Yummy food, Kiddos, and Photo a day

Tonight for dinner, straight from the Cook’s Country magazine I made the following recipe:
Lemony Mediterranean Chicken and Rice

Why this recipe works:
To speed up our Easy Mediterranean Chicken and Rice, we started with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which required zero preparation. A salty marinade with garlic, oregano, lemon zest, and olive oil imparted rich Mediterranean flavors to the notoriously bland chicken breasts. Browning the chicken created a rich fond that we used to flavor the rice, which we were able to cook in a fraction of the time by parcooking it in the microwave.
Serves 4
Ingredients

• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped, plus 1/4 cup olive brine
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• Salt and pepper
• 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 1/2 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Instructions

• 1. Combine olive brine, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, half of garlic, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in zipper-lock bag. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place in bag. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning occasionally.
• 2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Heat 1½ teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side; transfer to plate. While chicken is cooking, microwave 1¼ cups broth and rice in covered large bowl until liquid is absorbed, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
• 3. Add remaining 1½ teaspoons oil and onion to now-empty skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons oregano and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining ¾ cup broth and parcooked rice and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to skillet and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until meat registers 160 degrees and rice is tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.
• 4. Off heat, stir olives, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons parsley into rice. Cover and let sit until chicken is ready. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, remaining 1 teaspoon oregano, and remaining 1 teaspoon lemon zest in bowl. Slice chicken into ½-inch slices, arrange on top of rice, and sprinkle with herb mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Introducing Gremolata

A classic Italian garnish for osso buco (braised veal shanks), gremolata is made from minced parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. We adapted the idea, sprinkling our Lemony Mediterranean Chicken and Rice with parsley, lemon zest, and oregano for fresh, bright flavor.

• Small Package, Big Wallop
  Herbs + lemon zest = flavor.

Family consensus: thumbs up.  These recipes are kind of complicated and time consuming though.  I kind of like the quick 30 – 45 minutes cooking time.  But, I do really like the Gremolata – I just think that it sounds cool and tastes yummy too.  I bet it would taste yummy mixed with couscous or with a little garlic, added to Greek yogurt for a yummy dip.
Over the weekend Mike made the Black and White cookies that are on the cover of Cook’s Country.  I must warn you and add:  DANGER! DANGER!  These cookies are REALLY good.  Each cookie is about the size of a coaster and they are not low fat.  But I have been exercising each day and eating like an angel the rest of the day so I could enjoy a cookie each day, til they are allllll gone.  Mike is helping me of course.  But that is how yummy they are – it is worth the extra discipline!
On to Photo A Day.  I found out (and had heard about it from friends) about this photo a day thing. 
I haven’t posted for a bit but I did take the photos:
Monday 2/13/12– Blue
The most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen.

Tuesday 2/14/12– Heart
From a Young Women activity.

Wednesday 2/15/12 – New
Some fabulous, make me dream of spring/summer shoes I just got in the mail.

Hopefully I can keep it up.

Food, Wrestling, and Suzuki Mishmash

SUZUKI PIANO

Since we have transplanted to MO I have been trying to find a piano teacher for the boys. A friend of mine has two boys about the same age as my boys and they take piano lessons so I hit her up for the teacher.  I called the teacher – she is a very nice woman and she told me that we would be meeting for six parent training sessions and then the boys would be watching other children play the piano for about six lessons before they even started piano.

Whaaaaaaa?  Not only am I attending the parent training, the “lessons” with the boys (while I make sure that Sam isn’t too distracting – he likes to dance to the music), but I have HOMEWORK.  This last training session I did not have all my homework completed and I was sorely ashamed. Part of me thinks – this is piano right?  On the other hand, I like the parental involvement. I have been struggling to find activities that are one on one – especially with Ben since he is in school all day.  Suzuki piano requires that the parent sits with the child while they are working their pieces.

It will be a good time for me to practice patience – hence the parent training – putting into action the Suzuki philosophy, which is actually very valuable!  Teaching children patiently and realizing that all children have potential if fostered in the right environment. It’s piano right?  It is also a discipline and a learning experience.  I am excited about it……

I’ll keep you posted.

FOOD MISHMASH

Earlier this week I made such an awesome pizza from “Cook’s Country” magazine.  It is called “Grandma’s Pizza” and I am soo posting the recipe because it was DELICIOUS! As far as ingredients – pretty basic – make your own pizza dough (with olive oil) and canned tomatoes, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.  Well – you can see from the recipe below. I also made the antipasti salad, which was good, but kind of a little complicated.

Grandma’s Pizza

Serves 4
If the dough snaps back when you press it to the corners of the baking sheet, cover it, let it rest for 10 minutes, and try again.
IngredientsDough

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions

• 1. FOR THE DOUGH: Coat rimmed baking sheet with 2 tablespoons oil. Combine water and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. With mixer running, slowly add water mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Transfer dough to greased baking sheet and turn to coat. Stretch dough to 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. Stretch dough to corners of pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.
• 3. FOR THE TOPPING: Place tomatoes in colander and drain well. Combine drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in bowl. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in second bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture over dough, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Top with tomato mixture and bake until well browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes. Slide pizza onto wire rack, sprinkle with basil, and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve.

 

Marinated Antipasti Salad

Why this recipe works:
We used crisp, neutral-flavored romaine lettuce as the background. Matchsticks of provolone and salami added creamy and spicy elements, while cherry tomatoes and basil contributed freshness. Jarred marinated vegetables were greasy and raw onions were too pungent, so we simmered both in a combination of vinegar, water, garlic, and dried oregano, essentially quick-pickling them, and then added a modest amount of olive oil for balance. Using the leftover pickling liquid in the vinaigrette tied all the flavors together.
Serves 6 to 8
If you buy whole artichoke hearts, quarter them through the stem after thawing. The drained marinated vegetables and vinaigrette can be refrigerated separately for up to one day. Dress the salad just before serving.
Ingredients

• 2/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 red onion, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 9 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
• 1/3 cup jarred sliced pepperoncini
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts (12 ounces), chopped
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 (1/4-inch-thick) slices provolone cheese (6 ounces), cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
• 3 (1/4-inch-thick) slices salami (6 ounces), cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

• 1. Bring vinegar, water, garlic, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until onion is nearly tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in artichokes and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Off heat, add pepperoncini, transfer mixture to bowl, and refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes.
• 2. Drain marinated vegetables through fine-mesh strainer into bowl; reserve ¼ cup vinegar mixture. Toss marinated vegetables with 1 tablespoon oil in bowl. Whisk remaining 1 tablespoon oil into reserved vinegar mixture until thoroughly incorporated. Toss romaine, tomatoes, provolone, and salami with vinaigrette in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer salad mixture to platter and top with marinated vegetables, olives, and basil. Serve.

Wrestling

Pretty much every day there is wrestling going on in our house. I have chronicled it before, but these days Sam is getting into the mix. It’s so cute.  Proving that he is no slouch he runs and jumps on Dad just like the older ones.

Notice that Gabe is at the rear on Dad – Gabe has a weird obsession with bottoms. I am not sure if I should be worried.

Just some of my mishmash

Ben composed a schedule for himself on Sunday and was able to accomplish everything on the list before 12:00 pm - right before it was time to get ready for church.  Gabe added his own flair to the list with sosij and pancacso - otherwise known as sausage and pancakes. FYI - Ben didn't write an entire book, merely added about 50 words to the book he is writing - "The Ninja's Quest".  You can look for it in about 5 years.

On to other mishmash. Tonight Ben let is slip that Dad is his favorite. I don't think he was trying to be discreet because it was during dinner so of course I overheard. I mentioned that I might be a little be hurt about this to which Ben responded, "I like you too Mommy, but Dad is just so awesome!" Boo Hoo. I guess it is just a good reminder that I have been a little bit too much of a taskmaster these days.

 

The trick is to remember to be silly... they love it when I am absurd and silly.  You know what one of their favorite games with me is?  I pretend like they are naughty little cats and they are not allowed in my kitchen. When the try to come into the kitchen I spritz them with a water bottle and growl "Get out of my kitchen."  This game tends go on for quite some time.  It is time to get out the water bottle.

 

Now to food.  For dinner I made another meal from Cook's Country.  For dinner I made Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs.  I would give it about a 6 out of 10.  I like a little bit more flavor in my sauce, but it was still pretty good. I liked that it was fast. The boys needed a little coaxing... but they loved the meatballs.  Sam, who loves pasta, gobbled up every last bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner from Cook's Country #2 and Sammy the light maestro

First off I made a yummy dinner tonight courtesy of Cook's Country again. I made Spanish Chicken Cutlets with Yogurt Sauce.  The boys wrinkled their nose at it and managed to eat all the bites I requested (or else I bring out the can of dog food). Mike and I enjoyed it very much. The chicken was nice and tender - dredged in the yogurt sauce and then panko bread crumbs, and the yogurt sauce was tasty.  I used greek yogurt which is a little richer than the average plain yogurt. I tend to prefer the Greek yogurt. On the side I cooked some quinoa in chicken broth and after it was done I added about 1 1/2 tsp of lemon juice along with some sauteed zucchini, shallot, and orange pepper (sauteed in olive oil).  The quinoa was well liked by everyone.

Now on to Sammy

Going to church with a toddler is always an adventure - there is no such thing as a toddler that can sit still in his chair.  At least I have never encountered one. We tend to let Sammy wander a little bit. He usually makes his way back to us so we let him do a couple of rounds.  This is where Sammy is the politician - he likes to smile at people, inspect their items on the floor and make his farewell.  He never stays too long in one place, just enough to make the person he is visiting his friend. 

This Sunday we were a little late and ended up sitting in the back. Sam started going around the gym area (where we sitting) and we were watching him warily, ready to stand up at any moment.  Sam has recently discovered that there are some light switches that he can reach and that is a temptation too great to pass up. You can guess what happened. All of the sudden the lights were dimming. Sam had hit the light switch jackpot!  Lots of light switches in a row and he was hitting every one of them.  The speaker during church said over the microphone, "someone's little boy is playing with the light switches."  Yep, that was our little man. Mike dashed off to scoop up the little criminal (or politician - in some cases it could be interchangable).

The good thing is, that is not the most embarrasing thing that has happenend during church. Ben peeing all over the podium while giving a talk during primary was pretty good.  Or I think it was Gabe that asked loudly why his penis gets hard when he has to pee was pretty fun too.

I can't wait for whatever happens next.

Let them eat dog food

Dinner time is always a time of joy and a time of tears. We have managed to establish a silly ritual in which the boys seem to think that their food can only be consumed once they have determined how many bites to take - mom or dad being the one that sets the number. Usually 15 to 20 bites. It drives me crazy that dinner has become a countdown. Along with the counting there is usually some grumbling and complaining about certain ingredients.

I spend about 30 to 60 minutes preparing dinners because I really enjoy food and I like to cook. I refuse to be a short order cook. I make one meal and if you don't like it... well that leads me to the best part.

I bought a can of dog food - we don't have any dogs. I put the can of dog food in the middle of the table and I said, "I spend some time making this meal for you and I am tired of the counting and complaining. If you don't like what I make then you are welcome to eat the dog food because anything that I make is inevitably better than dog food and I am tired of you treating the meal that I make for you like it is dog food."  That night I received accolades for the meal I made.

The dog food currently sits in my pantry and on an evening that I make something a little different I bring it out just to remind them that anything I make is better than dog food... at least I hope it is.