Meals for the Rest of the Week

Tuesday Night

We had Pasta Primavera from my Community of Faith Christian Fellowship Cookbook. This recipe was contributed by Kendra Aguilar and Carolyn Marcus.  I have so much respect for each of these moms and have learned (and continue to learn) from each of them. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 red pepper, julienne

1 cup broccoli flowerets (I used frozen chopped)

1 carrot, julienne

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp basil

1 tsp fresh minced parsley (not our fave so I just added a little bit)

pasta (I used farfalle this time)

cooked shredded chicken (optional, I had some in the fridge that I needed to use, so I threw it in)

Sauce:

6 Tbsp butter

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (added an extra 1/4 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

cream cheese to taste (used 2 oz but would use less next time)

Steps:

1. Stir-fry vegetables in olive oil. Season with basil and parsley. Turn off heat, and cover to keep warm.

2. Cook pasta.

3. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce (melt butter and then add cream, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, and garlic). Cook over low heat stirring frequently until cheese are melted.

4. Toss vegetables, chicken, pasta, and sauce together.

5. Serve immediately.

Prep and Cook time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6 

Lydia enjoyed this dinner and ate all of the veggies. There were two servings leftover. I had one serving the next day, and it was not as enjoyable as it was the night I cooked it.

Wednesday Night

Seth had college FG, so I made grilled cheese for Lydia and me. It was a peaceful dinner with no fussing. She also had applesauce (possibly the #1 food she asks for).

Thursday Night

I made another recipe from the Community of Faith Christian Fellowship Cookbook, "Bubble Up Pizza Casserole," contributed by Sandra Asermelly. This is an easy dish that you can prepare ahead of time. I cut the veggies for it on Tuesday night when I was preparing dinner and put them in ziploc bags in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cups tomato sauce

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup mushrooms, quartered

Pepperoni

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 tube frozen biscuits, quartered

1 1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown meat and onion over medium heat. Drain.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, garlic, and Italian seasoning.

4. Add mushrooms, peppers, pepperoni, and cheese. (I also added some spinach I had on hand, and it was a good addition.)

5. Add quartered biscuits, and stir gently until biscuits are covered with sauce.

6. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

7. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle cheese on top to cover, and bake an additional 10 minutes (or until biscuits are done). The biscuits were a little undercooked this time, so 15 additional minutes may be more accurate.

8. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

This dinner was also Lydia-friendly and makes great leftovers.

Pizza for Dinner

Since it has been almost a year since my last blog post, it may seem odd that I am posting about what I made for dinner. I have been organizing and cleaning out lately (or at least thinking about it). In an attempt to organize my recipes and become better at meal planning, I thought I would try using the blog. If you are not interested in reading about what we eat, no worries.  

It is mostly for me! 

This is my third time making White Pizzas with Arugula from Barefoot Contessa Back to the Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients, by Ina Garten. Besides the white pizzas, I also made several red sauce pizzas.  

I used to be afraid of making pizza dough and would just buy it frozen, but it turns out that it is not very difficult to make or time consuming. I will have to get back to you as to whether or not it saves money to make it yourself.  The last time I made the dough I put one ball in the freezer to see if it would be good taken out and used at a different date. I wrapped the dough in clear plastic wrap and placed it inside of two zipper bags (just to be on the safe side), and I am happy to report that the frozen dough did not appear to be any different than the dough that I made today.  

I used Trader Joe's Pizza Sauce ($1.99). One jar is enough sauce for making pizzas twice. Next time I would like to try making my own pizza sauce and see how it compares in taste, price, and time (Easy Pizza Sauce). Leave a comment if you have a pizza sauce you like to make.

The pizzas are cooked at 500 degrees for 15 minutes (or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown). Be careful when you are opening the oven because 500 degrees is very hot!

The red sauce pizzas were on the small side, so I cut them into thin strips. The options were cheese, pepperoni, and veggie (mushrooms, peppers, onions). I used all of the dough (what the recipe makes plus one more small ball), and it feed three adults and one child with leftovers.

Kid-friendly? Yes! Lydia ate several slices of the cheese and a small slice of the white pizza and the arugula. 

Ingredients: 

Pizza Dough

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 packages dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

Good olive oil

4 cups all-purpose flour, extra for kneading

Garlic Oil

(for the white pizza - tastes and smells delicious)

Olive oil

4 garlic cloves, sliced

Thyme

Red pepper flakes

Toppings

Mozzarella cheese

Goat cheese

Ricotta cheese (not in the recipe and not my favorite; just use a little)

Italian Fontina cheese (what the recipe calls for)

Pepperoni

Mushrooms

Bell peppers

Onions

Arugula Salad

1/2 cup good olive oil

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 ounces baby arugula

I did not serve anything on the side tonight. Since the white pizza has an arugula salad on top, I counted that as the veggie. If I was going to serve something else with it, I might just do a fruit salad. I am also planning on serving the white pizza as an appetizer for the dinner I donated to the CFTS cake auction fundraiser. 

I am new to taking photos of food, and I know that it is an art. Bear with me as I learn to take good photos!