Chimichuri Sauce

I'll confess, I had no idea what Chimichuri was until a beautiful Curtis Stone got on a commercial for a local grocery store chain & told me that I could make it.  Who am I to say that he is wrong?  Around the same time, WW posted this recipe (they said to put it on chicken, we put it on steaks & grilled bell peppers because that's what Curtis told me to do).  When I saw that it would use some of the fresh parsley & cilantro growing in my deck boxes, I was sold.  I have no idea how authentically South American this particular recipe is, but it was authentically tasty. 

Here's What You Need:

• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 clove garlic (I cheated & used 1 tsp jarred
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Here's What You Do:

1. Put all ingredients into food processor or blender & pulse until smooth.
2. That's it.

Here's What I Have Learned That May Be Useful:

• Makes about 4 servings.  We put it on top of the steak & the peppers.
• This would be REALLY good on seafood, but also would be quite tasty on chicken or other grilled veggies.
• I *think* that it will freeze well.  I'm going to experiment with making up a bunch since I have a lot of fresh herbs right now & see if I can freeze it for use in the winter when my herbs are dead & gone.  It's worth a shot.  This is definitely going to become a go-to sauce in my house. 

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Banana Ice Cream

I saw this on an infomercial complete with a special device to "make" it.  The device amounted to a food processor with a banana sized opening in the top.  The device is a joke, but the end product isn't!  I was skeptical, but gosh darn it, it works.  It passed the me test & the three-year-old test & it's going to make an ah-may-zing banana split substitute in the not too distant future.  Prepare to be shocked.

Here's What You Need:

• a few ripe bananas
• nothing else

Here's What You Do:

1. Peel & cut bananas into 2-ish inch chunks.
2. Freeze solid.
3. Put frozen chunks in food processor & blend.
4. Scrape down bowl.
5. Repeat steps 3-4 until you have goop that is the consistancy of soft serve.

Here's What I Have Learned That May or May Not Be Useful:

• You can make as little or as much as your food processor can handle, so the servings are up to you. 
• The end product is pretty rich, so Lincoln didn't eat much, but he LOVED it (the chocolate chips that I sprinkled on top probably didn't hurt).
• This is so easy that it makes a good "fun with cooking" activity with little ones.
• When I Googled this idea, I found that leftovers put back in the freezer will come out more like traditional ice cream, while your first go-around is more like soft serve.
• This lends itself to being used as a sundae base, as a pie filling...the possibilities are endless.

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Christy's Hummus

Oh my stars!  Someone recently asked me what kind of hummus I liked & I said I usually bought Sabra, but I've been experimenting with making my own.  Whilst trolling a friend's blog I found the recipe to end the search.  I JUST made it & ran upstairs to post the recipe immediately so as not to eat the whole batch before Dave gets any for dinner tonight.

Here's What You Need:

• 2 cans chick peas, drained (reserve the liquid)
• 4 cloves garlic (I'm lazy & used 4 tsp jarred, minced garlic)
• 1/3 c roasted tahini
• 3 T olive oil
• juice from one lemon (once again, lazy...I used 3 T bottled)
• 1 t salt

Here's What You Do:

1. Pulse beans & garlic in food processor or blender to break them up a bit. 
2. Add all other ingredients & process until smooth, adding bean liquid to get to desired consistency (I probably used about 1/3 c).
3. Chill for 1 day (not strictly necessary, but I'm guessing it will be even BETTER tomorrow).
4. Sprinkle with paprika & serve with desired veggies, pitas or crackers.

Here's What I Have Learned that May or May Not be Useful:

• Makes about 4 c of hummus (or 16 1/4 c servings).
• Will reportedly last 2 weeks in the fridge.  It absolutely won't make it that long in my house.
• Nothing else to note because it is THAT easy.

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Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

I stole this recipe out of a parenting magazine.  With a few tweaks it became one of my favs--but I'll eat anything with squash, & cheese is its own food group at our house, so I guess that's not too surprising.  Happy Meatless Monday!

Here's What You Need:

• 1 spray olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 pound uncooked whole wheat pasta
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 c skim milk
• 1 3/4 c 2% milk reduced fat shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese
• 3 c butternut squash, diced
• 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour

Here's What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Spray squash & toss w/salt.  Spread into even layer on cookie sheet & bake 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package instructions & place in 2 qt baking dish with cooked squash.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Whisk in flour & cook 2 minutes.  Stir in milk & cook until thickened.  Stir in cheese until melted & salt & pepper to taste.
4. Pour cheese sauce over  pasta & squash, mixing well.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Here's What I Have Learned That May or May Not be Useful:

• Makes 6 servings.
• Works just as well to cook the squash ahead of time, which I sometimes do so that I won't forget that I need that extra prep time.
• If you've got a big squash, you can cut it all up & measure out 3 cup amounts & freeze them for later use.
• Don't skip the salt on this one.  I generally don't add any salt to my cooking & just let people salt their own on their plate as need be.  This is one recipe that needs it...I think it helps bring out the flavor of the squash when you roast it.

Ground Beef Taco Meat

This taco meat is kind of like the love child between your traditional ground beef tacos & chili.  The result is a lower calorie (thanks to the bulk of beans!) & highly delicious taco filler that is now the only beef taco we eat at our house.  It also makes a great taco salad topper or nacho filling & freezes beautifully!

Here's What You Need:

• 4 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 lb uncooked 93% ground beef
• 16 oz canned tomato sauce
• 15 oz canned corn, drained
• 4 oz canned green chili peppers
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, drained & rinsed

Here's What You Do:

1. Toast chili powder & cumin in large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add onion, garlic & ground beef to skillet & cook through until no longer pink.
3. Add tomato sauce, corn, chili peppers & beans; cook 5 minutes more or until heated through (can add some chopped chipotle peppers in w/the sauce if you want a hotter meat).

Here's What I Have Learned That May or May Not be Useful:

• Makes about 10 half cup servings.
• I use 1 T fat-free Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream, 1/4 c 2% milk shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes & green onions & 15 baked tortilla chips to make this a gooey & yummy pile of nachos for lunch. 
• I freeze leftovers in ziplock bags for mess-free dinners when I'm too busy/lazy to cook.

Slow Cooker Mexi Shredded Pork

Crock pot?  Check.  Mexi-flavor?  Check.  I'm sold.  I've used this for big groups of people & for just our family.  The leftovers heat up really well because the meat comes out so moist & you can use it for tacos, salads, enchiladas...you name it!  I'm not a fan of ultra spicy, but you could certainly kick it up by altering the seasonings.

Here's What You Need:

• 3 lb lean pork shoulder roast, trimmed 
• 2 packets taco seasoning (or about 1/2 c if you buy in bulk like I do)
• 2 T chili powder
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 T dehydrated onions
• 4 oz canned diced green chiles

Here's What You Do:

1. Trim meat of visible outer edge fat.
2. Combine taco seasoning, chili powder, red pepper flakes & onions.  Rub into meat on all sides.
3. Place meat in bottom of large slow cooker & cover with green chiles.  
4. Cook on low for 7 hours.
5. Remove bones (if your cut had any) & shred meat with a fork.  Let sit in juices for 10-15 mins.
6. Serve in tortillas w/taco fixings or over greens with desired salad toppings.  Makes about 8 servings.

Here's What I Have Learned That May or May Not Be Useful:

• Resist the urge to add liquid to the slow cooker.  Pork is juicy enough & adding liquid will just dilute the ultimate flavor of the meat.  I promise it won't burn. 

Baked Spaghetti Squash

In "dieting" circles, spaghetti squash is often bandied about as the next best thing, but I've never been able to get behind it.  I think I was soured to it as a kid when a pile of squash was plopped on my plate with a glob of jarred marinara & passed off as spaghetti.  Last night I decided to give it a second chance & I'm so glad I did.  Yum, yum!  This recipe was so delicious--probably because some of the calories saved by using squash instead of pasta were funneled into a little extra cheesy-goodness! 

Here's What You Need:

• 1 medium raw spaghetti squash    
  
• 1 pound uncooked lean ground beef (with 7% fat)    
  
• 1/2 cup diced green pepper    
  
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper    
  
• 1/4 cup diced red onion   


• 1 tsp minced garlic   


• 
  1/2 tsp dried oregano   


• 
  1/2 tsp dried basil   


• 
  1/4 tsp table salt   


• 
  1/4 tsp ground black pepper   


• 
  2 1/2 cups 2% milk reduced fat Colby Jack cheese   
  


• 14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, well drained  

Here's What You Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place squash on a baking sheet, and bake 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, cool, and shred pulp with a fork.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a casserole dish.
4. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in the green pepper, red pepper, red onion, and garlic. Continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
5. Mix the shredded squash and tomatoes into the skillet, and season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until heated through. Remove skillet from heat, and mix in 2 cups cheese until melted. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, and continue baking 5 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Makes 6 servings.

Here's What I Learned That May or May Not be Useful:

• I was skeptical, but I plunked the whole squash into the oven with a couple of slits poked into it.  It was a lot easier than trying to halve a raw squash & it worked--without having to add any butter or cooking spray to the cut edges! 
• I cooked the squash in the afternoon & then left it out on the counter to cool until evening when I was ready to assemble the whole meal.  It was a rare piece of planning ahead that really paid off--I didn't burn my fingers trying to shred scalding squash!
• Next time I will drain the tomatoes REALLY thoroughly.  I poured some of the liquid off just using the can as a strainer, but next time I will drain the tomatoes in a mesh strainer.  All of the veggies gave off plenty of liquid & mine was a little soupy.
• I can't vouch for it from experience yet, but it seems like something that will freeze well.  We had 4 servings left over so we packaged them up as 1 lunch portion & 1supper for the family.  Time will tell if its deliciousness can handle freezing & re-heating.

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