Menu Ideas

Here's what we're having this week

1) Build your own pita pizzas with broccoli slaw

2) Herbed shrimp, fresh green beans & roasted potatoes

3) Dill cucumber & cream cheese sandwiches & mixed fruit salad

4) Pesto chicken in mushroom wine sauce, salad & homemade mashed potatoes

5) Chicken taco bowls

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Originally Posted on my other blog: Let the Sunshine In

Chicken Noodle Soup is easy as 1, 2, 3!!

My sweetie made this for me when I was sick once.

Let's hear the resounding "Awwwwww......" I know, very sweet.

Super simple and yet super delicious!

Perfect for these fall days.

Can freeze left overs to be used for another chilly evening.

Oh and I used asparagus instead of celery,

cause that's what we had.

Shoooot! You can throw any veggie in there,

and still have it be delicious!

That's the beauty of homemade soup!

Hope you enjoy!

Matt's Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken breast (2 halves), cubed

1/2 white/yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

4 stalks of celery, diced

3/4 cube of butter

chicken broth

8 oz of linguini pasta (again, I used what we had)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1) Melt butter in large stock pot. Add the vegetables and saute for just a few minutes. 2) Add the cut chicken into the pot and cook until no longer pink. 3) Add the chicken broth to fill the pot 3/4 full, then add the garlic powder and italianseasoning. And lastly, add the pasta and cook a bit longer until the pasta is al dente. I told you it was simple! Not bad eh?! As shown below, we like to substitute cauliflower in the place of pasta too. Just as delicious! Also, we use Herbox chicken bouillon in order to avoid msg. Can be found at just about any grocery store. Enjoy! Let me know what you think.

Pesto and Mushroom Sauce Chicken

Posted by Barbara

Chicken breasts wrapped around pesto/ricotta/parmesan with a milk/white wine/mushroom soup sauce in a crock pot.

Directions:

You pound the chicken breasts flat, then wrap a mixture of the cheese & pesto inside and secure with a toothpick. The sauce is just half a can of mushroom soup whisked with 1/2 cup white wine and 1/2 cup of milk, poured on top of the wrapped up chicken breasts. Cook in the crock pot on high for 4 hours.

***Could make your own mushroom soup by sauteing mushrooms and onions in a little butter and adding chicken broth***

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

Here's what I'm making for dinner tonight,

using turkey Italian sausage instead of ground beef,

and sneaking in some finely chopped broccoli as well.

Have a fabulous weekend friends!!

From allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup tomato paste
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• hot water as needed
• 1 egg
• 1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a deep 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt; set aside to drain in a colander.
3. To prepare the meat sauce, cook and stir ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add in green pepper and onion; cook and stir until meat is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer sauce for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Meanwhile, stir egg, ricotta, and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.
5. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 the zucchini slices, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by all of the mushrooms, then 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella. Spread Parmesan cheese evenly over the top; cover with foil.
6. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

CSA Produce Box

If you haven't checked these guys out yet, you really should!

Delicious organic produce at a great price!

They have different size boxes to choose from.

We get the large box and trust me we use it up!

But we eat a lot of veggies around here ;)

Their farm is out of Madera,

but they make a delivery to Oakhurst every week at Nature's Nutrients.

Here's the link: http://www.tdwilleyfarms.com/

Smokey Roast

From everydaypaleo.com (posted by Holly)

This is what's cookin' in the crock pot! Smells amazing in here!

LOVE her recipes!

This spice rub sounded so interesting to me, thought I'd give it a try.

We're pairing this up with some roasted sweet potatoes and beets.

That is the only way that I'll eat beets!

A nice beef roast is something I crave in the fall or winter months but I had a big ol’ grass fed chuck roast that was asking to be made; so I made it. I wanted to try something different then the standard roast in the oven or slow cooker so after being inspired by watching a recent Food Network show called Chopped, when one of the contestants rolled a giant elk tenderloin in a coffee spice mixture, I decided to make my own version and try it on our roast. The results? So good, beyond description really, you’ll just have to try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Smokey Roast

Coffee Spice Rub

2 tablespoons coffee grounds

½ teaspoon ground chipotle

1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all spice rub ingredients together and set aside.

Roast

½ tablespoon coconut oil (I tried out a new brand of coconut oil called Kelapo and it’s very tasty, mild, and down right delicious!)

2.5 lb beef chuck roast

1 red onion, halved and sliced

¾ cup water

Heat your coconut oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat, make sure your pan is nice and hot! Take the spice rub mixture and rub the entire amount into and all over the roast – really rub it in, do not just brush it on!. Using tongs, place the roast into the hot skillet and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side. If your pan is not hot enough you will lose your spices, but if it’s too hot, you will burn your roast. You want it to make a nice crust on both sides of the meat. Place your sliced onions in the bottom of a slow cooker. Once the roast has been seared, put the roast in the slow cooker on top of the onions. Add the water, cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours. Serves 6.

Enjoy!!

Mexican Skillet

Posted by Nessa (from myrecipes.com)

Making this for tonight with a few alterations: Using ground Turkey not beef and putting over lettuce like Taco salad I guess.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 packet store-bought or homemade taco seasoning mix
• 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 2 cups pureed canned or fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 green bell pepper (optional), seeded and chopped

Preparation

• 1. Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add ground beef, garlic, and taco seasoning. Cook until beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a spoon and mixing everything together.
• 2. While beef is browning, slice tortillas into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter or scissors works well for this.
• 3. Add tomatoes, salsa, and cut-up tortillas to skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. If it seems dry, you can add a little water. Once this is heated through, sprinkle cheese over top and cover for a few minutes. Once cheese is melted, it is ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper (if using) for a little color, crunch, and a healthy dose of vitamin C.
  

On the Menu this Week

Back from a great trip with Matt!

Time to get back on track and plan for the coming week :)

Click on the word for a link with the recipe.

Happy Monday!

1) Vegetable Beef Soup

2) Sun-dried Tomato Chicken with roasted asparagus and bacon

3) Honey Dijon salmon and veggies

4) No Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

5) Smokey Roast, green beans & roasted potatoes

Favorite Go To Snack Ideas

Here's some of my favorite go to snacks:

When I'm craving something salty (which is most of the time)

1) turkey rolls with a little cream cheese & jalapenos
2) handful of smokehouse almonds
3) beef jerky
4) dried fruit and nut mix (pecans, almonds, cranberries, raisins, dried pineapple, shredded coconut)
5) string cheese
6) pumpkin seeds
7) zucchini slices with zucchini hummus

When I'm craving something sweet:

1) apple slices with a tablespoon of almond butter
2) sliced strawberries with a little whipped cream
3) 2-3 chocolate covered strawberries

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

From myrecipes.com (posted by Nessa)

Ingredients

• 6 ounces uncooked acini di pepe pasta (about 1 cup)
• 2 1/4 cups diced plum tomato (about 14 ounces)
• 1/3 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup sliced pickled banana peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 (16-ounce) can navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 ounce salami, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  

Preparation

• 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.
• 2. Combine tomato and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add pasta to tomato mixture, tossing well to combine.
• Asiago breadsticks: Combine 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Separate 1 (7-ounce) can refrigerated breadstick dough to form 8 sticks; roll each breadstick in cheese mixture. Bake according to package directions.

Pinchos Morunos

From everydaypaleo.com (posted by Holly)

I used pork loin for mine and just dried cumin, no coriander. Still tasted great!

Pinchos Morunos

3.25lb (~1.5 kg) pork
2 tsp (~10ml) cumin seeds
2 tsp (~10ml) coriander seeds
4tst (~20ml) paprika
6 cloves fine chopped garlic
2 tsp (~10ml) dried oregano
4 tbsp (~60ml) lime juice
.75 cup (~.20l) olive oil

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the seeds and place into a large bowl. Into the large bowl, add the oregano, paprika, garlic, some salt & pepper, and combine with the liquids. Goopy. Cut the pork into cubes and toss to coat in the bowl. Once coated, let it marinate somewhere cool and sanitary for at least 2 hours. Soak wooden skewers in water during this time. Thread meat on skewers and place on ripping-hot grill for about 6 min a side. Eat hot on the stick. We had ours with grilled asparagus.

Things to consider for next time.
I used pork shoulder. Normally my go-to for ‘peasant dishes’ I may try a loin cut next time. The fat certainly added flavor, but it gave a chewy result due to the short cooking time. A loin cut would give more solid meat and react better to fast high-heat grilling. The shoulder meat would work better in an oven at a lower temp where the fat could have a chance to render- then blast with the broiler to char.

Weber gas grills are great, except when you need a large hotspot of uncontrolled flame. If you have a tandoor oven or jet engine laying around, use that. Any glassblowers out there? You know what I’m thinking. Let me know if you try it.

Save time and use the jarred fine chopped garlic in olive oil.

I had to grind and add additional cumin/coriander on the finished skewers. My skewers didn’t have that crust of spice. Leonardo’s must have gone crazy with the spice amounts. Experiment for yourselves.

I would let this soak for way more than 2 hours. Prep it the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight. Take out 45 minutes before cooking.

Oh, and make more than you’ll think you’ll need. If you’re deciding between 3 or 4 pounds of pork. Go for 6.