Balancing The Scales

In-Law Dinner.

You know what I thought might be fun and interesting? (Maybe?) I thought it might be fun and interesting if I kept a record of the dinners that I served when my MIL comes for dinner.  I used to call them my MIL dinners but now my dad comes, too, so I've taken to calling them In-Law dinners.

Anyway.

This past week, I served Penne with Zucchini and a no-cook Alfredo sauce.  We had a green salad and for dessert, I made a chocolate oil cake with a half cup mini-chocolate chips added and a French Creme Frosting.

YUMMMMMMO.

Penne Alfredo with Zucchini

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
4 smallish zucchini, halved and chopped 1/4 in or so
Olive oil and a little butter
Salt & pepper to taste

Alfredo sauce

Penne pasta (with a little reserved pasta water, just in case.)

Instructions:

Put oil/butter into large skillet and saute onion until soft.  Add zucchini and stir to coat.  Cook until tender. (5-7 minutes, maybe?) Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, boil water for pasta, cook penne and make the Alfredo Sauce.

[Here's the recipe for the EASY PEASY NO-COOK ALFREDO.  I got it from All Recipes.

I fiddled with it a little.  I used 50/50 Smart Balance/Butter Blend instead of straight butter and I used half & half instead of heavy cream.  My whipped mess looked less like softly scrambled eggs and more like what I imagine curds & whey would look like, Miss Muffet, but it went onto the pasta just fine and it was great.]

When pasta is finished, drain it quickly and return it to pot.  Dump in zucchini mixture & give a quick stir and then dump in alfredo sauce and mix it thoroughly.  It will look thin and kind of watery but give it a few minutes and it will thicken up and be WONDERFUL.

(Sorry I don't have any pictures but it miiiiight be a little difficult to explain to my MIL why I am PHOTOGRAPHING my dinner.)

Anyway.

The oil cake recipe is the same as ever.  I added 1/2 cup of mini-chocolate chips to the batter.

I made this easy and awesome frosting:

French Creme Frosting

 Ingredients:

2 Tbsp flour
1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

-Cook milk & flour together until thick.

-Beat butter/sugar together until light & well blended. Add vanilla, flour & milk mixture & beat until creamy & light.

-Frost cake.

This frosting is not too sweet and it really is good.  I tried to use the 50/50 blend but it is much softer than butter and tends to be too loose to use as frosting.  If it seems to liquidy when you're making it (the flour/milk mixture can melt the butter if it's not all the way cool,) just pop the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes and VIOLA! Frosting consistency.

mmmm.

Meatless Meals: Vegetable Barley Soup & Cheddar Bisuits.

I made this dinner last night, before the power went out.  Here is the recipe, in case you live where [it won't fucking stop raining and there's ah-NOTHER flood in your re-re-soon-to-be-RE-finished basement and you want to HURL yourself off a cliff] it's cold and rainy.

Vegetable Barley Soup

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Medium Onion, chopped
3 Large(ish) Carrots, chopped
2 Stalks Celery, you guessed it, chopped
2 Potatoes, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes in their juice
1/2 Pearled Barley
1/2 cup each frozen veggies (or, you know, ones you like better):
Peas
Corn
Green Beans
Lima Beans
2 qt Vegetable stock (Or water with vegetable bouillon)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:
1) Put oil in pot, over medium heat saute the onions with a little salt for a few minutes. Add the carrots and celery and saute for another few minutes.  Add potatoes & the pearl barley, saute for a few more minutes.  Add the tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the barley is tender (ish.)

2) Add all the frozen vegetables and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until heated through and crisp-tender.  Adjust seasonings and serve.

Cheddar Biscuits

These biscuits (which I have to pronounce 'Bis-coo-its' in my head to spell properly) are so, SO simple to make that I made them the next day for LUNCH (Unheard of! Baking for lunch!)

Anyway.

Ingredients (FOUR or five, if you add garlic powder):

1 C Self-Rising Flour*
1/2 C Shredded Cheese
1/2 C Milk (I used 2%)
2 Tbsp Mayonnaise (I used light)
1 tsp Garlic powder (Optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease 5 cups of a muffin tin.

2) In a small bowl, combine flour & cheese (and garlic powder, if using).  Stir in mayo and milk, just until moistened.

3) Fill 5 greased muffin cups 2/3 full. (Fill empty cups 1/2 way with water)

4) Bake at 425 for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown.

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can use 1 cup regular flour and add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Meatless Meals: Rotini With Tomatoes And Mozzarella

This recipe is quick, easy, meatless and very tasty.  Incidentally, for whatever reason, it is the ONLY pasta recipe in which I actually PREFER rotini. Not my favorite pasta shape.

Anyway.

Ingredients:
Ass-load of garlic, minced
Pint or so (more or less, according to your taste) Cherry or Grape Tomatoes cut in half.
Olive Oil
Fresh Basil, chopped or ripped
Fresh Mozzarella, diced (I get the vacuum packed ball, but the kind in water works, the little pearls work, too, and you don't have to dice then.)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional but, DUH, put it in.)

1lb Rotini (or any short) pasta

1. Put the water on to boil for the pasta. Salt the water once it boils and then, you know, boil your pasta.

2. In a large skillet heat liberal amount of olive oil medium-high to high heat. Saute tomatoes. (watch them and just cook them until slightly softened, otherwise they kind of disintegrate and you're left with empty skins.  (Incidentally: the tomato skin in this recipe doesn't bother me, if it bothers you, substitute big tomatoes, blanch & peel them, squeeze out the seeds and chop them. And then, give yourself a manicure with all the extra time you must have on your hands--KIDDING.) They cook pretty quickly in a nice, hot pan.

3. Lower heat in pan to medium (or a little lower) and put in the garlic. Saute that for a minute or so, until you can smell it. Stir in the basil and turn off the heat in the pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (You don't want to add the salt to the cooking tomatoes b/c you don't want to draw the water out and make them mushy.) 

4. When it's done, drain the pasta and return it to the pot (or put it in a bowl if you're classy.) Mix in the chopped mozzarella and stir in the sauce. Add the grated cheese and adjust seasonings. mmmmm

Meatless Meals: Winging It.

So, before I start to relay all the [crazy ass] [boringish] tasty meatless meals that I'm making, I'll give you a little Process Post.  I am known, in certain circles, to Wing It (on the reg) when it comes to throwing together a meal.  There ARE meals that I plan and I TRIED shopping according to sales and plan meals ahead of time and you know? I have difficulty moving that kind of habit from 'Diet' to 'Lifestyle Change,' if you see what I'm saying.

Anyway.

So, when I go shopping, I look around for shopper's club discounts and TRY to buy those veggies (if they appeal.) I usually end up with 'regulars:' broccoli, mushrooms, grape tomatoes. And then I rotate one or two 'semi-regulars,' beets, spinach or kale, zucchini, green beans, or asparagus. You get the idea.

If I'm making a rice dish (or another grain, really), I'll throw the rice together in the steamer, earlier in the day, so it's finished and ready to go and one less frigging thing to deal with at dinner time. If I'm making pasta, I'll have the pot on the stove to boil while I start the rest.

In meal planning, I go to the fridge and open it. I look inside to see what I have in the way of veggies.  Then I get out a big skillet and get to work.  The way I start is usually the same, for lots of dishes and is a good foundation for winging it, if you're so inclined.

I usually start with oil and a chopped onion.  I use a generous amount of oil for a lot of dishes, since there's no meat and thus, no other 'fats.' (I use cheese but I'm not counting that as cooking fat, obv.) So, let's say I'm going to make a rice dish.  I start with the oil and a chopped onion.  Unless I'm going to use mushrooms.  They cook better on higher heat, by themselves, without any salt or pepper.  You have to like, sear them. 

So, I'll start with a hot pan and mushrooms. And say I also took out the broccoli, some carrot, the tofu cubes from the fridge.  That's a nice array of colors.  I might still get some frozen corn, too. (As long as I'm chopping the veggies, this is where I'll cook the whole head of broccoli and maybe some extra carrots and put them aside for another dinner.)  I put the broccoli and carrots (cleaned, peeled, chopped) in a pan with a tiny bit of salted water and cook them to crisp-tender.

When the mushrooms are done, I turn the pan down, let it cool and throw the onions and seasonings in there.  When the onion hits that mushroom pan? It's going to smell like a STEAKHOUSE up in your piece, I'm not even kidding. I put the drained tofu cubes in next, to brown up. You may need a little extra oil, depending. Then I put the frozen corn in to heat up.  I'll add the broccoli and carrot and last, I'll add the rice.

When the dish is all assembled, you can do a few things.  You can add salt/pepper and eat it as-is.  Or, you can add soy sauce and scramble a couple eggs to add, and it's (kinda) like a fried rice. Or, you can add a [couple handfuls] handful of cheddar cheese. OR, you can add a can of cream of mushroom soup (and also some cheese,) put it in a casserole dish, put some chopped or flaked almonds on top and bake it at 350 for 40-45 minutes or so (This is The Man's favorite way to eat this dish.)  

You'll have enough left over to bring for lunch the next day. (Plus the extra veggies and we can talk about those tomorrow.) (Or, you know, SOON.) (Don't snicker, it isn't nice.)

Meatless Meals. Pantry Must-Haves.

The title of this post is a little grandiose, no? I don't mean to say that these are must-haves for YOU to keep in your pantry, in order to have meatless meals. I'm just saying that these things are what *I* [usually have] [go to The Little Sister's for, if I don't] keep stocked in my pantry.  I figure, it could be helpful to know.

Kay?

-Olive Oil: I keep a big jug. I use it pretty much exclusively (I use canola oil for baked goods and other things that require a neutral-tasting oil.) If you use it sparingly, you should keep it in the fridge. I use mine pretty quickly but I keep a littler bottle on the counter and add more when it gets low.  Rancid olive oil is guh-ross and a waste of money.

-A Large Assortment of [Dried] Canned Beans: Ha ha! I don't have the [foresight] time to use dried beans. I'd love to use them more but let me not front. I USE CANNED BEANS.  Mostly, I have: Kidney, Cannellini, garbanzo (I love them, The Man? Does NOT,) Black Beans, Pinto Beans and refried.  These are great to open, rinse and toss into rice and pasta dishes alike. I do keep dried lentils and split peas because there's no soaking required to throw these bad-boys into a soup.

-Onions: I use regular, old, bagayellowonions. In almost EVERYTHING.

-Potatoes: I prefer red-skinned but whatever floats your potato boat.

-Olives: I have both canned black olives on hand and also refrigerated kalamata olives (or mixed olives from an olive bar.) They give a salty bite and a ton of flavor to pastas and you can put them in salads, on pizza, etc.

-Various Shapes Of Dried Pasta: I like the Barilla Plus pasta, as it is whole grain and has a lot of protein. So I use that if I can. I have long and short, thick and thin. I keep a box of orzo for soup, a box of elbows for Mac & Cheese and I mix up the rest.

-Cous Cous and Quinoa: Cous Cous is basically a pasta.  I keep whole wheat in the house. I also keep Quinoa. It is a great whole grain and it cooks up very quickly for a last minute dinner.

-Vegetable Broth: I usually have some that I get at the health food store but they also carry some in bigger grocery stores.  You can get 'Better Than Bullion' to use for soups/broth, etc.  I have that, too, in a pinch.

-Various Frozen Veggies: I keep bags of Corn, Peas, Shelled Edamame, green beans, mixed veggies.

-Whole Wheat Wraps: For quick sandwiches or burritos.

-Assorted Fresh Veggies: Mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes.

-Assorted Cheeses: Grated Mozzarella and cheddar, and a good hunk of Parmigiano: Don't underestimate the power of a good parmigiano.  It is a little salty and nutty and adds a delicious flavor to pastas and sauces.  It might be a bit pricey but it lasts a long time, you can freeze the rind and put it into soup or sauce and it tastes like a DIFFERENT FOOD than what is in that green shaker.  Because? IT IS.

-Some of the meat replacers that I mentioned here.

If you are already meatless, what did I miss?

Meatless Meals. A Primer.

I realize that this is all fookackt, with the posts before this one essentially NEGATING the need for a primer but it occurred to me that we may be coming up on some meals that are a little less *traditional* than, say, Mac & Cheese, and so I thought that maybe you could use a little preparation.

If you are a steadfast meat eater, you may have very little first hand experience with meatless meals.  Very often, a more traditional Meat-Enthusiast meal may look like, 'Meat, side order, side order.'  When this person visualizes what I eat, they often just mentally subtract the meat from their own dinners and are left with, 'TwoSideOrdersWhoTheHellWantsToEatTHAT?'

I know I don't. Unless I'm in a super fancy restaurant where, inexplicably, EVERY dish contains a hiding meat surprise and then? I get TWO OR THREE SIDE ORDERS and call that shit dinner. Sad, I know.

There are times, when I make meatless burgers, say, that my plate WILL look like the Meat-Enthusiast plate but more often than not, the dishes that I make are more along the lines of grain or pasta/protein/veggies, all in one dish.*  (I use a lot of brown rice and quinoa and we eat a lot of pasta.)

When I make rice, I will make a lot of rice. I use some that day and use the left overs for another recipe in a day or two. I do the same with veggies so that I have some on hand to incorporate into the next dish.  I am well aware that this isn't unique to meatless cooking but I figured a helpful tip is a helpful tip (take it or LEAVE IT.)

I have a husband who is just happy to be fed and so doesn't complain (and mostly condones) repetition. (I know, he's smart-slash-knows how to WORK IT.)  Each week we usually have a couple rice dishes, a couple pasta dishes, some kind of wrap, maybe a soup/sandwich thing, & a dish incorporating a meat replacer.

When speaking of meat replacers**, taste and texture are important.  The flavor has to be good (it's not going to taste just like meat to you so forgo that notion, and ratchet your expectations to, 'It should taste GOOD.') The texture, I find, is a killer for a lot of meat eaters.  The texture of meat is hard to replicate, I imagine. It is, after all, um, how do I say it without sounding like a crazy? It's, uh, made of animals, you know? And so things made with PLANTS are just going to be a little different, texture-wise.  I don't mind the texture of very firm (heh) tofu (not technically a replacer, really) but it can turn people off.

Here are a few meat replacers that I like a lot and use on the reg.*** 

I like:
-Morningstar Farms (almost anything they make. We are partial to the chicken nuggets, grillers (prime), and the breakfast sausages. The 'bacon' is good on a sandwich.)

-Gimme Lean ground 'meat.' They have sausage or ground beef flavor. This is a good replacer for taste, and the texture is okay in a 'dry' kind of recipe. I wouldn't put it in a soup, or anything with a sauce (It's okay in a goulash for just that night. I keep it separate, so it doesn't get mushy in the leftovers.)  It gets mushy and isn't appealing.  I saute it well and use it for Sheppard's Pie (Baked in the oven and doesn't have sauce and it is delicious in that.)

-Smart Ground: this has a more realistic consistency (minus any nasty gristle, YAY!) I still don't put it in chili or soups but it is good for wraps, tacos, taco salads, things like that.  You probably COULD put this in a soup, though.

-Field Roast Sausage: I get in the health food store. It is the only *ONLY* fake dinner sausage that comes CLOSE (imo) to being desirable. It's downright TASTY and the texture is GOOD.

-Tofu cubes: I get these in the produce section of my supermarket.  It is super-firm tofu, already cut up and ready for recipes.

I'm sure I use more and I'll add as I go. Feel free to leave any questions that you have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*My kid generally eats everything that we do, veggies, tofu, rice, all that. I know this isn't the case for everyone. We started her young and this was the only grub available. (I also realize that a lot has to do with temperamental style and that some kids have issues with texture, etc. and will only eat 4 things and I know that is its own kind of hell and I EMPATHIZE.)

**I've been meatless for about 13 or 14 years. The meat replacers now are SO MUCH BETTER than what was available back in the day. To me, they kind of DO taste like meat but it's been so long since I've eaten it that I'm sure a meat eater would DISAGREE.

***I have not been compensated or sponsored or whatever for any of the product mentions. It's all stuff we eat and like. Just saying.

Meatless Meal #2: Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese is probably the quintessential meatless meal, right? It's not a lo-cal food or health food but it is a great, familiar, meal if you're cutting down on meat consumption or, say, inviting me to dinner.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Butter (I use 50-50 Smart Balance/Butter blend)
2 Tbsp Flour
1 Capful Dehydrated, minced onion
3 C Milk (I use either 2% milk or Soymilk or a combination of the two)
4 1/2 C Shredded Cheese (You can be flexible with cheeses.  I like Cheddar but you can mix a few in)
1lb Short Pasta (I use Barilla Plus, so there's some whole grain and a lot of protein)

Preheat oven to 350 and boil salted water for pasta.  While pasta is cooking melt butter over medium heat and add capful of onion (you can use fresh if you like but I don't like the crunch in my mac & cheese and the dehydrated ones give a toasted onion taste.  It's good, promise.)

Saute onion for a bit and then add flour and stir constantly around the pan for a minute or so to cook the flour. Add milk a little at a time at first, whisking the sauce smooth and then add the rest of the milk.  Heat until bubbling, stirring occasionally. When sauce begins bubbling around edges, whisk constantly until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.  Take off heat and whisk in 4 cups of the cheese.

Drain pasta, return to pot and stir in 1/4 cup (or so) of cheese to pasta.  Empty cheese sauce into pasta and stir well.  Put into baking dish and top with remaining cheese (if you like bread crumbs or crackers on top, go for it.) Cover (I double cover with aluminum foil and put a couple pokes in it with a paring knife) and bake for 45-50min or until bubbling.)

mmmmmm.

Enchiladas Or Whatever The Way Gringo Equivalent Is.

I don't have fancy photos to show and I figure that I'm just winging it with easy(ish) meatless meals, so I'm just going to write up what I make on a semi-regular basis.

Here are the Way Gringo Vegetarian Enchiladas:

Flour (whole wheat) Tortillas
2 jars salsa (mild)
Filling of your choice:
Brown rice
Black or refried beans
Black Olives, chopped
Frozen Corn
Cheddar Cheese

Avocadoes
Light sour cream

I steam the rice and prepare whatever filling I'm using. Last night, I made a can of refried beans, to which I added: a can of whole pinto beans (drained and rinsed) some chili powder, olive oil and a squeeze of lime.

I made a quick guacamole of smashed avocados, a little olive oil, lime and a little salt/pepper.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with one jar of salsa poured into the bottom and spread evenly.  Soften tortillas in microwave and then add a layer of each: guacamole, beans, olives, cheese, rice & corn. Fold ends of tortillas in and roll them, placing them seam side down in the baking dish. When finished, empty second jar of salsa over the enchiladas, spreading it evenly.

You can top with more cheese, if you like.

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until heated through.

Serve with extra guacamole and light sour cream.

Very yummy.