Sorry there was no meal plan this week. I didn't cook this week during our spring break visit to California, though I did stretch my baking skills by whipping up a couple pies.
Ironically, I embarked on my pie-baking project to break my reliance on store-bought pie crusts (expensive and full of unnatural ingredients), but I ended up using store-bought cherry pie filling. Canned cherries cost $5 per 15-oz can, and my recipe called for four cans' worth . . . yeah, I don't think so.
My amped-up rollout-cookie skills helped significantly when it came time to roll pie crust. With chilling, patience, flour, and wax paper, I managed not to make a mess, although I think I developed the gluten too much. Still, I didn't have a food processor this time around; next time it might be easier to keep the pastry tender.
Does baking pies from scratch fit within a healthy diet plan as well as a frugal one? It does allow you to control the ingredients in your desserts, making your treats more wholesome or lower in fat and calories (or both).
I posted a couple of new articles on the Well Fed Network recently, too. Check these out:
Plan Ahead to Eat Smart on Fit Fare
Shhh! Food Network Infiltrates Social Networks with Food2 on Edible TV
Meals for the Week: Bringing on the Irish!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Though it was never a tradition in my Irish-American family to eat corned beef and cabbage on March 17, my English- and Scottish-American husband had it every year growing up.
This was my second year giving it a try, and while I still can't get excited for cooked cabbage, I did think this year's corned beef was much improved. While Scott wasn't so sure about the sweet molasses glaze, he loved how tender the meat turned out. My brother and I both enjoyed the glaze -- having not grown up with corned beef, we don't have such entrenched notions of how salty it should taste, I suppose.
I'll provide the recipe below. Grab some corned beef before it's gone and try it!
Next week is our visit to California, so no meal plan. To tide yourself over, check out my articles for Well Fed:
Eliminations Ice the Cake Competition on Food Network
Spiced-Up Healthy Recipe Contest
Monday
Turkey, sausage, and cornbread croquettes
Salad
Tuesday
Molasses and whiskey-glazed corned beef
Beer-braised cabbage
Boiled potatoes
Irish brown soda bread
Salad
Wednesday
Guinness beef stew
Mashed potatoes
Irish brown soda bread
Thursday
French toast with sausage or leftover beef stew
Friday
Grilled cheese
Caesar salad
Saturday
California
And the corned beef! I had a 2.5 pound point-cut brisket, so I reduced the amount of glaze for our dinner. I still ended up with tons of glaze, so I kept basting the meat. With heat, the glaze thickened, making it easier to stick to the meat. I served the meat on the baking sheet with the basting brush available for slathering on extra glaze.
Corned Beef with Molasses-Bourbon Glaze
Source: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 9 to 11 hours; baked in the oven for 15 minutes to finish
Ingredients:
One 3- to 4-pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet, rinsed
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
2 allspice berries
1 small cinnamon stick (I used a teaspoon of cinnamon)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 dried chiles de arbol (I used a spoonful of Asian chili-garlic paste)
Glaze:
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
1 tablespoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup light molasses
1/3 cup bourbon (I used Irish whiskey)
1. Put the corned beef in the slow cooker. If the meat is too big to lie flat in your cooker, cut it in half and stack the pieces one atop the other. Add water to just cover the brisket. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and chiles (I also added the seasoning packet). Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 11 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing together the brown sugar, mustard, molasses, and bourbon in a medium-size bowl. Cover and refrigerator until needed.
3. When the brisket is tender, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with oil. Lift the brisket out of its cooking liquid and transfer to the baking sheet. Spoon the glaze over the beef to coat the entire surface on both sides. Bake, basting with any leftover glaze, for 15 minutes to set the glaze.
Make sure to slice the meat across the grain. You need a gentle touch and a sharp knife because it does want to fall apart!
This was my second year giving it a try, and while I still can't get excited for cooked cabbage, I did think this year's corned beef was much improved. While Scott wasn't so sure about the sweet molasses glaze, he loved how tender the meat turned out. My brother and I both enjoyed the glaze -- having not grown up with corned beef, we don't have such entrenched notions of how salty it should taste, I suppose.
I'll provide the recipe below. Grab some corned beef before it's gone and try it!
Next week is our visit to California, so no meal plan. To tide yourself over, check out my articles for Well Fed:
Eliminations Ice the Cake Competition on Food Network
Spiced-Up Healthy Recipe Contest
Monday
Turkey, sausage, and cornbread croquettes
Salad
Tuesday
Molasses and whiskey-glazed corned beef
Beer-braised cabbage
Boiled potatoes
Irish brown soda bread
Salad
Wednesday
Guinness beef stew
Mashed potatoes
Irish brown soda bread
Thursday
French toast with sausage or leftover beef stew
Friday
Grilled cheese
Caesar salad
Saturday
California
And the corned beef! I had a 2.5 pound point-cut brisket, so I reduced the amount of glaze for our dinner. I still ended up with tons of glaze, so I kept basting the meat. With heat, the glaze thickened, making it easier to stick to the meat. I served the meat on the baking sheet with the basting brush available for slathering on extra glaze.
Corned Beef with Molasses-Bourbon Glaze
Source: Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook
Cooker: Medium oval or large round or oval
Setting and Cook Time: LOW for 9 to 11 hours; baked in the oven for 15 minutes to finish
Ingredients:
One 3- to 4-pound corned beef brisket with seasoning packet, rinsed
2 bay leaves
8 black peppercorns
2 allspice berries
1 small cinnamon stick (I used a teaspoon of cinnamon)
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
2 dried chiles de arbol (I used a spoonful of Asian chili-garlic paste)
Glaze:
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
1 tablespoon dry mustard or Dijon mustard
1/4 cup light molasses
1/3 cup bourbon (I used Irish whiskey)
1. Put the corned beef in the slow cooker. If the meat is too big to lie flat in your cooker, cut it in half and stack the pieces one atop the other. Add water to just cover the brisket. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and chiles (I also added the seasoning packet). Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 11 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing together the brown sugar, mustard, molasses, and bourbon in a medium-size bowl. Cover and refrigerator until needed.
3. When the brisket is tender, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with oil. Lift the brisket out of its cooking liquid and transfer to the baking sheet. Spoon the glaze over the beef to coat the entire surface on both sides. Bake, basting with any leftover glaze, for 15 minutes to set the glaze.
Make sure to slice the meat across the grain. You need a gentle touch and a sharp knife because it does want to fall apart!
Meals for the Week: Favorites and Flashbacks
This week, I included a few well-liked dishes from my days traveling in Europe on our menu. A week or so ago, we found a whole section of Polish foods at a grocery store we don't often frequent, and wonder of wonders, they had a white barszcz mix.
For those who haven't traveled to Poland, it's . . . well, it's hard to say exactly, as I've had trouble finding out how to make it myself. It involves smoked sausage (kielbasa, if you will - but every sausage is "kielbasa" in Eastern/Central Europe) and I think a fermented rye base. Sometimes it comes with a halved hard-cooked egg in it. It's unusual and surprisingly delicious.
We're also having butter chicken. I discovered my love for Indian food in Europe, too, where they're way ahead of the curve compared to us when it comes to appreciating ethnic foods. The slaw I'm making alongside uses garlic pickle, a condiment found with the Indian foods in the store that adds strong and delectable flavor to any veggie.
Friday we'll enjoy a vegetarian version of the traditional English breakfast for dinner. We tucked into something similar every morning when we visited Ireland just after I finished college. It keeps you going for a long, long time . . .
Monday
Enchiladas
Refried black beans
Mexican rice
Salad
Tuesday
Hamburgers
Fries
Thousand island slaw
Wednesday
Butter chicken
Rice
Garlic pickle slaw
Thursday
White barszcz with smoked sausage
Whole-wheat rolls
Salad
Friday
Cheesy eggs
Baked beans
Toast triangles
Sliced tomatoes
Saturday
Turkey breast with gravy
Cranberry sauce
Mixed veggies
Mashed potatoes
Cornbread
Salad
Sunday
Chili
Cornbread
Salad
For those who haven't traveled to Poland, it's . . . well, it's hard to say exactly, as I've had trouble finding out how to make it myself. It involves smoked sausage (kielbasa, if you will - but every sausage is "kielbasa" in Eastern/Central Europe) and I think a fermented rye base. Sometimes it comes with a halved hard-cooked egg in it. It's unusual and surprisingly delicious.
We're also having butter chicken. I discovered my love for Indian food in Europe, too, where they're way ahead of the curve compared to us when it comes to appreciating ethnic foods. The slaw I'm making alongside uses garlic pickle, a condiment found with the Indian foods in the store that adds strong and delectable flavor to any veggie.
Friday we'll enjoy a vegetarian version of the traditional English breakfast for dinner. We tucked into something similar every morning when we visited Ireland just after I finished college. It keeps you going for a long, long time . . .
Monday
Enchiladas
Refried black beans
Mexican rice
Salad
Tuesday
Hamburgers
Fries
Thousand island slaw
Wednesday
Butter chicken
Rice
Garlic pickle slaw
Thursday
White barszcz with smoked sausage
Whole-wheat rolls
Salad
Friday
Cheesy eggs
Baked beans
Toast triangles
Sliced tomatoes
Saturday
Turkey breast with gravy
Cranberry sauce
Mixed veggies
Mashed potatoes
Cornbread
Salad
Sunday
Chili
Cornbread
Salad
Meals for the Week: Lasagna Frenzy
I had a craving for lasagna this week, though more for the fun of making it than necessarily for the eating of it. I made said lasagna for tonight's dinner, and I learned a lot about the making of this Italian casserole.
I've made it only once before, and after that time I almost swore off lasagna completely. Boiling the noodles before assembling the casserole is a pain . . . no, that's not it. It's storing the cooked noodles in between boiling and assembly that's just annoying. They're sticky and delicate, so stacking is out of the question. Ample counter space was a must.
Anyway, this time I tried flat, no-boil noodles, and they worked beautifully. Next time, I'll make the sauce a little less loose, as they didn't need a whole lot of moisture to cook.
I kept the lasagna on the healthy side by using only half a box of noodles, part-skim mozzarella, and fat-free cottage cheese (on sale!). I also drained off a lot of fat from the meat. Still, I kept my portion small because I know how indulgent a dish this is.
Monday
Lasagna
Salad
Onion rolls
Tuesday
Chicken fried rice
Salad
Wednesday
Sirloin pork chops braised in sauerkraut
Applesauce
Roasted potatoes
Thursday
Lemon chicken soup
Salad
Rolls
Friday
Pasta primavera
Salad
Bread
Saturday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad
Sunday
BLTs
Potato salad
Salad
I've made it only once before, and after that time I almost swore off lasagna completely. Boiling the noodles before assembling the casserole is a pain . . . no, that's not it. It's storing the cooked noodles in between boiling and assembly that's just annoying. They're sticky and delicate, so stacking is out of the question. Ample counter space was a must.
Anyway, this time I tried flat, no-boil noodles, and they worked beautifully. Next time, I'll make the sauce a little less loose, as they didn't need a whole lot of moisture to cook.
I kept the lasagna on the healthy side by using only half a box of noodles, part-skim mozzarella, and fat-free cottage cheese (on sale!). I also drained off a lot of fat from the meat. Still, I kept my portion small because I know how indulgent a dish this is.
Monday
Lasagna
Salad
Onion rolls
Tuesday
Chicken fried rice
Salad
Wednesday
Sirloin pork chops braised in sauerkraut
Applesauce
Roasted potatoes
Thursday
Lemon chicken soup
Salad
Rolls
Friday
Pasta primavera
Salad
Bread
Saturday
Turkey pepperoni pizza
Salad
Sunday
BLTs
Potato salad
Salad
Meals for the Week: The Fast Begins
Lent starts this Wednesday, which means I'll be planning more strictly vegetarian meals this coming month. It's true that fish is permitted on Fridays in Lent - look around for all the fast food fish sandwich promotions right now - but I can't stand any and all seafood. Just the smell turns my stomach.
Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.
Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.
I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.
Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges
Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Pasta salad
Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries
Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf
Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .
Argue all you want that fresh fish doesn't smell. It just doesn't smell to you. I don't even like the smell of the ocean.
Besides, it always seemed strange to me that I was expected to not call chicken "meat" (it's poultry!), except as far as the "no meat on Fridays" tradition went. In that case, my childhood definition of meat, food from a dead animal, applied, except in the case of fish. Frankly, I didn't see why fish got a pass. I thought my parents were joking at first.
I don't have much problem coming up with vegetarian options. The hardest part is simply remembering to avoid using minor things like chicken broth in soup.
Monday
Bacon omelet sandwiches with cheese
Tater tots
Orange wedges
Tuesday
Meatloaf
Boiled potatoes
Salad
Wednesday
Vegetarian black bean soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Pasta salad
Friday
Veggie burgers
Fries
Saturday
Beef fajitas
Rice pilaf
Sunday
No plan yet. New month, new grocery budget . . .
Meals for the Week: Cooking From the Pantry
I have a large amount of food stocked up now that it's mid-month, which means it's time to stop stocking up for the month. It's tough to turn away from the great deals on products we use regularly, but if I don't keep myself from buying ahead for at least a couple weeks each month I'll end up spending more than I should. After all, what's the point of "saving" when I'm just going to spend more?
Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.
Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad
Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad
Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad
Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad
Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad
Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad
Using what I have on hand (basics like chicken breasts and pasta as well as long-lasting pantry items like mayonnaise and hot sauce), I can create enough meals for the next two weeks. That is, with the addition of a little fresh produce for salads.
Monday
Hamburgers
Fries
Salad
Tuesday
Buffalo chicken tacos with blue cheese
Frozen veggies
Salad
Wednesday
Baked potato soup
Rolls
Salad
Thursday
Sandwiches
Creamy tomato soup
Salad
Friday
Bacon and onion pizza
Salad
Saturday
Baked chicken schnitzel
Frozen veggies
Chicken rice
Salad
Sunday
Annie’s Favorite Pasta
Rolls
Salad
Meals for the Week: Joy of Cooking Edition
I've been pouring over my 75th-anniversary copy of Joy of Cooking lately, marking off classic recipes I'd like to try. To me, there seems to be a surprising amount of convenience-food cooking in Joy, but I grew up with the 90s edition in the house rather than the classic version. Our Joy had a culinary-school pedigree that the new version tries to disavow.
I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.
Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots
Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad
Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad
Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad
Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad
Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad
I don't care much either way, honestly. Some days, I feel strongly the importance of using natural ingredients, and those days I stock my freezer with homemade rolls and meatballs. Other days, when I just would rather not devote two hours to making dinner from scratch, I feel grateful for frozen fries and canned creamy soup.
Monday
Whole-grain pancakes
Turkey breakfast sausage
Navel, Cara Cara, and blood oranges
Baked tater tots
Tuesday
Turkey meatball soup
Rolls
Salad
Wednesday
Crepes with chicken, apples, and blue cheese (a Joy recipe)
Frozen veggie mix
Salad
Thursday
Beef tacos
Mexican rice
Black and kidney bean salad
Friday
Sandwiches
Crinkle fries
Salad
Saturday (Valentine's Day)
Rib steak
Potatoes au gratin
Creamed corn
Rolls
Caesar salad
Sunday
Creamed chicken and broccoli over rice
Salad
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