4th of July Menu Ideas

 

Another holiday and another reason to eat! The plan should be to plan the day before and set things out when it is time to eat. Don’t spend the day cooking, spend the day celebrating! Well let’s just cut to the chase and give you a few of my favorites and what I plan on making this weekend.

 Bean and Hamburger Hotdish

(This is a great one to put in the slow cooker to simmer away all day)

 Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound bacon – cooked
• 1 pound hamburger – cooked
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 large can pork and beans or 2 16oz. cans
• 1 can kidney beans (drained)
• 1 can lima beans (drained)
• 1 can butter beans (drained)
• 1 large can Bush’s baked beans
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 Tablespoon vinegar

Directions:

1. Mix and add to beans and hamburger mixture. Put in slow cooker for as long as you wish on low or in oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours. May need to add a bit of liquid from the drained beans if it is getting dry.

Vegetables Vinaigrette

 Ingredients:

• 1 cucumber
• 3 carrots
• 1/2 cauliflower
• 1/2 pound fresh green beans
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms
• 6 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dill weed

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and mix vinaigrette and let sit for several hours before serving. Toss before serving.

Select Deli Salad:

• 1/2 pound dry rainbow rotini cooked and drained
• Jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 5 ounces sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup fresh cauliflower
• 1 cup fresh broccoli
• 1 cup diced Monterrey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Prepare rotini and drain. In large bowl combine rotini and remaining ingredients, toss to mix. Cover; chill and toss before serving.

Beer Marinade for Beef

(I always had this as a kid with t-bones, it is yummy)

 Ingredients:

• Can of beer
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 Tablespoon sugar or honey
• 4 Tablespoon marmalade
• 2 minced garlic cloves

Directions:

1. Simply mix and marinate with meat of choice and then grill meat to desired doneness.

Dirt Cake

(an olide but goodie)

 Ingredients:

• 1 package crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 16 ounces of Cool Whip
• 2 packages instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups milk

Directions:

1. Blend together the cream cheese and the 3/4 cup powdered sugar.
2. Mix the pudding and the milk.Blend in with cream cheese mixture and Cool Whip.
3. Put a layer of crumbs, then pudding the another layer of crumbs. Let stand for 4 hours in a cold place.

 To Joyful, Simplified Living,

 MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/ .

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/  to learn about how Melissa can help you! 

• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.

• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings!

 For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Pappardelle With Meat Ragu And Poached Egg

Day 150: Italian, My Way: More Than 150 Simple and Inspired Recipes That Breathe New Life into Italian Classics

May 30, 2011

Even though it is summer, sometimes we get those rainy days where we need a home cooked comfort food meal. Sunday’s are my favorite days to make these types of meals. Sunday’s are the days that I am more laid back and I am not so rushed. The kids are usually all in one place and I am not playing carpool shuffle.

Those Sunday meals don’t get better than Italian slow cooked food. This cookbook focuses on the basics of Italian cooking, but not the hard parts. Just simple goodness.

The Ruling: Everyone ate it. I served it over wide noodles because I couldn’t find the Pappardelle. I also skipped the part of the fried egg on it. The fried egg would have been fun, but I am not a fried egg fan….so no friend egg 🙂

Pappardelle With Meat Ragu And Poached Egg, pg 111

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
• ½ cup chopped pancetta
• 3 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 cups cold water
• 1 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound pappardelle
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and brown the beef and pancetta.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until browned.
2. Add the wine and bring to a boil, then add the cold water and the tomatoes with their juice.
3. Braise for 3 hours, covered, on low heat.
4. When the meat is tender, mash with a fork and season with sea salt and black pepper.
5. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook the pappardelle until just tender.  Drain, reserving 2 cups of the water.
6. Place the pasta water in a saucepan over low heat.  Crack the eggs into a small bowl and gently slide them into the pot.  Soft-poach the eggs – this will take about 3 minutes.
7. Place 3 cups of the sauce in a pan, add the butter, the Parmesan and the pappardelle and toss well.  Season with sea salt and black pepper.  Place onto a platter and carefully spoon the eggs on top.  Serve hot.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at http://www.ididit-fargo.com/.

• Interested in starting your own Professional Organizing business, visit http://www.mssimplicity.com/ to learn about how Melissa can help you! 
• Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@mssimplicity.com.
• MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click hereto find out the latest offerings!

• For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page here.

Beef And Noodles In Thai Peanut Sauce

Day 138: Robin Miller Quick Mix Meals

May 18, 2011

Our family likes to make asian dishes and for the most part the kids will take off  their fussy pants for the night and try something new. My middle child even tried sushi, because he heard that girls like guys who eat sushi…..I am going to go with that if it encourages him to try new food.

Robin Miller is one of the Food Network up and coming food chef stars. She gives us tips on getting meals to the table fast using her tricks found in chapters called, “The Quick Fix Kitchen”, “In the Bag” or “Morph it”, to name a few. Robin has a few tricks up her sleeve besides just teaching you how to make a quick meal. For example, you can make a ham and then use it in a penne pasta salad, ham wraps and then mac and cheese with ham in it. Take the one meal and get 3 more meals….genius! Smart cookbook with loads of ideas for family meals.

The Ruling: We had a hard time trying to find the right kind of noodles for the recipe. We should have bought linguine noodles instead. I wasn’t home for the meal but my husband and kids thought it was ok. My husband would add more ginger to kick it up a notch.

Beef Noodles in Thai Peanut Sauce, page 88

Ingredients:

Thai Peanut Sauce:

• 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce

Pad Thai:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 ¼ pounds lean beef steak (such as sirloin or flank), cut crosswise into ¼ inch thick strips
• ¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• ¼ cup chopped scallions (white and green parts)

Directions:

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together the sauce ingredients until well blended and set the pan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add 1 cup of the peanut sauce and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the beef mixture to the noodles and toss to combine, then serve on individual plates topped with the peanuts and scallions.  The leftover peanut sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months; thaw completely in the refrigerator or microwave for about 3 minutes on LOW before using.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  MS. Simplicity offers monthly classes, click here to find out the latest offerings! For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

 

Penne Alla Papalina

 

Day 114: Moto Gusto

April 24, 2011

Pasta with peas is one of my husbands favorite meals. I can’t stand peas….it is a school food bad memory sort of thing. Canned peas make my stomach turn! My mom made lots and lots of frozen peas. So between school and my mom, I have had my lifetime of peas. But the thing is, I love the man I married so every once in awhile I do something out of love for him. This meal was for him….it was so much for him I even had him make it. I wasn’t going to taste it, but he made me taste it, just like I make the kids. Turn around is fair play I suppose.

Who doesn’t love Mario Batali? I love him for the crocs that he wore before crocs were in style…..and for wearing crocs for when they are no longer in style. I have come to be schooled in the fact that they are called bistro crocs . I have eaten at Mario’s restaurant in Vegas….I think I had pizza. He has many pizza recipes in this cookbook along with the expected pasta and some surprising vegetable dishes. Beautiful pictures are all over the cookbook….and you know me and pictures!

The Ruling: My oldest said he “didn’t mind it, it was good” but not full of flavor. The problem I think was that we only had half of the prosciutto. It was an easy dish to prepare and if you love peas….you will love this dish!

Penne alla Papalina, page 179

Ingredients:

• Kosher Salt
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces sliced prosciutto, cut into 1-inch squares
• one 10-oz package (2 cups) frozen peas, thawed
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus extra for serving
• Coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 3 tablespoons kosher salt.
2. Meanwhile, combine 3 tablespoons of the oil and the prosciutto in another large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the prosciutto has rendered some of its fat and is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the peas.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until just al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup fo the pasta water.
4. WHisk the eggs together in a medium bowl to break them up, then whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water.
5. Add the pasta to the prosciutto and peas and stir and toss over medium heat to mix well. Add the egg mixture, remove from the heat, and stir and toss vigorously to slightly cook the eggs (add a splash or two more of the reserved pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce). Stir in the Parmigano, season with pepper, and serve immediately, with additional grated cheese on the side.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Macaroni And Cheese

Day 106: “Ideas In Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work”

April 16, 2011

I have a great macaroni and cheese recipe that my mom gave me. I simply take her recipe and double the noodles and double the cheese and I have the best homemade mac and cheese around. I grew up with sisters and she could get away with a small pan of the mac and cheese. With my growing boys, the pan she made for 5 of us would feed one of them! Needless to say, I still like to tinker with other mac and cheese recipes out there and see if I can improve my moms.

So when I came upon this cookbook from the husband and wife team of food bloggers, Aki Kamozawa and Alex Talbot, I had to give their recipe a try. You can find their hugely popular blog here. Their cooking style is a combination of Mr. Wizard (the science show that I grew up on) and Alton Brown on the Food Network with a little bit of a creativity thrown in. Their cookbook is divided into two sections: Ideas For Everyone and Ideas for Professionals. I stuck with the section on the ideas for everyone….someday I will venture to the other side of the cookbook!

The Ruling: Well my family liked my moms version better. Could it be because they are creatures of habit? Or could it be that I browned the butter before adding the cheese, giving it a little smokey taste? Whatever it was, it is no fault of the cookbook authors, but entirely my own. I will fall on the wooden spoon on this one! However, it should be noted that I enjoyed it. I liked the bite that the pepper jack cheese gave as well as the crispy topping from the breadcrumbs and cheese with a smidge of butter. I did not let the pasta sit in the water for an hour…I went ahead and boiled mine.

Macaroni and Cheese, page 172

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried elbow macaroni
• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 8 tablespoons butter
• one can evaporated milk
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 10 ounces Cheddar Cheese (extra sharp, grated)
• 10 ounces Pepper Jack Cheese, grated
• 2/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Put the macaroni in a large bowl and cover with the water. Let the pasta soak for an hour, stirring occasionally; then drain it and use as follows. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. Turn the broiler on low. Butter a 3-quart baking dish.
3. Put the butter , evaporated milk, salt, and cayenne in a 3-quart pot over medium heat. When the butter is melted and the milk is just steaming, slowly stir in the Cheddar and Jack cheese, handful by handful, until they are both incorporated and evenly melted. When the sauce is made, stir in the soaked macaroni and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. The pasta will absorb some sauce and the mixture will thicken slightly.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Parmigiano cheese; sprinkle them over the pasta. Drizzle with the melted butter. Put the pan on the middle rack, centered under the broiler, and broil the pasta for 5 minutes. When the topping is golden brown, remove the pasta from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Weeknight Bolognese Sauce

Day 101: “Inside America’s Test Kitchen”

April 11, 2011

I first made Bolognese Sauce when I saw it being made on the Rachael Ray show a couple of years ago. Wikipedia, the knower of all things describes  “Bolognese sauce (ragù alla bolognese in Italian, also known by its French name sauce bolognaise) is a meat-based sauce for pasta originating in Bologna, Italy. Bolognese sauce is sometimes taken to be a tomato sauce, but authentic recipes have only a small amount of tomato concentrate.”  This is a sauce that is full of flavor and often takes about 3 hours to make.

I blogged earlier about America’s Test Kitchens and how in-depth they go with their cookbooks. They take every recipe apart and go from it with almost a scientist precision of observation and notation. Nothing is left when they are done with a recipe. Once again, they also give the breakdown on kitchen gadgets and supplies as well. The one thing that you will get with this cookbook, is details….lots and lots of details. If you are wondering if you should pick up a spoon, these recipes go into extreme details. For someone like me who is an ADD cook, I tend to skip over parts and need to go back and try to focus better.

The Ruling: Well I have been making the Rachael Ray one for a couple of years now….so I am really biased towards that one. This Bolognese was just ok to me, nothing special. I think the part that I was missing was the red wine and the flavor that it give to the Rachael Ray sauce. If you have never made Bolognese before, you will probably enjoy it. The part that kind of was weird to me was to cook the meat in milk. This is a technique that they discuss in the cookbook to keep the meat more tender. It was just a little too weird for me. I am not a raw meat person to begin with and I have never been a lover of milk, so the two together, was just a little weird to me. The taste test was that the family ate it….besides the youngest as he does not like meat that is ground up….remember….he is an odd duck!

Weeknight Bolognese Sauce, page 77

Ingredients:

• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 1/4 cups sweet white wine
• 1/2 small carrot, peeled and chopped into rough 1/2 inch pieces (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 small onion, chopped into rough 1/2 inch pieces (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/4 pounds meatloaf mix (or equal amounts 80 percent lean ground beef, ground veal, and ground pork)
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound pasta
• grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Cover the porcini mushrooms with 1/2 cups water in a small microwave-safe bowl; cover the bowl with plastic wrap, cut a few steam vents with a paring knife, and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. Let stand until the mushrooms have softened, about 5 minutes. Using a fork, lift the porcini from the liquid and transfer to a second small bowl; pour the soaking liquid through a paper towel-lined mesh strainer. Set the porcini and the strained liquid aside.
2. Bring the wine to simmer in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons, about 20 minutes. Set the reduced wine aside.
3. Meanwhile, pulse the carrot in a food processor until broken down into rough 1/4 inch pieces about then 1-second pulses. Add the onion: pulse until the vegetables are broken down into 1/8 inch pieces, about ten 1-second pulses. Transfer the vegetables to a small bowl. Process the softened porcini until well ground, about 15 seconds, scrapping down the bowl if necessary. Transfer the porcini to the bowl with the carrot and onion. Process the pancetta until the pieces are no larger than 1/4 inch, 30 to 35 seconds, scraping down the bowl if necessary; transfer to a small bowl. Pulse the tomatoes with juice until chopped fine, six to eight 1-second pulses.
4. Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat; when the foaming subsides add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until well browned, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, and porcini; cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sugar; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meats, breaking the meat into 1-inch pieces with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Add the milk and stir to break the meat into 1/2 inch bits; bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to simmer, stirring to break up the meat into small pieces, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the meat begins to sizzle, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until combined, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, reserved porcini soaking liquid, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and porcini liquid, 1/4 teaspoons salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the liquid is reduce and the sauce is thickened but still moist, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the reduced and the sauce is thickened but still moist, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the reduced wine and simmer to blend the flavors, about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to a rolling boil, covered in a stockpot. Add 1 tablespoons salt and the pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, and return the pasta tot he stockpot. Add 2 cups sauce and 2 tablespoons pasta water to the pasta; toss well, adding the remaining pasta water, if necessary, to help distribute the sauce. Divide the pasta among individual bowls and top each portion with about 1/4 cup remaining sauce. Serve immediately, passing the Parmesan separately.

 

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Fettuccine with a Delicate Tomato Sauce

Day 93: “On Top of Spaghetti“

April 3, 2011

Pasta is one of those go to meals that everyone eats. I don’t know a single person who is not a fan of pasta. Yes, the low-carb craze just about did away with pasta all together but I think it is having a resurgence. Now in my store there is a half of an aisle dedicated to pasta. I think when I was a kids you could buy spaghetti and that pasta for frog eye salad and maybe lasagna noodles. Now I can buy 45 different shapes but not low carb, whole wheat, gluten-free and on and on. 

Cute title to a book, but it is serious in its dose of pasta. The authors are restaurant owners themselves in Rhode Island. Each recipe has a nice introduction that I don’t find in many cookbooks. When I looked through this cookbook for something to make, I was looking for something easy, and I found it. But if you are looking for more complex dishes like Bucatini with Five-Pepper Sauce or Pasta Hankies and Brasato al Barolo……ohhhh that one sounds like fun! This is a cookbook serious about its pasta!

The Ruling: My son and his girlfriend made this for themselves and they both liked it. It reminded them of my homemade macaroni and cheese. I wonder if it is because they both have a stick of butter in them. I like the name “Delicate”, just a hint of tomato sauce that you find in a can of tomato juice. Most of these items you should have in your pantry so it is a good go-to meal when you don’t know what else to make for dinner.

Fettuccine with a Delicate Tomato Sauce, page 71

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
• 1/4 cup tomato juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 pound dried fettuccine
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Combine the chicken stock, tomato juice, salt, and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large straight-sided skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to moderate, and reduce by one-quarter.
3. Generously salt the pasta water and drop in the fettuccine. Cook until al dente.
4. Just before draining the pasta, add the remaining butter to the tomato mixture in the skillet. Swirl the butter in the pan until it is completely absorbed. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
5. Drain the pasta and add to the skillet. Toss over moderate heat until every strand is coated. Serve right away in heated bowls. Pass the cheese at the table if you like.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Gnocchi with Fresh Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Day 89:”Rachel Ray’s Big Orange Book”

March 30, 2011

Meal time this week has been crazy time. Shopping at the store at the last-minute and hoping to find something healthy that most of the family will eat. The recipe I found had Gnocchi in it, which is a potato dumpling of sorts, Italian style. You can make homemade Gnocchi, but if you knew how labor intensive it is, you would pass. You can also pick it up at the grocery store for a few dollars. I have had great Gnocchi in Italy. I have had great Gnocchi in restaurants. I don’t need to make Gnocchi at home. Seriously way too much work for a week night meal……go the grocery store route baby!

Another week, another Rachel Ray cookbook…..or so it seems. Does this girl ever sleep? I would like to spend a day with her to see what her day is all about. This cookbook is jam-packed with more than 30 minutes meals. There is a section on Vegetarian Dinners, Kosher Meals, Holiday Meals, entre Burgers, A Little More Than 30 Minutes….But Worth It, From My Family To Yours, Starters and Snacks and Holiday Menus. There is even a section on Meals for One. My good friend who recently lost her husband has started to learn how to cook for one. I think she would enjoy this section. WIth so many recipes in this cookbook , you will be able to find at least half that your family will love. I really like this cookbook a lot more than I have her other ones. This one you get good bang for your buck.

The Ruling: I used regular broccoli and not broccoli rabe, as broccoli was on sale. The flavor was good, I really enjoyed it, but all the other members of our family thought it had too much lemon in it. So maybe cut back on the lemon if you were to make it. I did use fresh lemon and I do think that when you use fresh lemon the flavor is a little strong.  Depending on the chicken sausage you buy will really determine the flavor of this dish. The sausage that I bought had lots of flavor. I think most kids will like this dish, middle child picked out the broccoli but youngest child ate the broccoli, go figure!

Gnocchi with Fresh Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, page 179

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1 (12 to 18 ounce) package fresh or frozen gnocchi
• 2 bunches of broccoli rage, stem ends trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 1/2 pounds Italian chicken sausage links, casing removed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Crusty bread

Directions:

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the gnocchi. Once the water is boiling, add some salt, add the gnocchi, and cook according to package directions. Right before draining, remove and reserve about 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
2. While the water for the gnocchi si coming to a boil, bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a large high-sided skillet. Add some salt and the broccoli rabe and simmer for 5 minutes; drain and reserve. Return the skillet to the stove and heat 2 tablespoons for EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the chicken sausage and break it up with the back of a spoon or a potato masher while it cooks and browns, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, and red pepper until the onions start to get tender. Remove the sausage and onions from the skillet and reserve. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO and heat it up. Add the drained gnocchi to the skillet and brown lightly for a couple of minutes. Return the sausage and onions and reserved broccoli rabe to the pan. Toss to combine and add the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and serve with the bread.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Pepperoni-Ravioli Supper

Day 88: “Pillsbury 30-Minute Meals”

March 29, 2011

Another night where my husband had to make supper. This time I was too busy to even make it to the store, so my husband had to do the shopping. When I don’t plan ahead with the meal planning everything seems to flow better during the week. Meal planning comes easy to me, I even teach a class on “Meal Planning for busy families”.  So when life happens, and I don’t get the meal planning done it adds too much time to an already busy schedule. I end up going to the grocery store at what I call “The Witching Hour”, between 4:00 and 6:00 pm. That is the hour that you will find nice and pleasant parents and children in total melt down mode. I think the grocery store employees should receive hazard pay for having to work during this time frame! I am traveling next week so I have to do all of my planning and cooking for 7 days in less than 2 days. I also need to write the blogs before I leave as well. No sleep for me before I leave. But knowing that my family will be fed while I am gone is a good thing!

Pillsbury does such a nice job about creating good meals. Their focus on this cookbook is getting the meal on the table for the family in under 30 minutes. Each meal also has a companion menu along with it that give you ideas for sides dishes and dessert. The whole meal is easy and the sides are as well. With 230 family friendly recipes, chances are your family will like at least half of the ones contained within the pages of the cookbook. I love that there are tips throughout the book. How about making a garnish go a long way by having slices of roasted red pepper of cherry tomatoes on the plate. So simple yet another way to get a vegetable into our family. Sections of the cookbook are divided by meat type. If your family is a chicken lover, you will have over 50 pages of recipes to thrill them at dinner time.

The Ruling: Very simple to make but lacked a little spice. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes is the cure for our family when something is a little bland. Of course the youngest child didn’t eat it because of course he doesn’t like spaghetti sauce. Can you believe that a kid doesn’t like spaghetti sauce? Well guess what, one of mine doesn’t. I sure hope he begins to grow out of this. My 15-year-old was much fussier when he was my youngest’s age and he is now growing out of it. I am so ready for the less picky palate of the pre-teen to begin to evolve! I would even add in some vegetables that my family typically eats into the sauce like broccoli to give us some added vegetable. My guess is that the average family will like this, so give it a try!

Pepperoni-Ravioli Supper, page 82

Ingredients:

• 2 (9-oz) pkg. refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
• 1 (28-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (4.5-oz) jar sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 (3.5-oz) pkg. pepperoni slices, halved (about 1 cup)
• 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook ravioli to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine spaghetti sauce, mushrooms and pepperoni; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Carefully stir cooked ravioli into sauce mixture. Spoon onto serving platter. Sprinkle with cheese.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.

Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini

Day 79: “Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals”

March 20, 2011

The idea of finding what you need in the grocery store after work and to take home those items and turn out a home cooked meal is a great idea.  My idea of hell is going to any grocery store between the hours of 4:00 and 6:00 pm. That is the time that you find the over worked parents and the over tired children both crying.  I told the cashier at my grocery store last week that they should be paid extra between those hours. So if you can plan to get to the store before 4:00 pm grab this cookbook and grab the items and run through the express lane and get home to make your family a great meal.

For each recipe in this cookbook,  Rachael gives you the express lane items that you will need to buy and then there is an area of staples that she assumes that you have on hand.  She even has a master list of things that you should keep on hand and where to store the items. My recipe came from the section “meals for the exhausted”  where minimal work is needed and just a few items need to be grabbed from the store. If I was Rachael, I would just bring my food storage items to work everyday and pack the leftovers from her show and them and call it good.  Do you think she ever gets tired of being perky and cooking? 

The Ruling: I liked it! Youngest child said he was full but I made him take a bite anyway, and he said he didn’t care for it. My husband and middle son thought there was too much spinach in it. Then I read the introduction to the recipe, “If you like those spinach and artichoke dips you get on the appetizer menu in restaurants, you’re gonna LOVE this!”. She is right!  You need to add chips to the list of ingredients as I ate my sons spinach and artichoke hearts after he picked out the tortellini.  My son also thought that some chicken would have been nice and hubby added red pepper flakes to his for an added kick!

Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini, page 48

Ingredients:

• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves chopped
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• a couple of handfuls grated Parmigaino-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
• salt and black pepper
• 1 pound cheese tortellini or flavored tortellini, such as wild mushroom

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.
2. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.
3. Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.
4. Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

To Joyful, Simplified Living,

MS. Simplicity

MS. Simplicity, also known as Melissa Schmalenberger  operates her business as I Did it with MS. Simplicity.  She is a Professional Organizer based out of Fargo, ND and her website can be found at www.ididit-fargo.com .  Need to contact MS. Simplicity privately, you can email her at melissa@ididit-fargo.com.  For daily organizing tips find the MS. Simplicity fan page  here.

If you try any of my suggestions, I would love to hear from you.  It helps me to understand what my readers want me to write about and what they think is a waste of their time….thanks for taking the time to help me out.