Kiy's Recipe Box

Tonight's post is short and sweet, for some reason I am completely zonked. As soon as Emi is well and truly asleep, I am heading to bed. Must be all that cool, crisp autumn air. :)

As always, if you are looking for more great recipes and menu plans head on over to Laura's at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

• Sunday: *What I Didn’t Get to Last Week

• No matter how much I plan or promise myself I won’t laze out and just say, “scrounge night”, it happens. At least once a week. So, I end up with a menu and (usually) ingredients for one meal (sadly, sometimes more than one). So here is my plan to not waste anything and to use up that meal.
• This week it was Mexican Lasagna, sliced nectarines and peaches. We ate the peaches and nectarines all week (and loved every bite!), so while at the farmers market again on Friday I picked up some more.

• Monday: Breakfast! Eggs, sausages, grits and toast or hashbrowns

• Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Bake, some kind of frozen vege

• Wednesday: Burgers on the grill, homemade sweet potato fries (scroll down in the link for my how-to), zucchini slices on the grill

• Thursday: Leftover Buffet

• Friday: Fish Nite is back! Asian-Style Grilled Tilapia, steamed rice and sugar snap peas

• Saturday: Free Nite

Original Post: Menu Plan (September 28 – October 4)

pizza shell (premade, make your own, or refrigerated)
½ - ¾ cup pesto sauce (make your own or use jarred)
½ pound chicken breast or tenders
2-3 tablespoons BBQ sauce (use your fav, thicker is better)
pineapple, canned (we prefer the tidbits as they are easier to eat on pizzas)
artichoke hearts, chopped (canned, packed in water)
feta cheese, crumbled
mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast or tenders (tenders cook quicker) and sauté until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat. When chicken is cool enough to handle, dice chicken (should be about a cup). In a small bowl, toss chicken with 2-3 tablespoons barbecue sauce (depends on how saucy you like yours). Set aside.

Spread pesto sauce evenly over pizza dough, leaving about half an inch for the crust. Sprinkle with chicken, pineapple, artichoke hearts, feta and mozzarella cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheeses bubble. Let sit for about 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Mexican Lasagna
Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast (Kiy Note: Sometimes I use turkey)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas
2½ cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

Kiy Note: This dish is a family fav, it's easy and very tasty!

First off, the Tiki Tiki pizza was a huge success. I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers (isn't that the real reason everyone loves pizza?). We didn't expect Emi to eat it, but she ate most of it (except the chicken, she still isn't really a meat gal). Recipe link is below (Friday).

Also, I finally made the Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini. Oh My Goodness! Jeff and I about fell into the pan lapping it up, it was so good. I tried to take a picture but it looked like a green and white blob of yuck. A food photographer, I will never be. But seriously, try this. It is much easier than the recipe reads, just take it step by step. Make sure you have all your ingredients out and lined up, chop-drain-etc everything in advance (by the way, I do this with all my recipes, I think it makes cooking much easier ... I also put away as I use). I can also see using this as just an appetizer without the tortellini, maybe spread on baguettes or something. Very very good! Oh, and I made some changes (big surprise there, I can't leave any recipe alone!). I did not use the butter in the first step, just the olive oil. Also, there was no way I was going to use heavy cream. I used half-and-half, fat free! Lastly, I used only about a half a cup of the cheese, and forgot to put more on the table to sprinkle on, we didn't miss it at all. I didn't tell Jeff until after dinner and he said leave it that way, it rocked just the way I made it.

Emi has been a bit under the weather the last few days. Nothing major that we can tell, just runny diapers and her appetite is off a bit (except for fruit, which we have been trying to limit - not easy with Emi!). She is still her happy busy self, but every now and again will stop what she is doing, cry a bit, and need a hug or cuddle. It looks like there could be a molar working it's way up and in, and that could be all it is but it's always a bit worrisome when Little Bit is off.

So with that in mind, I am making dinners early in the week that are quick and easy. This week is family fav's week at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Every meal I have planned is one we've had before (and love). We do have some additional fav's that completely rock:

Asian-Style Grilled Tilapia
Pumpkin Ring Cake
Orange-Ginger Chicken
Jamaican Banana Bread (I always double this!)
Gail’s PSYCHO CHICKEN

• Sunday: *What I Didn’t Get to Last Week

• No matter how much I plan or promise myself I won’t laze out and just say, “scrounge night”, it happens. At least once a week. So, I end up with a menu and (usually) ingredients for one meal (sadly, sometimes more than one). So here is my plan to not waste anything and to use up that meal.
• This week it was nothing, I made everything I had planned. However, tonight we are going to just do a ‘whatever’ night as Emi is a bit under the weather. Jeff is running to the grocery store for some basics, and with luck I will be cooking the rest of the week.

• Monday: Jules’ Homemade Tomato Soup, grilled ham & cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit salad

• Tuesday: Taco Salad (one ‘pot’ meal)
• What we like in ours (I put all the stuff on the counter and we sorta buffet-it): ground beef or turkey with taco seasoning, taco chips of some kind, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, canned corn (rinsed and chilled), pineapple (I know it’s odd, but it really works!), sliced olives (for Jeff & Emi), shredded cheese and salsa (both mild and whatever Jeff is eating at the moment, varies from medium to oh-my-gosh my stomach walls have burned away).

• Wednesday: Mexican Lasagna, sliced nectarines and peaches

• Thursday: Leftover Buffet

• Friday: Homemade Pizza Nite: Tiki Tiki Pizza and a green salad (probably the Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad)
  
• This is by request (Jeff). Yes, much to my delight, it really was that good!

• Saturday: Free Nite

Original Post: Menu Plan (September 21 - September 27)

This is going to be quick, 'cause it's 930pm here and I am pooped! Miss Emi is not sleeping well at all lately, and the last three nights it has just been easier to move her into our room to finish the night. That seems to settle her down, so she must need something right now. I have a feeling we have more teeth coming in, poor baby. Thank goodness Jeff and I are slackers and the co-sleeper that we keep meaning to take down is still up and attached to our bed. At this point, we've decided to leave it up for awhile. There just isn't room in our queen for all three of us. Especially since the smallest of the three takes up the most room, and covers!

Dinners were odd last week, so I have two hold-overs. I am also going to try my hand at making a pizza that is a fav at our local pizza place. We are going to seriously try to not laze out and call out for pizzas. We tend to do that, mainly as the day gets away from me and Jeff offers to call. Plus the fact that their pizzas are truly amazing, so there isn't much arm twisting from either one of us. But, between the cost of the pizza(s), the (new) delivery and gas charges, tax and tip ... ouch. So that little extravagance is being tossed out the window. Now it's Kiy's Pizza Place, tips required! ;)

So, since I can hear my pillow calling, here is our menu for the week. It's a pretty busy week so not much cooking. Don't forget to check out Organizing Junkie's for more MPM!

• Sunday: *What I Didn’t Get to Last Week

• No matter how much I plan or promise myself I won’t laze out and just say, “scrounge night”, it happens. At least once a week. So, I end up with a menu and (usually) ingredients for one meal (sadly, sometimes more than one). So here is my plan to not waste anything and to use up that meal.
• This week it was Shortcut Lasagna with sautéed zucchini and onions AND Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini (one pot meal, will serve an additional vege or even a fruit for Emi, just in case)
• Tonight we had the Shortcut Lasagna with sautéed zucchini and onions

· Monday: Homemade Pizza Nite (always a hit!): Tiki Tiki Pizza and a green salad (probably the Spinach and Mandarin Orange Salad) {{If this pizza works, I will post the recipe later this week.}}

· Tuesday: Special Lunch at Jeff’s office, not sure what we are doing for dinner

· Wednesday: From *WIDGTLW: Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini (one pot meal, will serve an additional vege or even a fruit for Emi, just in case)

· Thursday: Our 15^th Anniversary! Not sure what we are doing yet, we have nothing planned but hey, at least we both remembered. Many a year we both forget until days later!

· Friday: Leftover Buffet

· Saturday: Free Nite


Original Post: Menu Plan (September 14 - September 20)

*Update September 21, 2008: I made this last week and made some changes, see below*

Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini
30 min | 30 min prep | SERVES 4 -6

Ingredients:

* 1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon butter (Kiy Note: I did not use)
* 3 garlic clove, chopped
* 1 small onion, grated
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 cup heavy cream (Kiy Note: I substituted fat free 1/2 and 1/2)
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 (14 ounce) can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Romano cheese (Kiy Note: I used about 1/2 cup)
* 1 lb cheese tortellini

Directions :

1. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the oil and butter.
2. When butter melts, add garlic and grated onion. Saute for 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute.
4. Whisk in the broth, then the cream and bring to a bubble.
5. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce heat to low.
6. Separate spinach into pieces as you add it to the sauce.
7. Stir in the artichokes and cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Cook the tortellini in salted boiling water according to package directions, about 7 minutes.
9. Drain and toss with the spinach artichoke sauce.
10. Serve immediately with additional grated cheese and diced tomatoes, if desired.

Last week went well, cooking-wise. Had a few things pop up (like sparkling pretty weather!) so that found us again ditching planned meals and running out the door. Friday night we took Emi to Concert in the Park. It's pretty awesome with a live (usually local) band and then when it gets dark they show a family friendly movie. She had a great time, and so did we! They have this all summer long, every Friday night, but we thought Emi was too young. And, she really is but we thought with taking a late nap, we'd give it a go. We are thinking by next summer she will enjoy it more and be able to handle a later night once in awhile. We supported the Lions Club and bought dogs and sodas, and brought Emi a small picnic of yogurt, fruit and cheese. We decided from now on we'd bring a family picnic and just donate money to the Lions Club. Better on our waist lines! (Although, they were grilling the dogs and the smell alone was divine!)

We had the Zesty Cheese Ravioli last week and if you haven't tried it yet, go for it. I forgot how totally, insanely easy it is to prepare! And good, ooooooh, SO good. Only, use a larger pot than you think you need. I always forget when I make this that I have to add mounds of chopped spinach that starts out huge and then wilts ... but you have to be able to gently mix it into the pasta without mashing either. Larger pot! And really, I am not sure where the 'zesty' comes in. It isn't spicy at all, just darned good eatin'.

Last week, Gina asked how I make my sweet potato fries. I do nothing all that special, and since we bought the convection oven they've been sort of hit or miss (I am still perfecting my temps and times with the oven). But here is what I do in our regular oven:

I figure one large potato per person: Cut them into 1/2 inch wedges and toss with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil (may need to adjust this depending on how many potatoes you are making) and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (I use Kosher salt, but regular table salt works too). In a single layer, arrange on a baking sheet gently coated with cooking spray. Place in a 450 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning once or more as needed. (We like ours EXTRA crispy so the last 10-15 minutes I crank the heat up to 500ish.) That's it, nothing fancy.

This week the weather is again supposed to be really nice, so I am purposely planning easy, VERY-quick-to-make meals. As always, if you are looking for more great recipes and menu plans head on over to Laura's at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

• Sunday: *What I Didn’t Get to Last Week
• No matter how much I plan or promise myself I won’t laze out and just say, “scrounge night”, it happens. At least once a week. So, I end up with a menu and (usually) ingredients for one meal (sadly, sometimes more than one). So here is my plan to not waste anything and to use up that meal. If, on the other hand I am fabulously organized and manage to make all planned meals … I hereby declare Sunday nights PIZZA night. Order in, Kiy does nothing, Pizza night!
• This week it was the Hamburgs on the grill (beef farmer burgers), homemade sweet potato fries, peas and/or carrots.

• Monday: Shortcut Lasagna with sautéed zucchini and onions

• Tuesday: Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini (one pot meal, will serve an additional vege or even a fruit for Emi, just in case)

• Wednesday: Orange Mandarin Chicken, udon or soba noodles, sugar snap peas

• Thursday: Leftover Buffet

• Friday: Homemade Pizza Nite: Thai Chicken Pizza with a tossed green salad (will make Emi an omelet or something)

• Saturday: Free Nite

Original Post: Menu Plan (September 7 - September 13)