Adventures in the Kitchen # 6: Good Old fashion Pancakes

Okay, so maybe I am cheating a bit on this one.....pancakes are nothing new around our house.....but since my cookbooks are all packed away, I didn't have my usual go-to pancake recipe to use for a low key sunday night dinner......so I searched online for a simple, quick pancake recipe and voila! I found one! If you can't tell from the title of this recipe......this ones a keeper.....

Enjoy a low-key Sunday night dinner......add some fresh blueberries and strawberries on top, or for those daring enough.....add some chocolate chips.....each topped with melted butter and real maple syrup.

YUM! A bonus for the kids.....make pancake people, letters, shapes......

Adventures in the Kitchen # 6: Good Old Fashion Pancakes

A whole stack of yumminess

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10-15 minutes

Serves: 4-6 

1.5 Cups flour

1 Tablespoons sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten

1 1/4 Cups of milk

3 Tablespoons melted butter

Preheat griddle/frying pan over low/medium heat.

Combine dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.

Stir in milk, eggs and butter. 

Stir until lumps are gone.

Create pancake masterpieces.

**Preheat oven to 175 to keep pancakes warm until the batter is all used up. Put pancakes in a covered oven-safe dish to keep them moist. 

Recipe found on allrecipes.com

My kids LOVE this meal......they pile on the blueberries and also really enjoy when we make pancake people for them, complete with pancake clothes they can dress them in (make a pancake skirt or some pants to put on the pancake people). I usually serve this meal with scrambled eggs and if we're lucky, some bacon too. Easy meal, fun for the kids and yummy for everyone. Lots of thumbs up in our house for this one. 

Once a Month Cooking

'One a Month Cooking' has always intrigued and intimidated me. It seemed to take a lot of organization and time (a whole day of cooking??) but not having to make dinner and therefore saving yourself 1-2 hours per day....that seems worth it to me. There are so many other things I could do with that time.....and so after some encouragement from my friend who does this all day cooking thing once a month, I bought the cook book. Now I have no excuses. GULP. Several weeks later, a fantastic opportunity arose to use this cooking method....my sister had just had her 4th baby and one thing I remembered about having a newborn was what a blessing those meals were that others had made for us. So, I thought it would be a great gift for Julie (and her family). I decided to try one of the 2 week menus (cuz that was only 14 meals to mess up and not 30!!) so I went grocery shopping and had the book open to the shopping list page as I perused  the store. Well laid out, (groceries divided into categories such as dairy, meat, produce etc) and easy to follow, I was done within the hour. My husband volunteered (Seriously....I didn't even ask him!!) to help me out and so we woke up early late and started the whole process around 10:30am (after the kidlets had left with Grandma) and when all was said and done, it was 2:15pm and we had 12 meals made and ready to be frozen! Not gonna lie....we gave eachother a high five and felt pretty good about it all....maybe he'll volunteer for the next cooking session??!! :) So, here are my thoughts about the whole process....from one rookie to another...

12 Meals made in 3.75 hours 

Pros
- Categorized grocery list cuts down on shopping time (no wandering the isles aimlessly.... except to try to find mango chutney???)
- Step by step instructions on what to cut up and how much, as well as when to start cooking what meal in order to maximize efficiency
- Gets all the major cooking over with in one day (all you need to do is prepare side dishes or rice etc)
- If you do this with a friend...its a social time and even....FUN! (important to have the kids being looked after by someone else...uninterrupted cooking!!)
- Saves money by buying exactly what you use...nothing goes to waste
- Cook book offers 2 monthly meal plans, 2 two week meal plans as well as a 2 week gluten free meal plan and a 2 week summer meal plan....so lots of options and variety
- Cook book only costs $13!!! Free shipping anytime/anywhere at www.bookdepository.com


Cons
- Half a day (2 week menu) or a full day (1 month menu) is required to make this happen as well as babysitting and coordinating a free day between friends and schedules
- Majority of recipes require meat which increases the cost (could be a bit cheaper if more dishes were meat-free)
- Requires a chest freezer to store the meals
- Shopping list provided needs to be edited or added to if swapping meals within the plan (can get confusing depending on what you are omitting or adding)

Suggestions
- Photocopy/scan the grocery list that the book provides for easier editing and carrying around with you in the store (I got some weird looks in the store as I pushed my book around in the cart) as well as protecting the book from wear and tear
- Do this with a friend....not only for social and fun reasons but two hands make lighter work, and it will be easier to stay on top of dishes while still preparing the meals
- Either put one of the meals aside for dinner that night, or plan to go out......no extra cooking for you!
- Label each dish and include baking time/temp and any extra instructions (permanent marker right on the foil)

Hope this helps those of you who are contemplating this cooking method......

Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 3 - Veggie Lasagna

I was in the mood for some comfort food......so I thought let's make pasta!!! But keeping health in mind I wanted to avoid the fatty cheese/sauces and get my vegetable intake in, so I went on the hunt for a scrumptious veggie lasagna.....and I found it!! This one made enough for 3 meals for a family of 4, so put the work in now, and freeze 2 extra meals for those nights you don't feel like cooking.
So here it is folks, your meal idea for tonight:

Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 3

Less-On-Ya Lasagna
Prep: 25 min    Serves: 10-12  

Not my picture (forgot to take one again!)
but isn't your mouth watering right now? :)

3 Cups sliced mushrooms
2 Medium Zucchini's unpeeled and chopped
1 Yellow Pepper, chopped
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 Red onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 Teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Teaspoon each dried rosemary; dried oregano
1 Cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 Cup low-fat (1%) Cottage cheese
1/3 Cup Parsley
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg white
12 Lasagna noodles*
3 Cups Spaghetti Sauce
1 1/2 Cups part-skim Mozzarella Cheese shredded

1. Mix mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary and oregano together, place in roasting pan uncovered at 400 for 25 min, stirring at halfway point.

2. While veggies are roasting, a) cook pasta,  b) prepare cheese mixture: Combine 1/4 Cup parsley, Parmesan Cheese, Egg white, Ricotta Cheese, Cottage Cheese  and mix well, refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Assemble Lasagna: 9 x 13 inch baking dish (spray with non stick spray), spread 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce over bottom of pan. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles over sauce. Spread 1/2 cheese filling over noodles, followed by 1/3 roasted veggies. Sprinkle 1/3 Mozzarella cheese over top. Repeat layering. Layer final 4 noodles over mozzarella, followed by remaining spaghetti sauce. Top sauce with remaining roasted veggies.

4. Cover with foil and bake @ 375 for 35 minutes.
* (If using oven ready noodles, change baking time to 1 hour)

5. Remove Lasagna from oven, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parsley, return to oven uncovered, for 5 minutes.

6. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.  (Important to follow this last step as it helps the lasagna stick together and absorb juices)

So, let's just say this was gobbled up in no time! Healthy veggies, comforting pasta/sauce combination and a scrumptious mix of low-fat cheeses are what made this meal a new favorite! The major bonus was that I was able to freeze 2 other dinners from this recipe......which made up for the work that I put into making this. All in all, a great dish but it takes some prep work to put it all together. 

~ Recipe taken from "Crazy plates" Cookbook by Janet & Greta Podleski ~

Adventures in the Kitchen Week 2

Alright....this time I am venturing into the world of Quinoa (Keen-wa) for a "warm up your insides" kind of stew for a cold winter day. We ate this for lunch with some cut up veggies on the side.

Adventures in the Kitchen Recipe # 2

Quinoa, Carrot and Lentil Stew
Prep time: 10 min  Serves: 4

Not my picture but is the same yumminess as mine.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Red Lentils
4 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Stock
1 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cups Sliced Carrots
1 Cup Diced Red Onion (I used yellow onion)
2 Teaspoons Minced Fresh Garlic
1 Teaspoon Cumin
1 Teaspoon Coriander
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Diced Red Bell Pepper
2 Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro (*I didn't include this)

Combine the quinoa, lentils, stock and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Add the carrots, onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the red pepper and cook 5 more minutes.
*Add the cilantro. Serve immediately.

Taken from Quinoa, the Everyday Superfood 365.

This is a recipe I have made twice now....and it was so good both times! The adults in my life loved it (hubs and mom-in-law and me!). As for the kids....Kaitlyn ate a kid sized bowl and seemed to like it enough to finish and after adding raisins Lily ate it til the raisins were all gone. You know what they say....keep trying and they may just end up liking it! No heat from spices, hearty and packed with 2 of nature's protein sources makes this stew a cheap, easy, healthy and yummy lunch.

Adventures in the Kitchen: Week 1

Meal Variety has always been a struggle for me. I have a fairly decent repertoire of meals that we circulate through but I am a bit bored with them. I've been making them now for almost 8 years.  So, I've decided to embark on a recipe finding adventure......my goal is to try (and post) at least one new recipe a week.....goals being healthy, fairly easy (using ingredients commonly found in any kitchen), and enjoyed by my food critics (my family!). I'll make sure to include honest and helpful reviews. Hope this helps you moms out there who are just as tired as me with Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday.... :) 

Adventures in the Kitchen Recipe # 1

No-Fuss Moroccan Chicken

Prep Time: 15 min    Serves: 4    

Ingredients

1.5 lbs. of chicken halves (I used chic. breasts...I am a wimp when it comes to bones!)

2 T of oil (I used coconut oil)

1/2 Cup chopped onion

1 Garlic clove (I am a garlic junkie so I used 4 cloves, freshly pressed)

2 Cups Salsa (using mild, medium or hot salsa will determine how hot this dish will be)

1/2 Cup Water

Silly me, forgot to take a picture....so this one will have to do!
 Similar image minus the slivered almonds.

1/4 Currants (I substituted raisins...tasted great)

2 Tablespoons honey

1 1/2 Teaspoons Cumin

1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 F. Brown chicken in oil and place in baking dish.

Lightly saute onions and garlic. Spoon over chicken.

Combine salsa, water, currants, honey, cumin and cinnamon in a bowl.

Pour over chicken. 

Cover and bake for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with Rice or Couscous.

Rice is always a hit with my family, as is chicken. The girls ate a small helping as I unwisely used a medium heat salsa...a little too hot for tiny tongues. As for the adults, we agreed it was spicy but enjoyed the sweet surprise of the raisins and the flavor of this dish. I would make this dish again, but use mild salsa instead.