Brazilian Fish Stew

What is it about my family and fish?  They LOVE it!  I am not a big fan, which is why when you see my recipes involving fish, they usually involve LOTS of other flavors, and you'll probably never see me just simply grill a piece of fish...at least not for myself ;)  I served this over basmati rice and offered a few tortilla chips for dipping.  The step that took the longest was just letting the fish marinate.  I made the marinade mid-morning and chopped all my veggies then threw everything in the fridge.  Then, it was just putting it all in the pot in layers and letting the stew simmer away.  I wish y'all could've smelled my house yesterday afternoon!!  Yummy and easy for a chilly evening. 

Brazilian Fish Stew:  (Recipe modified from Allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/recipe/brazilian-fish-stew/)

Juice of 3 limes 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon paprika 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 small onions, chopped 3 large red bell peppers, sliced 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Tortilla Chips, Basmati Rice for serving (follow package directions)

1.

Stir together the lime juice, cumin, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the tilapia and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours up to 24 hours.

2.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent, about 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the bell peppers and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add the tilapia, and diced tomatoes to the pot.  Pour the coconut milk over the mixture. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes.  Stir in the cilantro and continue cooking until the tilapia is completely cooked through, another 5 to 10 minutes. Happy Cooking!

Bean, Spinach, and Quinoa Burritos

Marcus Nillson

Bean, Spinach, and Quinoa Burritos: (Recipe shared by Alyssa Sprouse and modified from http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/bean-spinach-quinoa-burritos-00100000085215/index.html)

Prep Time: 40m | Cook Time: 1hr 00m | Makes: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 15.5-ounce cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
• 8 10-inch tortillas or wraps
• 12 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
• salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the quinoa according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the beans, broth, and garlic and simmer,
stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes more. Fold in the spinach.
3. Dividing evenly, top the tortillas with the quinoa (about 1/4 cup each), bean mixture (about ½ cup each), and cheese (about ⅓ cup each). Roll up into burritos and wrap in heavy-duty foil.
4. Bake the burritos until warmed through, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the salsa, sour cream, and sliced avocado.
5. The uncooked wrapped burritos can be frozen in freezer bags for up to 3 months.

NOTES:   This actually took a while to make.  It was fun to put together, but I would say don't try to do this with lots of little people under foot.  These can definitely be made ahead of time, however, and the recipe makes a TON of food.  My family of 5 ate 4 total burritos, and I have 2 in the freezer and 2 in the fridge as leftovers for lunches/dinners this week.  I will say that even my changing up the name of these to "Popeye" burritos didn't make my two little boys LOVE these, but I think this one is a stretch for youngsters to get on board with.  They ate about 1/4 of a burrito a piece...and in all fairness to them, we had just come in from playing in the snow and enjoying some hot chocolate by the fireplace, so that MAY have had something to do with their lesser appetites...or, it could've just been the spinach and quinoa ;)  We can definitely find out at a later date, however, because, as previously mentioned, I have 2 left in the freezer.

Happy Cooking!!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables with White Wine Sauce

Slow Cooker Chicken and Vegetables with White Wine Sauce: (recipe courtesy of Kristen Zaks)

4 med red potatoes, quartered

4 med carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small onion sliced

3 lbs bone in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skinned

1 tablespoon snipped flat leaf parsley

1 clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 c reduced sodium chicken broth

1/2  c dry white wine

3 tablespoons butter (I used 1 tablespoon of Smart Balance)

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1. In a 5-6 q slow cooker, combine potatoes, carrots, celery and onion.  Place chicken on top of vegetables.  Sprinkle with parsley, garlic, salt, rosemary, thyme, and pepper.  Pour broth and wine over mixture in cooker.

2.  Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to serving plate.  Cover with foil to keep warm.

4.  For sauce, strain liquid.  In a large saucepan, heat butter until melted.  Whisk in flour, cook for 1 minute.  Add cooking liquid.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir for 1 min more.

5.  Serve chicken with vegetables and pour gravy over as desired.

NOTES:  This is hearty, healthy, and perfect for a cold winter's day.  The chicken ends up being fall off the bone tender.  I had fresh thyme and rosemary in the freezer (I do realize that fresh frozen is an oxymoron!) so I used a very large handful of those rather than the dried herbs.  In the words of a friend of mine in the restaurant business, "Why wouldn't you want to add more deliciousness to your food?"  - Claire Calvin  I realized that I forgot the parsley two days later when I was looking for cilantro for another recipe and saw my parsley still hanging out in the crisper...it would just add more flavor to this already yummy recipe.  This recipe is a meal in and of itself.  You can certainly serve it without the gravy, but it is even more tasty with that luscious gravy drizzled over top.

Happy Cooking!

It's all in the name...Slime Soup aka Cream of Asparagus Soup and ChickFilA Grilled Chicken Marinade

Chick Fil A Grilled Chicken Marinade

6 T mayonnaise
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T lemon juice
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper

NOTES:  This makes enough for 8 chicken breasts.  Once in the marinade, you can either leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours to overnight before grilling, or you can freeze them.  My kids call this Chick Fil A chicken, which is about the best compliment that you can give in my book!  I made this and served it with the Stetson Salad for my 7 best girlfriends last weekend, and they all wanted the recipe.  We didn't have a grill available, so we use the flat top to pan fry them, and they were still delicious!




SLIME SOUP aka Cream of Asparagus Soup:

http://www.food.com/recipe/grannydragons-really-quick-cream-of-asparagus-soup-279313

NOTES:  I was looking for a recipe to use with things I already had in my pantry.  This was the ticket.  It would be great to make right after Thanksgiving because I can pretty much assure that you would have all of the ingredients on hand...maybe except for the canned asparagus unless you're my family ;)  I used my immersion blender right in the soup rather than blending the asparagus beforehand.  This came together really quickly.  Honestly, I had no intention of feeding this to my children because I thought it would be a big fail.  Well, my four year old helped make the soup, and exclaimed, "It looks like slime," to which I responded, "That's because it's SLIME SOUP!"  Evidently that was the best thing I could've said because the boys gobbled up a HUGE bowl each plus ate the boxed mac n cheese and grilled chicken I had heated up for their dinner (yep, using up what's in the pantry...I never claimed to make everything from scrach!!)

Happy Cooking!!!

Taking a Time Out

Some of you may be wondering, "Where are the recipes from last week???  Did I miss them?  Did I inadvertently unsubscribe from The Laws on Dinner feed?  Heaven forbid!"  Well, rest your weary minds because there were NO recipes posted last week.  That's right, this girl took a time out.

Sometimes, even when there is something that you truly love, you just need to take a break...whether it be to save your sanity, to re-energize, or just to regroup and refocus.  This week, it just made sense to do just that...take a break.

My dinner rotations generally run from Monday to Sunday with my shopping being done on Monday mornings.  When I woke up to make my grocery list on Monday, I realized that I would only be cooking dinner Monday and Thursday nights as we have church on Wednesdays, and I was leaving Friday through Monday for a girls' weekend.  So, right then and there I made the executive decision to take the week off from cooking.  Now, don't get me wrong, I still had a PLAN because, let's face it, my life would not function without a plan...but my plan included me not cooking dinner from scratch once last week.

Monday night, we had Mexican take out which is always a treat and a hit with our crew.  Tuesday night, I took a frozen Shrimp & Feta Casserole (I'll share that recipe soon...thought I already had) out of the freezer and served it with some edamame.  Wednesday night, we were all over the place; one of the kids ate at church, George took the other two to Jersey Mike's, thought I was eating at church, and didn't get me a sandwich (husband fail!) so I heated up some Omaha Steaks chicken breasts, courtesy of my greatest great aunt Lynn and uncle Mike, popped a frozen twice baked potato in the oven, and had the leftover edamame and called it a night.  Thursday, I headed to The Porch and grabbed a beer with a friend while grabbing take out from the refrigerator section...make your own Taco Packs for Thursday and Pizza Packs for Friday for George, his parents, and the kids while I was out of town.  If you haven't made a trip to see the folks over at The Porch, I would highly recommend it...the atmosphere is relaxed and funky, the beer is ice cold, and the food, as always, was dynamite!

As I mentioned before, sometimes you just need a break, or a time out as those of us in mommy land like to call it.  That's exactly what Martin Luther King Weekend has been for me for the past 16 years.  Seven of my best friends from college and I have an annual tradition of getting together on MLK weekend with no kids, no husbands, and no plans.  We generally stay up way too late, stay in our pjs well into the afternoon, and just truly enjoy each others' company.  This is a group of designers, writers, teachers, counselors, entrepreneurs, daughters, sisters, wives, mamas...and not one "label" would ever encompass what each of these women is or what she does.  I love my family immensely, and I don't think anyone would ever question my devotion to them, but sometimes, like I said earlier, no matter how much you love something, you just need a break.  This break for me is the best kind...these women ask the hard questions, they give advice, they offer support, they laugh, they cry, they tell you when you are being brilliant and when you are being ridiculous, they tell you if you need to fix your "situation," and they build you up.  They make you remember who you were when you first met at 18 years old, how to bring some of that fire back to light, and how far you've come to be the person that you are today.  By the end of these weekends, I am always reenergized and feel that I am my best self just from being around each of these seven wonderfully unique women.

So whether it's taking a break from your daily routine, taking a night to be with your husband away from your kids, taking a trip with your mom, your sister, your brother, your father, your friends, give yourself permission to take a "time out" and realize just how thankful you are of the person who you are or how thankful you are to have the ability to change things so that you can become the person who you've always wanted to be.  Cherish those who challenge you, and hold tight to those who love you.

I'll be back this weekend with new recipes and maybe even a new format for the blog :)

Happy Cooking!!

Back to Life, Back to Reality

Again, the lyrics to the song referenced in the title of this post have very little to do with me, my blog, or anything remotely close to what's going on in my life, but there it is ;)

Ahhhh, the week after Christmas break.  Thankfully, we were able to sort of ease back into the swing of things as we had two "snow" delay days.  Now, when I say snow, what that really means is that it was 7 degrees and sunny, but I will take it any way I can get it!  I know that some people were not as excited about the delayed start as I was, but it was SO nice to let the boys sleep in to their regular 8:30 post-holiday wake up time rather than waking the oldest up at 6:45, fighting with my middle child who just goes through life on a different plane from the rest of us sometimes, and waking the baby, dressing her, and feeding her before racing out the door!

In anticipation of this being our first week "back to life, back to reality" and our routine, I decided to go really simple on the meals.  I also decided to try a couple of new cooking light recipes as I'm really working to even things out from the holidays where I splurged each and every day for 14 (or more!) days :)

Monday nights are basketball nights which means feeding the kids early and then racing to bball practice, getting home, bathed, and getting some sort of additional food into their little bodies before heading off to bed at least an hour after their usual bedtime (I still think my children should go to bed at 7:30 even though this hasn't been working for at least 6 months now ;))  Because of this being my first day back "on," I thought I would keep it super simple** and opted for a new tortellini soup recipe that I found on pinterest.  It was so creamy and yummy, and it was perfect for leftover lunches.

**side note...I am still working on figuring out my "limits" with my time, with my energy, and with my patience, so manageable meals on crazy nights is something that I can control pretty easily ;)  Also, joining the Y so that my 1 year old can go to childcare during my older kids basketball practices/games is something that I have found adds to my overall "calm,"  not to mention that it was a good selling point for our family joining the gym again after a LONG hiatus!

In that same vein, I decided that it was time for an oldie but goodie this week and opted for the chicken enchilada recipe that a dear friend from Scottsdale shared with me during our time out there.  This recipe is always a hit with my family and it is always GONE after one sitting...again, trying to manage patience the week that school started back was an intentional effort this week!!

Speaking of patience, I definitely lost my cool after the first two days of actually being back on our regular schedule.  We just could not get it together over here, people.  Getting our kindergartener off to school was fine because, well, he has to be at school on time or he (actually I) gets the dreaded pink slip.  It is SO embarrassing to walk down the hall holding my child's hand with nothing to hide that bright pink little piece of paper that screams, "yep, this mama can't get her act together."  It's even better if my other kids are in their pjs with no coats, and it's freezing outside!!  But, I digress..we made it to preschool (which starts over an hour later) 20 minutes late, and then I basically raced around like a crazy woman all day.  I thought that I was again keeping it simple with another crockpot recipe.  It really wasn't hard, and if I had been on my game, it would've been actually an easy meal to throw together...BUT, I didn't have my act together, so I ended up chopping meat, chopping veggies, and throwing everything in the crockpot in a mad dash so that it would MAYBE be done in time for dinner...which it wasn't (I mean, we do eat SUPER early around here, so this would not be a problem for most of you, I'm sure.)  My kids didn't want to eat it...look at the picture on the previous blog post...it really wasn't something that screamed deliciousness just from its looks...again, from last week, though, looks can be deceiving, and it was really good, hearty, healthy, and the kids ate it up once they actually tasted it (lots of bribing, closing eyes, maybe a few threatening words occurred before that actually happened.)

After that night, I decided I needed a couple nights off (again, managing expectations of myself in full effect here!)  So, we had dinner in with friends, dinner out with friends, and take out the rest of the week...that is why there were no notes accompanying the last menu item from last week.  I did make it last night, so more on that to come later ;)

So, to all of you who are also "back to life, back to reality," here is my hope:  I hope that everyone can take a deep breath, realize what's important, search for what to hold on to and what to let go, and just make life a little easier for yourself.  I'll leave you with a quote that is up on my chalkboard downstairs in the playroom, "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."  - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Cooking!

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Last week was a little out of the ordinary for us in terms of meals.  I tried some healthy new recipes that ended up being delicious but too complicated for this mama of three 5 and under.  Part of this was due to the fact that I had some extra hands with my husband around on New Year's Day and for lunches a couple of days.  Here's how the week began: we arrived back home from Augusta on Sunday afternoon and went straight to a New Year's Eve Eve Eve party for the kids.  A magician, ice cream bar, balloon animals, face painting, and a 7:00 balloon drop made for the perfect family New Year's event.  This was in contrast to my actual New Year's Eve when George was on call...fast forward two days.

So, they say looks can be deceiving, right?  This was definitely the case last week...exhibit A:  our New Year's Eve meal.  To the untrained eye, this may look like a perfect setting for two, which it was.  I sent this picture to a friend of mine showing her what we were having for dinner that night...date night in as we have learned from too many New Year's plans gone awry when George is on call.  This picture was taken around 3pm, and the salad, dressing, champagne, and wine were quickly whisked back into the refrigerator until George got home...and about 5 minutes later, he got a call from the hospital that he was needed back there to help with a hand injury that was no doubt incurred by someone already enjoying New Year's Eve a little too much.  Hey, at least it wasn't me or anyone in my family heading to the ER...I'll take it!  Dinner was rushed and chaotic (but that's the norm around here with the kids,) and then George was off.  The kids and I watched a mock ball drop on YouTube (luckily they aren't quite old enough to realize that it said 2010 at the end of the drop,) then it was off to bed for them, and a night with NBC and my wine for me.  Honestly, this has been my NYE story since 2006, the year after George started residency, so there is really no disappointment in it at all.  Happy New Year!

We did finally get to celebrate a few nights later with yet another salad (yep, it's the week after Christmas,) and that champagne!!  I attempted a Gwyneth Paltrow duck recipe, which was amazing...who knew that Hoisin sauce was so easy to make?  The only problem is that the ingredients are not so easy to find.  Red Miso paste?  Preserved Lemons?  Harissa paste? Five Spice Powder? Duck breasts?  George made a trip to an Asian market here in town and found several ingredients that my regular grocery store doesn't carry due to my stepping outside the box and being adventurous...also, I found out that Lowe's Foods carries frozen whole organic ducks...the only problem was that I had to butcher it so that I could then grill the duck breasts (I decided to do the legs and thighs too after all the effort.)  Good thing my mom grew up on a farm and I had seen her break down a chicken (and I have watched Ina do it a time or too also, I believe ;).)  Thus, exhibit B...beautiful dinner that looks relatively easy to make (this was not the case, my friends!)

The rest of the meals last week were equally as complicated and will not be repeated until my children are old enough to drive around to different grocery stores and purchase all of my ingredients for me!!!

This actually has nothing to do with food at all, but this is what I was doing one night when George was, once again, back at the hospital for the evening.  My sister and I were texting about her baby that is due in February.  After many lines of back and forth comments, pictures, etc, I decided to tell her what labor was like through emoticons:

Exhibit C: one may think from this that I actually have some knowledge of emoticons, that my labors were a breeze, or that I have WAY too much time on my hands ;)  None of those statements are true, but it made for a funny FB post by my sister.

So, yes, my friends, looks can be deceiving.  I never want anyone to think that everything is always peaches and roses over here in Laws On Dinner land.  Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to be, but I worry that people sometime take things from social media at face value when there is a lot more to people's stories than what they put on FB.  So, in this new year, I hope that we can all find contentment and joy in our "everyday" no matter what those days may look like to other people!

This week is back to the grind with school starting back, schedules filling up, and my meal planning revolving around my philosophy...one grocery store, once a week when at all possible.  On the menu are some comfort foods for this cold weather: Creamy Tortellini Soup, Cooking Light's Beef Daube Provenal (basically a beef stew over noodles,) Chicken Enchiladas, and Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut Curry Sauce.

Happy Cooking!

Dinners Week 15: The week after Christmas...trying to be a little healthy: Stetson Chopped Salad, Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas, Chinese Chicken Salad,

The week after Christmas is probably not the best time to think about trying new recipes; especially recipes that call for ingredients that are not found in my regular rotation of recipes.  BUT, that is exactly what I did.

A friend of mine gave me Gwyneth Paltrow's book, It's All Good, for Christmas.  This book is
beautiful, inspiring, and the recipes that I made this week were delicious.  I

tried her Hoisin Duck and her Two Pan Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives.  With NYE and New Year's Day falling during the week, it was feasible to make a few special dinners that wouldn't normally be planned as easy, throw-together week night meals.  If you want some healthy, inspiring, special meals, I would highly recommend purchasing this book.  I will certainly use it for weekend meals and for special occassions, but I'm not sure how often her meals will fall into my weekly rotations at this stage of life.

With that being said, I will share with you the recipes that fall in line with what this blog is all about:




Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas: (recipe from skinnytaste.com)
Recipe found HERE

NOTES:  easy, delicious, big fan of all of the recipes from Skinnytaste so far!!




Chinese Chicken Salad:(recipe from CovCom Cooks)

4 chicken breasts with ribs and skin
10-12 fresh wonton wrappers cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 head Napa cabbage, thinly shrededed
1/4 head red cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, shredded
4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included
2 large avocados, medium dice
2 navel oranges, supremed (reserve zest and juice from 1/2 orange for dressing)
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 bunch cilantro, rough chop

Dressing:
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
Zest and juice from 1/2 orange
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan, rub to coat with olive oil, season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  Roast in 425 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through.  Cool chicken meat completely, and cut into medium dice.  Reserve.

To make dressing, combine all ingredients except for the vegetable oil and whisk.  Slowly whisk in vegetable oil.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Heat 1 cup of vegetable oil in a saute pan.  Fry wonton wrappers until golden brown.  Do not overcrowd pan.  Drain on paper towels, set aside until ready to use.

Toss together on large serving platter the following:  Napa cabbage, red cabbage, shredded carrot, scallions, and chicken.  Layer on top the avocados, orange supremes, friend wonton stripes, and toasted sesame seeds.  Dress salad and serve immediately.

NOTES:  I served the Hoisin Duck over this, and it was SO yummy!  You could cook the chicken really any way you would like...grill, pan saute, etc.  If you don't know what orange supremes are, here is a link to show you.  It's basically just oranges without the peel and the flesh.  This serves a crowd, so invite some friends over and enjoy!!  

Stetson Chopped Salad from Cowboy Ciao Restaurant: (recipe from CovCom Cooks!)
Dressing recipe found in an earlier post, but I will write it again here so that it's all in one place :)
DRESSING:
1/2 cup basil pesto**

1 shallot, roughly chopped

1 cup Aioli (see NOTE)

1 cup buttermilk

Fresh lemon to taste

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and refrigerate.  The longer it sits, the thicker it will become.

**  You can make your own pesto by blending 8 cups packed basil leaves, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, 2-4 garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp salt in the food processor until smooth.  At the end, stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

NOTE:  For Aioli, combine 1-2 finely minced garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil, and 1/2 cup mayonnaise.  Whisk together and set aside.

For the salad:
 1 lb salmon filets, smoked or grilled
2 cups Israeli couscous, cooked according to package directions
Fresh baby arugula
diced Roma tomatoes (I usually use 4)
Crumbled Asiago Cheese (I sometimes substitute shredded Parmesan)
1 cup toasted Pepitas (pumpkins seeds)
1 cup dried black currants, cherries, or cranberries (I prefer cherries)
4 ears of fresh roasted corn

  Arrange arugula on a large platter.  Arrange each ingredient in lines over the arugula.  After presenting the salad, toss with the dressing.  Do not overdress.  Refrigerate remaining dressing.

NOTES: 
This salad makes a beautiful presentation.  I usually serve this when we have friends over, but this week I made it for just us for New Year's Eve.  It's a relatively easy dinner that makes serving a salad really special.  You can use any protein you like, substitute nuts for the pumpkin seeds, use any dried fruit you like, etc.  Be creative with this one!!!