As evidenced from my infrequent posts, I have been a bit uninspired for the last year or so. Therefore, I feel like I need to reintroduce myself and my blog. I am hoping to share ideas, knowledge and just some camaraderie. I do like to cook and bake — baking is really more of my thing. I will try recipes, especially some of the older (mom/grandma, favorite) recipes and share my results. Also, I am still experimenting to find a “healthy” cake recipe! I like to try new restaurants so

a review or two may appear. I also have a dog, a 20 lb Sichon* (Bichon Frise mixed with Shih Tzu). I may share some tips to save time/money and just to make life a bit easier. If you can share some good food with your family and friends, life is always better and that is a very comfortable place to be.

*I don’t receive any monetary compensation from sharing this link.

https://wagwalking.com/breed/shichon#:~:text=Shichon%20Breed%20Appearance,over%20the%20little%20one’s%20eyes.

Cook Once, Eat Twice – part 2

Well Summer is working its way to Fall – leaves are already starting to turn! Kids are going back to school and soon it will be the ol’ refrain: “What’s for dinner?!” Last post, I covered making a quick spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce). This post, I will share the secret (ok, it’s not a secret) but I will share one of my quick dinners. Easy Ravioli Lasagna! I think I first learned about this on the show “The Chew” where Mario Batali tested the recipe to see if it worked and was it any good. So, was it ….

To his surprise, he said it was surprisingly good! If you are looking for something you can put together and throw in the oven – this may fit into your dinner rotation. I like it because you can change it up based on what you have on hand. All you need is Marinara or other pasta sauce, pre-made fresh or frozen raviolis, shredded mozzarella cheese and desired spices. You just really need to know the formula and then, you can make it the way you like.

I will go over the easiest version first.

Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees and gather your 9×13 baking/casserole dish and ingredients. Decide which “flavor” you wish to make — Frozen raviolis it will take longer to bake.

While the oven is preheating, place some of the jarred or pre-made sauce in the bottom of the dish. Really you are just trying to get the bottom covered so spread evenly. Open the package of cheese raviolis and lay them in a single layer across the bottom. Add sauce mostly on the raviolis and ensure they are covered. If you like a zesty flavor, sprinkle some oregano over the sauce on this layer and you can even add a bit of garlic power too. Now, sprinkle shredded cheese over this layer. If you have more raviolis, lay them in another layer, if possible try to place where there are ‘gaps’ so it will cook more even. Now cover with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle generously with cheese for the top. I like to sprinkle a bit more oregano over the top.

So this is super simple! Not quite as easy as ordering pizza but it may be healthier. And, to help win over the picky kids, you can make this using more of the ‘pizza’ flavors. I have made this with cheese raviolis, marinara sauce and to amp up the flavor, added diced green peppers and pepperoni. I use turkey pepperoni to lower the fat and feel like I am being healthier.

Tonight, I tried two kinds of raviolis: cheese and sausage along with cheese and spinach. They were in the freezer and I wanted to reduce the sodium in the dish. So, I heated (to bubbling) the green peppers in some olive oil, added the no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, and the sauce to get it going. I also added the extra spices here to include a bit of black and cayenne pepper. Using the heated sauce will help thaw the frozen raviolis and jump start the baking.

Bake in the middle rack — it should take about 30-45 minutes to get hot and bubbly. If the raviolis are frozen, it may take longer to ensure the middle is heated to the proper safe temperature.

While this is baking, prep a nice salad or some bread for garlic toast. Or, since this dish just needs to be turned around half-way through baking, you can run down and throw a load of laundry in or move it to the dryer. Or do your homework!

If you don’t have any garlic bread but you do have any left over hamburger or hot dog buns from a cookout, don’t let them go to waste. You can butter them and sprinkle with garlic powder and garlic salt. Toast them up on the top rack of the oven the last 10 minutes of “lasagna” baking time.

Let the “lasagna” cool off a few minutes to setup before you cut into it. Two reasons — one so it does cut easier into servings and two, so doesn’t sear the tongue!! The sauce and cheese can be like molten lava!

This is a great dish to have some leftovers or feed a family. It’s easy enough the kids can help put it together which may get them more excited about dinner. The dish can be a bit heavy and hot so probably best for the adults/teenagers to handle putting in/taking it out of the oven. What a great way to get kids involved in making dinner. So with some creativity (or not) this can be an easy, satisfying meal to make and serve. Coming home to having left overs that heat up in the microwave, can make for an easy, quick meal and that is a comforting place to be.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Batali

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chew

Have you ever had one of those days or months where it is hard to get motivated? I am not sure what happened because I tried to write a post for the Super Bowl (“Souper” Bowl) but then I didn’t feel like making soup! Then it was tax time! While I can do my taxes, I had a hard time pulling all of the stuff together, much less actually using the tax software to complete them. Some of this was due to the time change, I really. hate Spring forward. Not to mention, Spring hitting very hard – green pollen covering the deck, the cars, me and the dog after taking her for a walk. My allergies flared terribly and I had no idea when I started watching that there are 17 seasons of Heartland! So I apologize to my loyal followers — do I have any loyal followers – besides the spammers?? So while all those things were just distractions, I woke up this morning thinking about writing this post. It’s almost Mother’s Day so let’s think about how to make your Mom’s or your wife’s, or any special lady’s, day a little better. One of the best ways is

to cook a meal and most importantly to clean up afterwards! This is one of those win/win gifts as everyone needs to eat! And, with some planning and careful shopping, you can “cook once and eat twice!” The wise old adage, “measure twice and cut once,” refers to being precise as it’s better to spend an extra minute measuring again before cutting since the cut is permanent. Wood is expensive, and nowadays, groceries can be expensive. Let’s talk about meal planning because I know when I have set out to make some new recipes that use different spices, etc., it feels like it costs way more! And I have heard folks say that French cooking can be very expensive but it doesn’t have to be. A lot of what makes cooking expensive is trying to buy ingredients that are not “in season,” meaning they aren’t growing/ready for harvesting. To get them, they have to be imported from another area or even another country which pushes up the price.

Cooking with the ‘in season” foods can save you money and also help keep your dinners fresh! I was talking with a coworker last week about eating (no surprise) and she was excited because it’s almost “asparagus season.” I happen to love FRESH asparagus – canned or even frozen is not the same. Fresh young, tender asparagus is really good. So if you are not a fan, could be you have not had the best asparagus or maybe never had bacon-wrapped asparagus – it’s a real thing! A Thai restaurant near my house makes this wonderful Asparagus Stir-Fry and I get it with chicken and extra spring rolls! So enough about asparagus – you get the picture.

When cooking for a special occasion it really helps to create a menu that focuses on your special person’s tastes as well as the seasonal vegetables and fruits. Of course, you usually can’t go wrong with roasted chicken and a nice garden salad. Adding a special appetizer and/or a favorite dessert, setting the table with a nice tablecloth and fresh flowers makes the meal more of an event.

Think about breakfast as well. A nice warm coffee cake with hot, fresh coffee to start the day. Maybe serve with some fresh, seasonal fruit. One year, after a visit to the doctor, my mom said the doctor told her that she needed to watch her cholesterol– the woman loved her sausage! So, I suggested that she eat some fruit with her breakfast and she responded “fruit?! for breakfast?!” I was like … you used to eat cantaloupe and a lot of folks eat that for breakfast and she glared at me. So serve fruit at your own peril!

Along that line, think about eating healthier and reducing the sodium intake. For simple dinners – choose a pasta sauce with lower sodium or even better no salt and low/no sugar – check the back label and compare to ensure the brand actually is lower salt. It’s really easy to use prepared pasta sauce for a simple pasta dish or even jazzed up with some ground beef and extra spices. While it may not be intuitive, adding ingredients can “reduce” the sodium. Adding no salt added, stewed tomatoes can “freshen” the premade sauce and reduces the sodium and adds potassium. Ensure you choose tomatoes that are steam-peeled without chemicals. It isn’t really “reducing” but rather diluting the sodium. This is a really important concept as most of the time, excess sodium can cause health issues, but by adding potassium rich veggies to the sauce, it can also help balance the sodium. Cutting carrots into the “dimes” or even chopping such that they cook down, adds more nutrition and may get kids to eat more vegetables. Adding an “MJ” version of a mirepoix (onions, green peppers and optionally add carrots vice celery) to prepared pasta sauce along with some browned hamburger makes a quick bolognese.

Here are ways where you can use the “cook once and eat twice” methodology:

1- Brown Hamburger 1-2 pounds along with the MJ Mirepoix. Drain the fat, add a can of the aforementioned stewed tomatoes, the jarred pasta sauce (I like the Barilla Marinara). If you are making 2 lbs of hamburger, go with two jars of sauce and 1-2 cans of tomatoes. Bring it together and simmer until for 10-30 minutes – portion out what is needed for the current meal. If you want, you can freeze the rest of the sauce in individual servings. Portion out the noodles and cover completely with the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and seal the container. Or put just the sauce in a freezer bag or freezer container, and mark with the date and freeze. I am always happy when I get home late and find a some home-made spaghetti dinner that I just need to microwave. This version of the frozen dinner is so much healthier than the store-bought.

2 – I often like to brown the hamburger like the above adding in the green peppers (carrots are optional). Cook until the veggies are soft – drain the fat, sometimes I add in tomatoes here. Save some hamburger to finish cooking your current meal. Portion out the rest of the meat for later to have a jump start on making Tacos, Chili or another pot of spaghetti. You can even add the cooked meat to Mac-n-cheese to make a cheesy hamburger pasta dish, a homemade hamburger helper. Just add in some extra shredded cheese and a bit of milk or cream to blend.

This is a good way to handle buying hamburger in 5 lbs – when it’s often cheaper. Spend an hour or two to brown some of the meat for dinners and portion out some of the meat into hamburger patties and perhaps, a meatloaf. The burger patties can be wrapped individually in wax paper and frozen – take out 1 or 2 at a time or cook all for use for a quick dinner. Even better if you have time to grill. The goal is to do the prep ahead of time and this way the hamburger will be in an easier state to freeze and use later. Especially important these days with everyone’s busy schedules.

Of course, if you would like to lighten up, ground chicken or turkey can be a great substitute for the hamburger. If kids or adults are picky, using the ground meat in the pasta sauce or tacos with the great seasonings may help with the transition. Also, while I am not a huge fan of Quinoa, I like it in tacos! Rinse the Quinoa before cooking it … rinse it several times and pick out anything that doesn’t belong. then cook per the package, don’t over cook since it will cook a bit more when mixed in. Brown the ground meat, add taco seasoning and add extra seasonings and a bit more water. I always use more liquid than the package says. Add 1/2 -1 cup of cooked quinoa. Maybe try 1/2 cup to 1lb of meat at first and then work up to 1 cup. Quinoa is lighter and texture-wise seems to blend well with taco meat. I would not add it to pasta sauce unless you really like the taste – I tried it and I didn’t enjoy it.

Another healthy tip to lighten things up, is add around a 1/2 cup quick cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs when making meatloaf. It helps keep it moist and adds extra fiber which is always a good thing. And since you are adding all the seasonings to include: mustard, eggs, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper — you won’t taste it. Of course, if you have a family favorite meatloaf, perhaps you can’t change it up without folks complaining, but that is ok. I even make “meatloaf” burgers on the grill. They stay more moist on the grill no matter your skill level and it’s helps stretch your money and helps your heart! See the links at the bottom of this post for more information.

While much of this article is about stretching your time and food budget, this is a good way to save money. This savings can help you splurge for other things. So with Mother’s Day coming, think about how best to celebrate the wonderful “Moms” in your life. Whether it is taking them out to eat or a special home-cooked meal or cookout, bringing flowers or just letting her sleep in, I am sure they will be grateful. And if you can help to keep them happy and healthy, life will be more comfortable!

The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically one or two parts onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.

A Sofrito is used more in Puerto Rico and latin countries. It varies by region but can start with the MJ poix and add tomatoes and garlic and spicier peppers. Actually, see the link below for a basic recipe.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/basic-sofrito-recipe-2138283

https://www.allrecipes.com/bacon-wrapped-asparagus-6572419

https://www.livestrong.com/article/250246-the-psychological-effects-of-low-potassium/

https://www.livestrong.com/article/530885-the-effect-of-magnesium-on-sodium-potassium-balance/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/bell-peppers#benefits

Where did the summer go? Like a beautiful butterfly it flitted away …. and this year we have had a fall with lots of colorful leaves and blue skies. One thing I love about living in the North East is the seasons — well, winter is not always white but, it is usually more than cold enough for me!

Thanksgiving is only a few days away and I, along with everyone else, have been making multiple trips to the store. My church has been organizing baskets for meals for the community for those in need. This year my grown son is home visiting and helped me shop and it was so nice to have him to navigate the store with the cart! So while I am trying to finish shopping for our meal and asking my son what would he like for sides, I was trying to shop for family I know not. So I picked a lot of the same things I would for me and I wondered…. do they have a child who says “they like apple pie and pumpkin about the same so either is fine?” So which one to make….

I really only like pumpkin things for Thanksgiving … shhhh. So in the basket went pumpkin pie fixings — we aren’t supposed to put in perishable items and pumpkin calls for evaporated milk and there is now a version that calls for condensed milk too so I grabbed one for them. At my home, we are going for the classic. Isn’t this the time for the classic, traditional family favorites? I hope the family that receives our basket enjoys the food selection to include some Mac-N-Cheese! I added that in due to a friend’s suggestion. While it was not a regular on our holiday table (my southern mom made candied yams), I do know many people who require it and it has to be from a trusted family cook! What are some of your family favorites?

I have been enjoying asking people what are they making for their big meal. So many surprising answers for a holiday that has a ‘standard’ Turkey menu? I love how families have often created their own holiday traditions, sometimes deliberate and sometimes not. I love the laid back, take all day to cook the meal and smelling all the goodness all day long! Often we have only a light breakfast followed by snacking only so we can best enjoy the seasonal feast. When it is only me and my son, I do often make things “lighter” and this year I was able to get the “lighter” version of the turkey. Yes, I got a turkey breast and it is mostly all the white meat … no Henry the VIIIth turkey legs and only 6.26 lbs.

My friends were discussing prices per pound and fresh or frozen for their turkey and I have to admit … I went for the one that would fit in my freezer. What?! Am I the only one that has to worry about freezer space.

Isn’t that part of the planning and strategic shopping so that we can have all of the ingredients at the right time. My Merry MJ Holiday Dinner post talks about how to plan your cooking and how to make some quick and easy versions for when you don’t want the whole day in the kitchen. Or if you want the “experience” without the mega-leftovers.

So, how to use the leftovers? My son loves turkey and will eat turkey sandwiches throughout the year. Folks may have forgotten in our rush to hurry through the holidays, that a long time ago, people used to make big Sunday dinners throughout the year. Maybe your grandparents did too. Part of saving money and eating healthy is meal planning and using leftovers. Before pre-packaged lunch meat and meal prepping were a ‘thing,” folks did meal prep by cooking a large roast beef or chicken or turkey on a Sunday. This was often used for sandwiches and lunches and quick dinners during the week. I know this is not the time of year to think about saving money or eating healthy — that is for after Christmas!

I love to talk about food and Christmas, dare I speak so early about that holiday? Last year, I tried to make a “Roast Beast” or rather a Beef Wellington — ala Italian style, Giada’s Italian Beef Wellington. I should say I did make a Beef Wellington with sun-dried tomato pesto and prosciutto and it was delicious. Perhaps a bit over done for my son as I tried to ensure it wouldn’t be too rare for me. My son still loved it!

I have now learned that some people make individual ‘wellies’ and I think that might even be better as I would like more puff pastry on mine! This year, I have seen someone posting a crown rib roast on Facebook and it looks magnificent. I am now thinking that could be my next cooking extravaganza! Some people want to climb mountains and I tackle intermediate to hard cooking challenges. One day, I will also try to bake some Macarons all from the comfort of my own home! However you choose to celebrate the holiday, whether at home with a family feast or visiting faraway places, may you have a delicious meal to make it a comfortable place to be.

It’s almost Thanksgiving Eve and everyone is making plans. Some are going to cook and host, some will travel to meet up with family or friends and some may just order in take-out and rest! My mom used to make her “Holiday” dinner for all of the special occasions. She would make the pies the night before, get up early to bake cornbread for the stuffing, and make a big Turkey — using up all those weird bits in the bag. We thought that bag was disgusting but she cooked it for stock and flavorings for the best Cornbread Dressing as us Southerners call it. We always had green beans, candied yams and the best mashed potatoes. This was the celebratory meal for Thanksgiving, Christmas and sometimes Easter with the added bonus of deviled Easter eggs! (recipe for the deviled eggs to come later in the Spring).

If you want to cook something delicious but don’t have the skills or the time to pull off a huge “Martha Stewart” dinner, there are ways to still have a warm comforting meal. You can make the infamous TV Dinner or …. there is also an abbreviated version aka a Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner!”

The Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner” is really for anytime you miss having the “Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.” And use these ideas to save time and focus on the family favorites. This is also, a good way to have the variety without the mega-leftovers. Don’t get me wrong, this is more cooking than microwaving the plastic tray for 41/2 min and letting it stand for 1 minute. That said, I think if you can boil water, you can pull this off.

What is this simple to make dinner that will still feel like a feast? Today we have all of the shortcut meals to help! This may or may not be THE healthiest but it is probably healthier than TV dinners! Also, Veggie Trays up the healthy ratio and are an easy appetizer!

Menu:

Chicken instead of Turkey – Plenty of options here

Mashed Potatoes – Use Instant Potatoes

Stove Top Stuffing — your fav flavor

Green Beans — Use the low-sodium version of your favorite canned beans — More experienced cooks may want to make a green bean casserole following the recipe on the back of the Fried Onions.

Cranberry Sauce — The canned stuff!

Candied Yams – the “Southern” brand – I know … you don’t like them so either add marshmallows or you can leave this off the menu – I won’t tell!

Rolls – Crescent Rolls or Hawaiian — this is the Cook’s Choice. Go Fancy and get French bread!

Jar of Gravy — Chicken or Turkey is preferred – tip — buy two jars and only make one for this meal and save the other for the leftovers if any.

Favorite Mrs. Smith’s Pie and Cool Whip or Real Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

The “helpers”

Worcestershire Sauce

Chicken Stock/Broth – low sodium

Butter, Sugar and Cinnamon

Lemon Pepper Seasoning

Optional – Celery and Onions

So the most important decision is which short-cut to substitute for the Turkey. This is important as it impacts the timing. Lots of options: make the MJ Roast Chicken (https://mhockman.com/index.php/2021/01/10/a-chicken-in-every-pot/#more-77) or pickup a Rotisserie Chicken or a pack of Turkey Breasts or Chicken pieces to cook.

Next which pie did you select? Read up on the cooking times. Does it (pumpkin pie?) need an hour and then some chill time in the fridge? Or is it (chocolate or coconut cream or cheesecake) so just thaw and serve? Do you want to serve it (apple pie) warm from the oven? If so you can bake while everyone is eating dinner (or just after everyone finishes).

Set the table now so it’s ready and decide on the bowls and serving pieces you will need. The hardest part of preparing this meal is the timing. The other shortcuts will take very little time. Open the can for the cranberry sauce and put on a pretty dish and put in the fridge. If you are serving Red Wine then open the bottle and let it breathe while you cook.

If you are cooking chicken, it is easy to put a little oil in the baking dish, add chicken, skinless boneless breasts, and salt/pepper – if you like add some Italian Dressing on top to keep them juicy and add more flavor. (note: don’t add salt when using the dressing as it has sodium in it). The chicken may take 45 min or so. Once it’s in the oven, now put the yams in another dish and add pats of butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Add a smidge of salt (sprinkle from up high). The salt will keep it from tasting too sweet.

Now open the green beans and put into a medium sauce pan on medium heat. Add a sprinkle of Lemon Pepper Seasoning and a smidge of olive oil or butter. Let these simmer literally on the back burner. bwahaha.

Prep the baking sheet for the rolls. Prep the pans to make the Stove Top, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. Make sure you check on the Chicken and the Yams (swapping them around in the oven position 1/2 cooking). Once you take out the Yams and Chicken to rest, put the rolls in the oven. You will follow the instructions on the boxes/jar for the last sides. Here are the tips:

Swap the milk and water ratios for the Instant potatoes and add a bit of extra butter (it is the holidays!) and don’t forget the salt and pepper. For Stove Top — substitute Chicken Stock for the water or split it if you are really worried about your sodium. If you want… you can use some butter and saute the celery and onions before adding the Chicken Stock. Once they are softened add the the Chicken Stock and follow the box instructions. Put the lid on set aside.

For the gravy — heat up a little bit (1/3 cup of the chicken stock in your small pan, and add a dash of the W sauce. Heat over medium heat. Add in the jar gravy and add some shakes of black pepper and warm until it bubbles- turn down to medium low. Don’t let this get away or it will scorch. Once it has bubbled for at least 3 minutes, set aside with the lid. Check on the rolls, they should be ready!

Guess what — This meal probably took an hour and a half to prep and cook- something to think about! Which might sound like a lot, however, the full, unabridged version takes hours and hours. While I am a fan of making the full “Mom Holiday” dinner for Thanksgiving, this is often a good version for a cold wintery day in January or Christmas in July! Nothing says lovin’ like something tasty from the oven. You CAN do this! My table had a mix of home-made and shortcuts – see if you can tell <wink>! Have a wonderful time with your family and a Merry “MJ Holiday Dinner!”

Where did the Summer go?  It seemed like it was too hot or too rainy here for barbecues.  Rather than fire up the grill for little ol’ me, I let Foster’s do the grilling.  The Foster’s near me carved out some patio space from their parking lot.   This was very nice because they also let folks bring their dogs!  Of course, my little princess liked it for the first couple of times.  She loves to meet people and enjoyed the attention.   Soon more folks were coming out to eat and there were too many cars in the parking lot.   The moving cars were too unsettling for her and the heat was too much for me!  Therefore, the Princess got to stay home.  Thankfully, the restaurant still wasn’t too crowded inside with the cool AC. So I met my friends at Foster’s and we ate juicy

burgers and enjoyed a bit of normalcy.  The managers at our local Foster’s make it welcoming and keep the service going.  I like getting an old-fashioned char-grilled burger and fries along with a smile.  It’s one of the few places where I truly feel welcome besides just as another customer.  The fun music helps a lot too. 

One of my friends is watching her cholesterol and limiting her red meat to once a week.  Therefore, she sometimes gets the turkey burger.  She seems to enjoy it; however, she admits it’s not quite as good as the regular, beef burger.   She also gets the salad and then eats half of my fries!  That’s ok because they are big burgers and I can’t eat all the fries by myself.    As proven when I meet up with my married friends who get wings and their own fries! 

For folks who may want something else, they have the ‘Backyard’ Garden Burger.   On their “Limited Time” menu they have the Beyond Meat Charburger.  They have steak and cheese and hotdogs!  Check-out their special milkshakes too.  Every great once in a while, I can’t resist the cake!  Nancy makes the cakes herself and they taste like the ones my mom made.  Well, my mom was a good baker so they are tasty! 

Anyway, I guess this is a restaurant review of sorts.  Foster’s is super casual and draws a lot of the local youth sports teams for celebrations and birthday parties.  Not so much during these Covid-times, however, they are getting busier.  If you like a good burger and a friendly, casual space – try your local Foster’s Grille.  It is comforting to have a local sit-down restaurant that is not fast food nor is it fancy.   Meet up with your friends for good food and good company!

I remember when my Mom first learned about and made a Tuna Casserole…. My mom was so proud that she had made this ubiquitous 70’s meal!  While we were eager to have something new for dinner and the noodles looked promising…. we were not happy.  We ate it, but that tuna smell.  I actually don’t think my little sister ate it – to this day, she does not like the smell of fish.  Fast forward, my mom realized canned chicken is a great substitute for tuna and Voilà!  That change was the trick to getting us kids to happily eat this dinner!  

Want something warm, comforting, inexpensive and easy? If you have more than 20 minutes – like maybe 30, then you can even do it in one pot (and a colander).  This is also a great dish when you need something easy on the tummy and possibly have leftovers.  Ok, I always have leftovers because I always make a large pot.  I love the leftovers, especially for lunch.  So, what is this lifesaver dish? 

One Pot Chicken Dinner.  And it can be made with all pantry (and freezer) ingredients for the win! 

In my quest for dinner in less than 30 minutes, I have shortened the ‘casserole’ to a one-pot meal and, hence, the name change.  Don’t get me wrong, if you have a lot of time, it is definitely tastier to cheese this up and pop it into the oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly.  The last time I made this dinner, I was quite hungry and it was summer time, so I just stirred in the shredded parmesan cheese until blended.

The basic recipe is really more of a formula:

1 Can of Chicken (if it’s the small can and you want more meat – use two cans)

½-1 Bag/Box of Pasta (penne or elbow) but choose your noodle of preference

Veggies of Choice – I think more mushrooms count

Cream of Mushroom or Cream of Chicken soup – I prefer the chicken flavor

1 Can of milk – you can use the shelf-stable milk if you don’t have the fresh (good, right?!)

Cheese of choice (optional) Seasonings –this is also your choice and I like to season to match the cheese used 

If you are doing the truly one pot dish, use the Dutch oven size pot.   Boil water and cook the pasta al dente minus another minute.  There will be carryover cooking.  Drain in colander and save a bit of pasta water.  Heat the un-drained chicken in the same pot on medium heat and add in the soup and the milk.  I like to add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  Stir and ensure the chicken/soup mixture doesn’t get too hot and scorch on the bottom.  If the mixture gets to boiling too much/too fast, you may need to turn down the heat.

Add in the veggies of choice and I won’t tell your mom if you don’t.  Season with some black pepper and other seasoning of choice, like oregano.  Add in the pasta and stir until well coated.  If need be, add a bit more milk or if you saved any pasta water, add a little.  Add in the cheese of choice and stir until melty and then serve! 

If you want to go the casserole route, pour into a baking dish prepped with cooking spray, oil or butter.  Top with cheese and breadcrumbs (optional).  Bake in a 350-degree oven until bubbly.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving so the impatient diners won’t burn their mouths.  To be fancy, serve with some fresh veggies on the side and/or fresh herbs.  A nice salad and some biscuits can round it out to satisfy all of the hungry folks! 

Tips:  Mise en place (MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French term for having all your ingredients measured, cut, peeled, sliced, grated, etc. before you start cooking. Pans are prepared. Mixing bowls, tools and equipment set out.  Open all cans while the water is heating to cook the pasta.  Preheat the oven too.  I actually prefer using pasta over egg noodles as the pasta maintains a bit more texture.   If you only have like 20 minutes, boil the water/cook the pasta in different pot.  Use the Dutch oven to start the chicken mixture and drain pasta and add directly to the big pot.  It doesn’t take a lot of corn to add a bit of sweetness and crunch to the dish so I add a few tablespoons.   I like to add some frozen peas but I am putting this last to hide them like I did when I was a kid.

So, while we are almost back to normal, now there is the new Delta variant.  We are not out of the woods yet!  So, it is still good to have a stash of good pantry staples to feed you and your family.  What is in your stash?  I have found that tortillas, cheese and salsa and sometimes chips are now a staple.  Why?  Well who doesn’t love a taco?  Well some folks don’t like spicy and associate tacos with spicy and hot food that they pay for later.   However, a taco doesn’t have to be spicy nor hot and tacos can be very economical and tasty.  For busy people and even people who don’t know or like to cook, a tortilla, preferably soft, will be your new best friend.  The great news is you can buy and have taco fixings on hand and it doesn’t have to be the usual hamburger with seasonings. Even gourmet cooks may like this twist on a taco.  Oooh… Drum Roll please…

I present to you, my internet friends, the “leftover” Taco.  What you say, an old soggy takeout taco leftover from Taco Tuesday?  No… nada… no-way, especially, if your family hates leftovers.

A magical tortilla will proudly present your leftovers as a fresh new meal.  You know, salsa and cheese can be very forgiving, just like your favorite yoga pants.  Anything can go into a taco – ok, maybe not soup.  But a tortilla CAN go into the soup but that is another post.  And if your leftovers are gourmet, your tacos can be gourmet! 

On Friday, I went out to dinner and had grilled salmon on a nice salad and it had a lot of goat cheese. So, what if your leftovers are from a restaurant, like my salmon? I finished the salad but since I was having dessert, I didn’t finish the salmon and brought it and the goat cheese home. Today, I split the salmon in half length wise and heated in the microwave with a smidge of water. Toasted the folded tortillas in the toaster and … put a tiny smear of goat cheese on bottom, added in kale salad, and poppy seed dressing and salmon. Added radishes and squeeze of lime and crack of pepper. Delicious tasty salmon tacos. <hint:  add sliced radishes and your dish is now fancy>

I know most people think of Taco Tuesday as the norm, but I suggest that we move it Thursday.

Here is why:  if you cook on Sundays and make pot-roast, then on Monday you pick up a rotisserie chicken and maybe some salad.  On Tuesday, you make pork chops and yellow rice and some black beans.  Wednesday …. cooking is getting old so you make frozen fish in the oven and french fries – fyi make extra fish. So now Thursday, ugh … who wants to cook?!

Let’s look at these leftovers… pull out the leftovers:

A little bit of beef and potatoes from Monday

Rotisserie Chicken – pull that off the bone.

And there is a bit of salad or a salad kit

One pork chop and some rice and beans

A few pieces of cold, breaded fish

Mmm …. not enough for a whole meal by themselves.  However, get those tortillas warming in low oven and set up the taco bar…. Slice the pork chop into thin slices (while cold), take the pulled chicken, and the beef and potatoes and warm up in the microwave.  Or if you want to get gourmet add to skillet and warm up with a bit of water and salsa (and any onions or bell peppers for extra freshness)

Heat up the rice and beans separately and strip the fish of the icky breading and heat that up as well.

And, because you planned ahead, you have the avocado/guacamole, Monterey Jack or your favorite cheese, sour cream, and if you want more spice, fresh jalapeño or Tabasco – heat lovers know what they need to do! 

Everyone gets to put some cheese on their tortilla, and pick whatever meat and toppings they want. Guess what – that little bit of salad is just enough to add some crunch and freshness to your tacos.  Tacos are things that the kids can help pull together. A squeeze of lime and it all feels and tastes fresh.

And yes, you can put pot roast and potatoes in a taco!  It’s delicious.  Maybe use cheddar cheese and radishes to bump it up in flavor!  You can even just use left-over roasted veggies with cheese and salsa!  The great thing is the flexibility.  Don’t be afraid to try or even mix meats.  Play around with cheeses, perhaps Taco Thursday is the night to use up that half bag of cheddar and the provolone? Props to the most creative taco builder!

Perhaps you don’t want to wait until Thursday to eat the leftovers, I have friends that will toss them out after 3 days.  Well, my friend, take the potatoes and pot roast and heat up in the non-stick skillet on medium while you crack/beat two eggs.  Pour over the warmed goodness and turn the heat down a smidge and stir with spatula.  When the eggs begin to set, add some cheese and salt and pepper and turn off heat. Let the egg mix continue to cook while you warm your tortilla in microwave for a few seconds. Now make your heavenly breakfast burrito and if desired, add a bit of salsa or Tabasco. Wrap and you can take it to-go in the car and have some comfort food for the commute. 

Ordinary leftovers with some taco fixings can make Thursday’s a fiesta.  Especially when served with a tasty beverage!  You may be surprised how the family gets into planning the meals to get the best Tacos on Thursday.

All those leftovers that were not enough individually for a whole meal, and, bonus, the fridge is cleaned out! It’s a total win/win. And what can be more comforting than an economical and a fun family dinner!

Dinner time!  Planning a meal, healthy or just filling, every night takes time and energy.  Especially, when you want to be frugal and healthy or even if you just want an easy meal that is tasty without breaking the bank.  With so many folks cooped up at home many of us either had to learn to cook or at least break out of our normal routine.  Well that was me, I was getting very tired of my normal routine and yet, it was hard to look at recipes, shop for all these items and then spend an hour learning to make it.   Sooooo…. I decided to try Hello Fresh!  This post is about sharing my experience with this food service.  (full disclaimer – this is truly all based upon my experiences.)

Let me preface this review with one of my life philosophies:  Cook once and eat twice!  If you are going to cook and have to do the dishes, try to make enough to have another meal or two (or at least lunch the next day).  During COVID, shopping was also a bit trying so I was already looking at some of the various services to try.   Christmas came around and I was ordering some flowers as a gift and they provided me a coupon for Hello Fresh which made it very affordable to try. 

I signed up for the 3 meals for two people per week.  It’s a very easy service to use – their website will show you the pictures of the meals and tell you the descriptions.  Based upon your choices, of regular type meals (meat/potatoes or pastas) or vegetarian or gluten-free, you will be given a selection for the week.  It’s easy to change and save for that week as long as you do it before cut-off date/time.  The boxes arrive on the day you select in a box with ice packs.  Meats under the veggies/other items.   It doesn’t take much time to unpack – it’s good to put the instruction sheets in a specific place for reference.   

Here is what I learned:

• Unpack and prioritize the meals based upon the veggies to be used (so you use the most perishable first).
• Review the instructions to also look at how long it takes and if you need to pre-heat the oven – many of the meals call for roasting the veggies in the oven.  This makes them tasty but means you will need to allow a bit more time.
• It saves time in cooking if you read all of the instructions and prep the food per the instructions.
• If you are a (slightly) picky eater, this meal prep allows you to add as little or as much spices per your taste.
• It is really nice that the plan comes with tiny little bottles of the vinegars or comes with little sour creams, or stock or jelly.  Especially, as a single person, this not only helps you have the ingredients, it saves money and waste.
• Also, if you have concerns with salt, this is good as you can control the salt or fat in your diet.

Tips:

• When roasting potatoes, if you have other veggies in the house, e.g. like carrots, prep them and toss them on the pan.  It will add additional health benefits and help reduce your veggie waste and I like more veggies.
• Try to reuse some of the pans – often, the recipe will call for browning and then moving the meat to a baking sheet.  If you can brown in an oven safe pan, you get to keep the pan juices which adds more flavor and reduces cleaning.
• I found that for most of the meals, I portioned out two dinners and often had enough left over for a small lunch to take to work.
• Look at your work/social schedule and energy level, skip the week or reduce the number of meals if you are getting behind in cooking.
• Also, if you are getting the three, or more, meal plan, freeze the meat for the meals that will be cooked later in the week.  This way if you get busy or end up eating out, the meat will keep in the freezer.

So, how hard it is to cook these meals?  I consider myself to be a decent cook who can make some delicious things but I have never had any formal training.  Also, as I was a single mother for quite a while, often my main cooking goal was getting a hot meal, that a picky kid would eat, on the table in 30 minutes!!  With that said, I found that this helped me expand my repertoire and I learned that I can make “pan” sauces and they are pretty easy.  Also, on the website, the meals will identify if they are easy, quick or more advanced.  One of the great things, is you can do the “add-on” for chopped salad kits and pre-cooked individually wrapped chicken breasts.  These are a huge win for saving time for dinner or lunch!

An unexpected benefit is while, it may appear to be expensive for the service, in reality it can be frugal.  Spending an estimated $65-$70 dollars per week sounded expensive, however, it helped me stay on budget.  I also found shopping was easier as I knew for me, I had 5-6 dinners and lunch several times a week accounted for.  Especially, if I had an “MJ” salad too. When I took the leftovers, I saved ‘lunch money’ too as I was not buying lunch in the work cafeteria.  Granted if I cook other meals on my own, I often bring leftovers to work for lunch too.

This service has its perks and makes it easier to cook meals at home since they provide all the ingredients and you just have to have the basics.  The basics are oil, salt, pepper, and butter.  It does still require prepping some of the veggies and washing dishes and after 6 months or so I did get a little bored with some of the meals.  Now, that we can get out more, I am taking a break from the service and planning to cut back to two meals for two for the summer.  

One of the downsides, is the extra boxes and the ice packs to be disposed.  All in all, if you are interested in improving your cooking and your diet, Hello Fresh, or one of the other services, may just push you out of your comfort zone. And this can be a more comforting and delicious place in the long run.