mayonaise (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat broiler. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties, turning once, until no trace of pink remains, 4-5 minutes per side. Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil. Broil until golden and crisp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the bread to individual plates. Top with the lettuce leaves and burgers. If using, combine the mayonaise and lemon juice in a small bowl and serve with the burgers.

For extra zest, rub the bread with the cut side of a peeled, halved garlic clove immediately after removing the bread from the oven.