Tex-Mex Tonight

We found ourselves with a plethora of fresh cilantro after a party on Friday....so tex-mex on Sunday!  Had a great recipe for pork tacos with fresh mango salsa out of an America's Test Kitchen cookbook.   It used ground pork instead of tenderloin, and canned Chipotle in adobo sauce.   Rounded out with rice and beans, fresh guacamole ( that I "wing" instead of using a recipe now) and you've gor a great meal.  And plenty of leftovers, whixh is always my favorite.

Chicken n' Muffins

Chicken n muffins....not meant to be eaten together but that's what was made on Sunday.  It was also the first case of "Trashed Kitchen" in this house!!  And I'm sure we'll do it again and again.

The chicken was "Peruvian Grilled Chicken" from Epicurious, and man, so flavorful!  Brian quartered a whole chicken, and I made up the marinade.  It consisted of soy sauce, lime juice, paprika, cumin, oregano, and garlic.  Lots of garlic.  Absolutely fantastic, and a different flavor combination than what we're used to.

Brian had gotten unsweetened flaked coconut at the grocery store to make a banana bread recipe that he found on Pinterest.  I was running low on sugar though, and it also requires rum.  (Sounds pretty good, huh?)  No rum in the house, so instead I made the blueberry-coconut muffins on the back of the bag.  Brian adores anything coconut, so it works out well.  Plus, it's nice to have some muffins for mid-morning coffee at work.

Nutty Salmon

This was possibly the best salmon I have ever had.

Pecan Crusted Salmon, courtesy of Taste of Homes "Busy Families Cookbook."

I want to make this one again and soon!

Meatballs

I've thought about meatballs a lot this past week.  It's kind of a strange subject to spend more than a few minutes thinking about, but I have.

What stemmed it was Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner one night.  The meatballs were frozen, from the grocery store.  I've bought them many times, different brands from time to time and we've been eating them for a few years.  Well, whatever brand these are, they stink.  They don't taste good and I think that they must have a higher fat content than whatever I was buying before (since we've moved I've shopped at different stores, so I have no idea) and I don't feel so good after eating them.  But do I stop eating them?  No. 

After that meal I started to remember how my mother used to make meatballs.  She'd take an afternoon and make enough to freeze.  Then we'd open a ziploc bag of meatballs on spaghetti night and that would be dinner.  When I started cooking for myself and later, my husband, I did it the same way.  And I stopped for the same reasons that she did, it's time consuming.  It's so much easier to buy a bag of frozen meatballs and be done with it. 

Well, today one of my residents brought down a plate of four meatballs, sauce, cheese and fresh italian bread.  I had planned on going out to grab a bite to eat, but was grateful for the plate of food.  (This is one of the nicest things about working in elderly housing, by the way.)  I brought the plate into the community room with a book, and proceeded to eat.  and WHOA!  These meatballs are incredible.  They're obviously homemade, and so was the sauce.  And the bread is so fresh, it must've been bought today.

So that settles it for me.  No more frozen meatballs for this family, at least not as a staple.  Some things are worth making, and meatballs are going on that list.  I'm looking forward to getting some good quality hamburger and cranking out some meatballs for my very own freezer.  Sauce is another story.....someday I'd like to make my own but for now I'm good with jarred Newman's Own.  :)

Honey-Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Tonight's pork recipe is courtesy of the Food Network.   It was a delightful, tangy glaze of balsamic vinegar (which I almost forgot to add) honey, four cloves of garlic, olive oil, rosemary and a little dijon mustard.  Served with couscous and salad, but the boys had theirs with bread and applesauce.  Will wolfed his serving down, and Sean even tasted it before he politely told us that he didn't like it.  Who are these kids?  No tears, and eating everything??  :)

I also like recipes that start by browning on the stove and finishing in the oven.  The browning, and then the finish by roasting, makes for a nice, moist meat.  I'd definitely make this again.

Back in Business

Hooray, we've moved!  Still getting settled and will be for a while but let me tell you, it is SO NICE to be cooking again.  Starting out slow, but after weeks of quickie dinners and lots of takeout, it is good to eat decent food.  Not that going out to eat isn't "decent," but it is nice to be cooking again.

The new house has a very nice kitchen, and cooking in the summer is a lot sweeter when you're "slaving at a hot stove" in central air conditioning!!!   Our first home-cooked meal?  Steak on the grill, with potato packets and canned green beans.  Gotta start somewhere.  :)

In the mornings Hubby is doing the kids' dropoff so I actually have time for REAL breakfast.  So here's today's meal: 

dropped egg on toast with leftover potatoes, and Cabot vanilla bean greek yogurt with some blueberries.  Delish!  I'd never had this brand of greek yogurt before and it's great  Lots of vanilla flavor.  Having "breakfast for dinner" tonight and I'm going to make smoothies for the kids with this yogurt and some frozen tropical fruit.

It feels SO GOOD to be back in business!

Hawaiian Chicken

Back so soon, you say?  We haven't moved yet.  it's been quite a stressful week with the house, but we're feeling much better about everything than we did a week ago.  We've also agreed that we are super-sick of takeout and blah food.  So, despite most of our kitchen being packed up, we made Hawaiian Chicken, courtesy of Pinterest.

It was incredible!  Though I do need to start reading recipes better and not discover that something that I want to make in the next half hour or so needs at least two hours of marinating.

Hawaiian chicken breasts, jasmine rice with saffron and peas, roasted asparagus and grilled fresh pineapple. Mmmmm.....real food hasn't tasted this good in a while!