day to day cook

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Pecan Crusted Tilapia

1/4 c. very finely chopped pecans.
4 Tilapia fillets
2 tbsp butter
1/4 c. dijon mustard
1/2 c. mayo

Coat the Tilapia fillets in the pecans, pressing to make sure they are well covered. Heat the butter in a skillet over med-high heat. Place the fillets into the pan. Cook about 2 minutes, then carefully flip and cook for another 2 minutes, just to brown. Combine dijon mustard and mayo and spread some on the top of each fillet. Continue to cook for about another 5 minutes, until done.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Burger Sliders

You have probably noticed these little mini burgers, commonly named sliders popping up at restaurants all over the place. SO, as with so many other things I see, I thought to myself, "Hey, I can make those!" Once you see how easy they are, I am sure you will be saying the same thing.

Mini Burgers
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
salt and pepper
additional seasonings as desired (some suggestions--garlic salt or powder, chili powder, paprika, parsley, italian seasoning, dry mustard, the possibilities are endless)

Combine above ingredients well. Scoop out about 1/4 c. of the meat mixture and form into a mini patty-should be about 1 1/2" in diameter. Heat a skillet to med-high heat and place patties in the pan. Cook for about 3 mins on each side or until fully cooked. (you may want to cut one in half and make sure it is pink but not red or bloody on the inside) Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

For the buns you can use rolls or hot dog buns that you cut into sections. Serve immediately.

*Obviously, there are so many variations of how these can be served? How about with some bbq sauce and bacon? Or with some pepper jack cheese and avocado? You could even set up a "toppings bar" with tons of different choices for people to make their own. (great party idea!)

For mine today, I served them with homemade french fries and fry sauce. These are definitely going to become a frequent meal in our home!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Chicken Pot Pie

How is it possible that I have not yet posted a recipe for chicken pot pie?! It is frugal, it is healthy, it is delicious! It is an all time favorite!

Chicken Pot Pie

Combine in a large skillet:
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
2 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, chopped
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 425.
Stir 1 c. peas and 1 c. corn into the pan.
Stir 1/3 c. flour with 1/3 c. water until smooth. Stir into vegetable mixture. Increase heat to med-high and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until slightly thickened.
Add 2 c. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped, into vegetable mixture.
Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust. Top with additional crust and cut slits in the top for steam. Bake in preheated oven for 20 mins.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Menu Plan Monday--Snacks

Okay, I don't plan snacks. I am a pretty detailed person, but even that is too much for me. However, I do have a list of stand-by snacks that I make sure I always have on hand. (included below) When thinking snacks, think again about REAL food. If your snacks tend to be things like fruit snacks or personal size bags of chips, you have a lot of opportunity to save money on your grocery bill (and your waistline!). Try to stick with snacks that are as close to God grown as possible. Also, think about trying to include all of the food groups. If you go to mypyramid.gov you can see the suggested servings for each of the food groups and get some ideas of what foods to eat for each group.

Here is my basic list of snacks that I always keep stocked up:
hard boiled egg
cheese
yogurt
frozen yogurt bars (homemade)
applesauce (homemade)
nuts
trail mix (homemade)
granola (homemade)
granola bars (homemade)
popcorn
pretzels
crackers
fruit
veggies

I also like to try new things or new combinations, so be on the lookout here for new snack ideas!

Menu Plan 7/5-7/11

Monday:
breakfast~croissants with cream cheese and jam
lunch~garlic vegetable soup
dinner~pork roast, potatoes, carrots, fry bread

Tuesday:
breakfast~cinnamon roll oatmeal
lunch~picnic-sandwiches, rice cakes, grapes, cookies
dinner~chicken pot pie

Wednesday:
breakfast~banana bread
lunch~mac n cheese
dinner~burger sliders and homemade french fries with fry sauce

Thursday:
breakfast~eggs and toast
lunch~pasta
dinner~pecan crusted tilapia, steamed asparagus, rice and cornbread

Friday:
breakfast~blueberry coffee cake
lunch~baked potatoes
dinner~mexican pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~french toast
lunch~ranch salad
dinner~amatriciana

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~roasted chickens, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and biscuits

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Fried Chicken

Sorry, this is another one of those things where I don't have a recipe. Trust me, eyeball it, you can't go wrong with chicken seasoned and then deep fried in a vat of oil.

Soak the chicken pieces in a mixture of buttermilk and beaten eggs. Refrigerate. Meanwhile...

Season some flour (about 4 cups) with a generous amount of seasoned salt and pepper. Other things you can add in to the seasoning are garlic powder, paprika, dried parsley, chili powder, really anything you want. Pour an additional 1/2 c. buttermilk into the flour mixture and mix in with a fork. (I recently learned that this is the trick to having a thick chunky breading.)

Heat a large amount of oil in a deep skillet. It should be hot enough that when you sprinkle a tiny splash of water in the pan, it will pop. Turn the heat down to medium. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and dip in the flour mixture, coating generously. Place in oil and cook about 20 mins, or until breading is browned and no pink juice comes out of chicken when pierced. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Can be served hot or packed into a picnic to be enjoyed later! ;)

Friday, July 2, 2010

Lemonade

Is there anything that is more characteristic of summer than homemade ice cold lemonade?! Just in case there isn't any hard-up-for-cash kids in your neighborhood with their stand, here is a recipe for making your own lemonade.

Fully juice 4 large lemons. (Roll on the counter with your palm before cutting)
Place juice in 2 qt. pitcher.
Add one cup of sugar.
Fill pitcher the rest of the way with cold water.
Serve by pouring into tall glasses filled with ice.

*For a healthier version, you can dissolve 1/2 c. honey into 1/2 c. hot water and use in place of sugar.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Blueberry Buckle

An absolute must for the summer berry season. If you are looking for a way to use up those blueberries that are so abundant right now, this is it!

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. milk
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 c. blueberries

Topping:
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 13x9 pan. Cream together sugar, shortening, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in blueberries (I like to cut them into smaller pieces first.) Pour into greased pan. Combine ingredients for topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 35-40 mins. Serve warm.