Spicy Sausage Pasta - A one skillet meal

My husband always gives me a hard time when he walks into the kitchen after a meal and sees all the dirty dishes. I'll admit, sometimes it does look like a bomb went off and all the dishes from the cabinet landed in the sink...dirty, piled high, and in need of a good scrub down. Enter the one pot, or in this case, one skillet meal. God bless the individual who used their brain to think of ways to eliminate all the extra dishes. This is the perfect meal for when you need a night off from cleaning the kitchen. Oh and did I mention, its ready in 30 minutes or less.

I wasn't expecting to be wowed by this meal. I guess I figured since the recipe seemed so simple, so would the flavors. I love being wrong... at least when it comes to food. Cheesy pasta with the perfect amount of spice; about a 4 or 5 out of 10 on the heat scale, more of a 3 for my husband. For those that like extra spice, you can substitute the original Ro-tel tomatoes for the spicy version. If feeding to little ones or your prefer less spice, choose the milder version. This meal was so good, we found ourselves going back for more until it was gone and even today I'm still thinking about it and wanting more.

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Source adapted from: America's Test Kitchen, The Best Simple Recipes

Linked up to: Taste and Tell Thursdays

What's in my Kitchen - Blender edition

So I decided to start a new series of posts to highlight my favorite kitchen gadgets. I'm excited to share with you the stuff I can't live without in my kitchen. No paid advertisements, no sponsors...just my honest opinions of products that I have come to rely on and love. The first product in the series of posts is dedicated to the one appliance most used in our home (if you don't count the fridge, oven, or dishwasher, of course).

Our Blender choice: BlendTec

We have had our Blendtec blender since August of 2009. My husband started making a shift in his lifestyle and after adopting the love of running, wanted to incorporate a healthier diet. We were on the market to find the best blender for green smoothies and this blender met all our needs. I'll admit, it was hard to swallow the price tag, but over three years and 2000+ uses the expense has been more than  justified.

The blender itself can do so much more than just smoothies, but green smoothies are what gets the most usage day to day in our blender. If you've ever tried a smoothie that still had chunks of ice, fruit, or worse kale or spinach...you probably didn't go back for more. This appliance takes care of any kind of texture other blenders might leave behind. It's also programmable, so at the touch of a button, the blender gets to work on my smoothie and I'm free to walk away and tend to other things. Still not convinced, do a quick search on youtube and find the Blendtec blending a cell phone and all sorts of other crazy random things.

As a bonus, I've included my Green smoothie recipe. It took me many tries to get the taste just right, so adjust the flavors as needed until you are sold on the idea of greens in your smoothie; you'll be surprised to find you can't taste the greens. Even my 18 month old son loves to drink them each morning. It's the one thing we all share at the beginning of each day.

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Source: Whole Lotta Oven original recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

It took me 22 years and convincing from my Husband before I ever tried Indian food. I don't even remember what I ate, but I do remember being pleasantly surprised, which is almost always the case. It's funny how our minds work. I had convinced myself I didn't like Indian spices and therefore would not enjoy Indian food. Fast forward to now, and Chicken Tikka is one of my favorite meals. This is actually one of my top three favorites and something that I could probably make once a week; even my husband agrees with me on that! I typically make an extra half batch just for the sake of having extra leftovers for lunch throughout the week.

Here is my breakdown of Chicken Tikka. The chicken marinates in a yogurt  and spice mixture, resulting in tender pieces of chicken before hitting the grill (or in my case, the grill pan). The marinade can be done the night before or up to four hours before making the meal. Then comes the sauce....oh the sauce! More spices, some cream and tomato sauce marry to become the perfect condiment for the chicken and some naan. Don't skip the naan. I highly recommend garlic naan, but regular naan is fine too. I might be biased, but I really think this recipe is even better than the dish at our favorite Indian restaurant, but I'll let you be the judge.

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Source: adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen, originally adapted from Allrecipes

Linked up to: Buns in My Oven

Menu Planning - Week Four

We have made it to the last week of January. Can you see me jumping up and down? Last week was bitterly cold here in NY. I spent most of the week in a double layer of socks, sweats, hoodies, and rolled up in a blanket drinking any kind of hot beverage I could find. While I'm happy to say goodbye to January, February generally brings even more cold weather and snow, but I'm trying to think of it as the home stretch. I'm finding my zen moments dreaming of the sunrise over the beach, laying out in the warm sun, and listening to waves crash on the ocean.....ahh that was a good moment! Until we can rejoice with warmer weather, I will continue to menu plan with some comfort food. Here is what's on the menu this week:

Chicken Tikka Masala

Slow Cooker Roast with an Onion-and-Mushroom Gravy

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Pantry Meal: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Make sure to check out all the recipes I discovered this week on Pinterest by following me here.

Croque Monsieur

I decided to bring a little bit of Paris to our home this week. Some days you're just not in the mood to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making dinner. Sandwiches are always a quick and easy option for us right now. R loves anything with bread and cheese (as do most kiddos), but whose to say you can't make a sandwich fancy. I have been wanting to try this cheesy concoction ever since seeing the episode air on tv. Secretly I wanted to put it on the menu so I could practice my best French accent while announcing to my husband that we were having, "Croque Monsieur." Just between the two of us, I'm pretty sure I butchered the pronunciation. What can I say, I'm an Oklahoma girl at heart.

The sandwiches hit the spot. It has been quite cold in NY and something warm and comforting was what we needed. For those not familiar with this fancy sandwich, its basically a ham and cheese sandwich that is then slathered in a thick and gooey cheese sauce consisting of Parmesan and Gruyere cheese, topped with more Gruyere, and baked until warm and bubbly. This is comfort food at it's finest. A definite indulgence that is best served on a special occasion or at least in moderation!



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Source: Savury and Sweet, adapted originally from Barefoot Contessa via Food Network

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

I'm on a roll with pork chops. This will be the second pork chop recipe posted in a month, which is somewhat funny because I don't normally cook a lot with pork chops. I guess I've had too many meals cooked for me with bland, boring, and quite overdone chops. This recipe is not the case and happens to be my favorite pork chop recipe yet. I can say its my favorite because I've made it several times since receiving the cookbook and I'm typically not one to repeat recipes over and over.

Lets talk chops, shall we?

The pork chop comes out moist and juicy every time and the breading provides the perfect crunch with each bite. Instead of just dipping the meat into an egg mixture in order to adhere the breadcrumbs, this recipe uses a mixture of Dijon mustard and egg whites. While the Dijon does not overpower the dish, it gives you a subtle undertone with each bite that you can't quite figure out.  The recipe itself may seem like a lot of steps, but the breadcrumb mixture can be made and stored in an air-tight container for up to 3 days and the breaded chops can be frozen before baked for up to a week (just increase the cooking time by 15 to 20 minutes). So no excuses, prep this weekend for an easy weeknight meal next week!

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Source: America's Test Kitchen

Linked Up to: Buns in My Oven & Taste and Tell

Menu Planning - Week Three

Welcome to another Monday! This week I have two new and fabulous weeknight meals to share with you. Make sure to come back on Tuesday and Thursday and check them out. As previously promised, here is a look at our menu for the week.

 Spicy Chicken and Rice Bowl

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

Croque Monsieur

Pantry Meal: Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Want to know what recipes I've saved throughout the week to try? Follow me here on Pinterest.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

One taste bud that has never changed is my love for peanut butter. Combine that with a cookie, which I generally can't say no to, add in some chocolate, and we have a winning combination. For the simplicity and ease of this recipe, it ranks high on the list of one of my favorite cookies. From the outside it appears to be a humble chocolate cookie, take one bite and the creamy peanut butter center takes you by surprise. This is a good cookie recipe to have in your arsenal, but be warned...with the recipe consisting of all pantry ingredients, it can be dangerous for those who love a peanut butter and chocolate combo.

 

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Source: Sweet Peas Kitchen, originally from Liv Life

Linked up to: Buns in My Oven & Taste and Tell

 

Baked Chipotle Ranch Chicken Taquitos

Chicken taquitos are nothing new. Most of us have had the frozen store bought taquitos at some point in our lives (or maybe that was just my childhood).  I've seen homemade versions of taquitos floating around for a while and have even tried a few. They were good, but not special enough to make again. Maybe it was the chipotle ranch description of this recipe that made me think to give homemade taquitos another chance or maybe it was the thought of having some type of munchy food to snack on throughout the weekend, either way...I'm happy I gave Mr. taquito a second chance.

Hands down, what sets this version apart from other versions is the chipotle ranch dressing. I could not get enough of this dressing. Even today, I'm trying to think of other things I can make to incorporate more chipotle ranch. The dressing is not only served alongside the taquito, but it is added to the chicken filling. For those that are wondering how spicy this dish really is, my 16 month old son ate the chicken, but I would advise against serving additional dressing to the kiddos. Instead,  I would recommend a milder salsa, some guacamole, or even just sour cream. This was our actual meal for a lazy Saturday, but it could easily serve as an appetizer for your next party or could be frozen for later lunch and dinner options throughout the week.

 

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Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally adapted from Our Best Bites

Weekly Menu & Budget Rants

I recently came across a post that stated the national average for groceries is $100 per person in your household per month. Included in that grocery number is not only food items, but toiletries and other household needs. This disturbed me. I first thought of all the excuses for myself..I mean I do live in New York, which isn’t exactly a cheap cost of living, but ultimately it got me thinking that I wasn’t being budget conscious enough when it comes to grocery shopping. Anyone that knows my husband and I knows we are frugal. I haven’t done much research to really know for sure what the national average is on groceries, but if the statistic above is accurate, my grocery budget per month should be $300. OUCH! I could easily spend that within the first 2 to 2 1/2 weeks.

With the start of a new year and after paying our credit card bill for the month of December (hello Christmas shopping) I thought I would challenge myself to stay within the $300 grocery budget. While I’m not going to go crazy clipping coupons or travel over 40 minutes to get to the nearest Wal-Mart for the best prices, I will do my best to not exploit my areas of weakness…such as my beloved Target. I have unintentionally been frequenting Target on a weekly basis, picking up a few household items, but occasionally straying from my list of things needed for a cute pair of snow boots on sale or other temptations. As far as purchasing toiletries and other household needs, I don’t plan to include that in my grocery allowance in an attempt to actually stay somewhat on budget and not constantly go over each month. So how am I doing so far? I gave myself a $60 per week budget for groceries. Last week I managed to spend $71 (over by $11) and this week my total was $59.69 which included a $4 purchase for my mother-in-law and extra canned goods that were on sale…not bad! Now that I’m only working part-time, every penny saved helps and the husband is certainly appreciative. So, all that to say….

Here is what’s on the menu this week:

Sausage and Peppers Pasta with Crunchy Garlic Bread

Baked Chipotle Ranch Chicken Taquitos

Meatball Sub Casserole

Pantry Meal: Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest for all the recipes I’ve pinned throughout the week. You can find me here: http://pinterest.com/wholelottaoven/

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken Stew

2 onions, minced

2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon chili powder

4 cups chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup minute tapioca

1 tablespoon brown sugar

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed

2 cups frozen corn

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 chipotle Chile in adobo sauce, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

White Rice to serve (optional)

Microwave onions, jalapenos, garlic, tomato paste, oil, and chili powder in a medium size bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker.
Stir broth, tomatoes, tapioca, and sugar into slow cooker. Season chicken with salt and pepper and nestle into slow cooker. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, 4 to 6 hours on low.
Transfer chicken to cutting board, let cool slightly, and shred into bite-sized pieces. Let stew settle for 5 minutes, then skim fat from the surface with a large spoon.
Stir in corn and black beans, cover, and cook on high for 10 minutes or until heated through. Stir in shredded chicken and chipotle Chile and let sit for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Source: America's Test Kitchen, Slow Cooker Revolution

Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili and Onion Sauce

 

 

Let me first say, this recipe is a winner and has earned a spot on our dinner rotation, but if I'm being honest, this was a meal I didn't think went together all too well. When flipping through the pages of an old cookbook, the pork chop portion caught my eye, but I was skeptical about the cilantro potato salad. After doing a quick search for reviews of the meal, I found I wasn't the only one who thought the combination odd, however most reviews said the two were great together. Even though I wasn't completely sold on the side dish, I added both to our menu. It turns out, they actually weren't crazy and the two did work together and made a delicious meal. The sweet chili and onion sauce provided a subtle, but flavorful accompaniment to the pork chop. The potato salad was nice and light, not to mention full of good veggies. I found myself going back for more potato salad and quite honestly would have loved another pork chop (or at least a half of one). I’m looking forward to the leftovers and its return on our weekly menu.

Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili and Onion Sauce with Creamy Cilantro Potato Salad

2 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

4 to 6 boneless center-cut pork chops

1 large red onion, finely chopped

1 heaping tablespoon chili powder

1/2 tablespoon ground cumin

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 celery ribs, finely chopped

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Place the potatoes in a sauce pot and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, add course salt, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the potatoes and spread out onto a rimmed cookie sheet to cool quickly, about 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are working, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Place the chops in the skillet and sear for about 2 minutes on each side to caramelize. Transfer the chops to a rimmed cookie sheet and place in the oven to finish off, 7 to 8 minutes, until the meat reaches between 150 to 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and let the chops rest, covered with foil, for a few minutes.

While the chops bake, return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, three quarters of the chopped onion, the chili powder, cumin, two thirds of the garlic, the brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer until reduced by half. Once reduced, turn off the heat and whisk in the cold butter.

While the sweet chili-onion sauce is cooking, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cilantro, the remaining chopped onions, the remaining garlic, the red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add to the dressing the chopped celery and red bell peppers. When you are ready to serve, add the cooled potatoes. Stir the potatoes to combine, and check the seasoning.

Pour the sweet chili-onion sauce over the rested pork chops; serve the creamy cilantro potato salad alongside.

Recipe slightly adapted from: Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats

Meal Planning – What Works for Me

Most people dread planning out meals for their family each week. I'm one of the weird folks that love the exercise. I thought I would share my process for planning meals and what works for me and my family as well as share with you our meal plan for this week and going forward in the weeks to come. Hopefully this can help benefit someone else who dreads the meal planning process. Let me start by saying, I understand what works for me won't be the case of everyone, but hopefully my meal planning can at least provide suggestions for you each week!

I plan on cooking at least four meals per week, with one of those meals being a “pantry” meal. Four meals may not sound like enough, but here is my reasoning. First, if I cook for just my husband and me, I always make more than enough so we have leftovers, which takes care of at least one additional dinner if not two. Second, we often share meals with my husband’s family, so I don’t always cook every night. Third, we like take-out on occasion and don’t mind having it as a back-up plan if we run out of food.

The “pantry” meal is just as it sounds, a dish that is made with mostly pantry ingredients. This meal is saved as the last meal of the week. I hate wasting food, especially fresh produce, so if I don’t make it through all four meals each week, the “pantry” meal prevents food waste from happening.



When looking for meal options, I keep a notebook filled with all of our family favorite meals. The meals are categorized by the type of meat used in the dish. This helps me remember all of our options. I am constantly updating the notebook with new meals that we tried and loved. I’m a big believer in variety, so I almost never make the same meal in a month, unless of course we absolutely love it. Other sources of inspiration for new recipes come from Pinterest, food blogs, and my own collection of cookbooks.

This is just a sneak peek at my meal planning for each week. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment.

Here is what's on the menu this week:

 

Oven-Fried Chicken with twice baked Sweet Potatoes

 

Pork Chops in a Sweet Chili and Onion Sauce with a Creamy Cilantro Potato Salad

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken Stew served with white rice

 

Pantry meal: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

My new role as mom has taught me many things, which isn't that hard to believe. Planning each day now revolves around R and his needs. Breakfast before being a mom was always a grab whatever you could find or quickly put together and run out the door to work. Learning my new role of staying at home and making sure R has a well balanced diet brings a different kind of morning routine. One of R's favorite foods are blueberries. I always keep a big bag of frozen blueberries around the hours for recipes such as this one or to put in pancakes or waffles. After trying this baked oatmeal, its hard to eat from the pre-made oatmeal packets. The oatmeal has layers of flavors and textures and is also a very adaptable. Add in raspberries or substitute for other fruit or nuts you have on hand. If you are short on time in the mornings, make a batch on the weekend and reheat throughout the week. The leftovers are just as good and it is definitely a hearty, healthy, and filling breakfast.

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with half of the berries. Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and blueberries over the top. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson via Annie's Eats

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone! It's a new year and the Sweet and Savory Kitchen blog is on my list of New Year's resolutions. I have been saying for quite a while how much I miss the blog, so with a new year I am hoping to get back on my game and start blogging once again.

It's been a little less than two years since my last post, so in many ways its like a whole new blog! To fill you in on what has been keeping me so busy, I should first tell you that I traded in my full-time accounting job to be a full-time Mom....and maintain my accounting job part-time, working from home. We welcomed our son into the world September 2011. Fast forward to now, we have a healthy and happy 16 month old son that has completed our family and filled our hearts with joy and love. My purpose in life seems so much fuller as a mother. Now that Rylan (R for short) is getting a little bigger, he has started showing interest in helping me in the kitchen. I'm looking forward to having an extra helper as he grows and can do more in the kitchen than arrange my pantry and pots and pans!

My last post was April 2011. My has the world of blogging changed since the introduction of Pinterest. Although I haven't been posting recipes, I have certainly been in the kitchen trying new dishes, some good...some not so good. I can't wait to share some of our favorites we have found and loved. I can't promise posts everyday or perfect pictures, but I will try to bring you a few new recipes each week. For those that have a Pinterest account, Follow me at http://pinterest.com/wholelottaoven.

Happy New Year to each of you! May 2013 bring you all health, happiness, love, and good food!!