I really want to write this morning--it's my Saturday morning time of solitude at Panera--but I also really need to think about my grocery store trip after this, so I can spend some time this afternoon cooking ahead. So I'm mixing menus into this post. Thank God my stomach is nearly normal again--it makes it much easier to get excited about cooking and menu planning!
Tomorrow, after church we have friends coming over for lunch, and I've been racking my brain for what to serve them. It's always hard to have a hot lunch ready after church, and we often do sandwiches or bagels, but we're tired of those, and my friend needs to eat low-carb. I think I'll make taco meat this afternoon and put in in the crockpot in the morning. I can have the tomatoes chopped up ahead of time too, and I'll have extra lettuce so my friend can make a taco salad. Perfect.
If they're still around for dinner, or even if they aren't, we'll probably just throw in some frozen pizza. That's usually the game plan for Sunday nights--a Sabbath rest for the cook (me), easily expanded for guests, and always a kid-pleaser.
Monday lunch will be a get-your-own affair for me and the Bantams, and Papa Rooster if he's working at home; Chicklet8 and B6 will be at school. Monday night we have piano lessons after school, right into the dinner hour, so I either need to have something in the crockpot or the oven...or make a quick stove-top something when I get home. I know--we haven't had my sister-in-law's Baked Potato Soup yet this fall, and I have potatoes we need to eat up. I'll put that in the crockpot and add a salad and those sweet multigrain rolls I have in the freezer. (49 cents a package on clearance last week at Aldi, and they were so yummy!)
Okay, Tuesday, same as Monday's lunch plan...but on Tuesday evening, I'm picking up Blondechick and her stuff from college, and then we'll keep on going into Chicago. It's her birthday, and all she wants is a mother-daughter shopping spree at the big Forever 21, and dinner out--maybe at the Cheesecake Factory, I think she said. I'm sure the Bantams will have finished off any taco leftovers already, but hopefully there will be leftover soup for the gang at home. Then when Blondechick and I get home, we'll all have birthday brownies and ice cream together. Can't believe she will be 19!!
On Wednesday, I have parent-teacher conferences in the morning, and I'm eager to hear from C8's and B6's teachers! It seems like they are doing well. The kids will all be off school, and Blondechick will be there too, so to celebrate, we'll have French toast, sausages, and o.j. for lunch. For some reason, my kids think French toast is just the greatest thing, and I love it too. It takes time to make the quantities we require, however, so we don't have it that often. My parents arrive that afternoon, and I will have one of our eternal favorites waiting in the crockpot, beef stroganoff (beef stew meat, cream of mushroom soup--salt, pepper and onion powder to taste--add sour cream and mushrooms at the end), along with Butternut Squash Soup and a salad.
Then on Thanksgiving Day, I'm not sure if my in-laws will arrive before or after brunch, but I'll make enough Sausage-Egg Brunch Casserole for everyone. I have panettone and stollen to go with that (one of the Aldi advantages is their great European baked goods), and y'know those bags of frozen fruit they have at Aldi? They're equivalent in price to fresh fruit, but already cut up for you, and we like it kind of half-thawed. So cool and refreshing.
We are NOT having turkey, we are having ham, because we love ham, and nobody...really...likes...turkey. (I bought a turkey, for 48 cents a pound, because where can you get meat that cheap? But we will have it some other time, and I will turn most of it into turkey enchiladas and barbecued turkey sandwiches.) I will also make sweet potato casserole, because my kids just can't get enough of it--not the marshmallow one, but the one with brown sugar and pecan topping. Yum. We'll have a green salad with goat cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries and a sweetish balsamic vinaigrette that I make from scratch. I suppose we'll make regular mashed potatoes too, because both grandfathers love them, and I'll also make "red apples" which was my grandmother's name for cinnamon candied apples (just peel and boil apples slices in sugar, water and cinnamon candies--lots, to give it a deep red color--oh, and a spoonful of instant tapioca for thickening). My in-laws are bringing dessert and appetizers, and my parents are bringing pumpkin bread, Amish Friendship Bread, and sparkling grape juice...so we will have quite the feast!
I have two more days of lunches and dinners still to plan, with my parents and all the family home, but I don't think I need to buy those groceries today...this post is long enough...and I need to go shopping and get cooking!
What are YOUR Thanksgiving plans and menus? What super-easy crowd-pleasing recipes do you turn to when you'd rather spend time with guests than be in the kitchen?
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Another Recipe
I just typed this up for myself, with all my changes, and thought I might as well share!
This recipe is a hearty, wholesome twist on the classic banana bread--darker and heavier and perfect for fall. It's super-healthy, but doesn't taste like it. It would probably make great muffins too!
Molasses-Oat Banana Bread (2 loaves)
(adapted from Cooking Light magazine)
In mixing bowl, combine:
1 1/3 c. sugar
½ c. canola oil
2/3 c. blackstrap molasses
Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended, about one minute.
Add:
4 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
Blend in:
2 ½ c. mashed ripe banana
2/3 plain low-fat yogurt
2 t. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 and spray 2 loaf pans.
In separate bowl, combine well:
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 ½ c. whole wheat flour (or 1 ¼ c. ww flour + ¼ c. wheat germ)
1 1/3 cup regular oats
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, 5 minutes or till done (toothpick test).
Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Works for Me: Quick, Delicious No-Bake Cookies
Do you need one more quick and easy cookie to round out that plate of Christmas goodies?
Here's my quickest choice, with only FOUR ingredients!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Heat on stovetop until sugar melts:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 4 cups corn flakes.
Either put into a 9X9 greased pan, flatten out (like Rice Krispies Treats) and cut when cool; or form balls and crush down onto wax paper or foil until flattened.
And this one is a close runner-up. It is not quite as quick, but it also has only FOUR ingredients, and it can be essentially a no-bake recipe, even though it does involve the oven....
Holiday Chip Meringues
Beat 3 room temperature egg whites until stiff, then add 1 c. sugar, gradually. Fold in 1 tsp. vanilla and 6 oz. holiday chips (you may use chocolate chips, of course, but look for peppermint chips or Andes mint chips for a more festive taste and look).
Drop by small spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree oven--then turn off the oven and leave the cookies overnight. (Or you can bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, if you're impatient. :)
Happy Cookie-Baking to all, and to all, a good bite!
For more kitchen and organizational tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer.
Here's my quickest choice, with only FOUR ingredients!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Heat on stovetop until sugar melts:
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup peanut butter, then 4 cups corn flakes.
Either put into a 9X9 greased pan, flatten out (like Rice Krispies Treats) and cut when cool; or form balls and crush down onto wax paper or foil until flattened.
***
And this one is a close runner-up. It is not quite as quick, but it also has only FOUR ingredients, and it can be essentially a no-bake recipe, even though it does involve the oven....
Holiday Chip Meringues
Beat 3 room temperature egg whites until stiff, then add 1 c. sugar, gradually. Fold in 1 tsp. vanilla and 6 oz. holiday chips (you may use chocolate chips, of course, but look for peppermint chips or Andes mint chips for a more festive taste and look).
Drop by small spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350 degree oven--then turn off the oven and leave the cookies overnight. (Or you can bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, if you're impatient. :)
Happy Cookie-Baking to all, and to all, a good bite!
For more kitchen and organizational tips, visit Rocks in My Dryer.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday #11
I remember the days when I just had little ones, when every time a mealtime rolled around, I had to drop everything and create a meal. I realized recently that except for dinner, those days for me are G-O-N-E. My four older kids, 8 on up to 16, are all perfectly capable of making their own breakfasts and lunches, and of feeding the two youngest as well, if I ask them to.
Instead of short-order cook, my responsibilities have shifted more toward inventory management. My goal is to always have the following supplies on hand, so my budding chefs always have the ingredients to create their own quick and healthy lunches. Like these:
Quesadillas
Corn tortillas (read labels, but the whole wheat ones seem to be much higher in fat)--we always keep a supply of these in the freezer, like bread
Canned fat-free refried beans
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Mild salsa (hot sauce optional)
Spread beans, salsa and cheese between two tortillas and heat 45 seconds in microwave.
Beans and Cheese
Canned pork'n'beans sprinkled with cheddar cheese and heated in the microwave.
Brown Rice and Cheese
Brown rice sprinkled with cheddar cheese and heated in the microwave. Hot sauce optional.
When I make rice, I make tons so we can have this for lunch the next day or two.
(Sometimes, they even have: Brown Rice, Beans and Cheese) (Hot sauce optional)
"Cheater Cheese" Sandwiches
Whole wheat bread slices--toast in toaster
American cheese slice--place between pieces of toast and microwave 15 seconds
Pizza Muffins
Whole wheat English muffins or whole wheat hamburger buns.
Spaghetti sauce
American cheese slice or shredded Mozzarella cheese
--Toast muffins, spread with spaghetti sauce and cover with cheese; microwave till cheese melts.
Egg "McMuffins"
Whole wheat bread or English muffin
1-2 eggs, scrambled or over easy, sprinkled with a dash of seasoning salt.
American cheese slice
--Toast muffin or bread while cooking egg; put egg and cheese between toasted bread and let cheese melt.
Pasta with Spaghetti Sauce
When cooking pasta, cook extra and freeze in quart size bags for lunch-size individual servings. Thaw pasta in microwave, add spaghetti sauce and finish heating. Top with parmesan cheese.
Organic Peanut Butter and 100% Fruit Spread on Whole Wheat--of course
Meat and Cheese Sandwiches on Whole Wheat--of course. (Mustard a must; lettuce and pickles a plus; light mayo optional.)
Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Tuna
Light mayo
Pickle relish
Combine and stuff into whole wheat pita bread pocket.
Yogurt Parfaits
Vanilla yogurt and plain yogurt--mixed half and half and layered with:
Fat free granola
Canned tropical fruit cocktail mix
Not So Healthy But Cheap Frozen Beef'n'Bean Burritos--heat in microwave, unwrap tortilla, add cheddar cheese and re-wrap.
Gourmet Chef Salad
Pre-washed bagged salad mix (not iceberg)
Leftover grilled chicken or steak, (or in a pinch, Buddig-style sliced sandwich meat) cut into bite-size pieces
Blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese crumbles
Walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries, raisins or mandarin oranges
Balsamic or other favorite viniagrette
(Okay, you may have guessed that THAT is what I keep on hand for my lunches, though I'm also partial to PB&J's, cheese quesadillas, and leftovers.)
What about side dishes, you ask? I try to keep the following on hand:
Baby carrots
Canned pork-n'beans (serve with cheese, of course).
Canned sweet potatoes/yams --One of my kids hates these, but the other 5 and I eat these cold, out of the can. ("You do not like them, so you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say!")
Frozen veggies--we like mixed, broccoli, corn, and broccoli-carrot-cauliflower mix.
Canned beets--heat with butter, honey and a pinch of salt. Half love, half hate. Give 'em a try.
Canned three-bean salad
Canned tomato soup (nobody will eat canned vegetable soup anymore).
Broccoli florets or red pepper strips with ranch dressing (Okay, that one's not always on hand and if it's gonna get eaten, I have to fix it.)
Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Grapefruit
Grapes
Other fresh fruits as they go on sale or appear on the scratch'n'dent shelf at my local grocery
Frozen fruits--but we usually put these in smoothies
Applesauce
There ya go--a nice list of ingredients for quick, easy lunches that kids can make. Works for me!
For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, see Rocks in My Dryer.
Instead of short-order cook, my responsibilities have shifted more toward inventory management. My goal is to always have the following supplies on hand, so my budding chefs always have the ingredients to create their own quick and healthy lunches. Like these:
Quesadillas
Corn tortillas (read labels, but the whole wheat ones seem to be much higher in fat)--we always keep a supply of these in the freezer, like bread
Canned fat-free refried beans
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Mild salsa (hot sauce optional)
Spread beans, salsa and cheese between two tortillas and heat 45 seconds in microwave.
Beans and Cheese
Canned pork'n'beans sprinkled with cheddar cheese and heated in the microwave.
Brown Rice and Cheese
Brown rice sprinkled with cheddar cheese and heated in the microwave. Hot sauce optional.
When I make rice, I make tons so we can have this for lunch the next day or two.
(Sometimes, they even have: Brown Rice, Beans and Cheese) (Hot sauce optional)
"Cheater Cheese" Sandwiches
Whole wheat bread slices--toast in toaster
American cheese slice--place between pieces of toast and microwave 15 seconds
Pizza Muffins
Whole wheat English muffins or whole wheat hamburger buns.
Spaghetti sauce
American cheese slice or shredded Mozzarella cheese
--Toast muffins, spread with spaghetti sauce and cover with cheese; microwave till cheese melts.
Egg "McMuffins"
Whole wheat bread or English muffin
1-2 eggs, scrambled or over easy, sprinkled with a dash of seasoning salt.
American cheese slice
--Toast muffin or bread while cooking egg; put egg and cheese between toasted bread and let cheese melt.
Pasta with Spaghetti Sauce
When cooking pasta, cook extra and freeze in quart size bags for lunch-size individual servings. Thaw pasta in microwave, add spaghetti sauce and finish heating. Top with parmesan cheese.
Organic Peanut Butter and 100% Fruit Spread on Whole Wheat--of course
Meat and Cheese Sandwiches on Whole Wheat--of course. (Mustard a must; lettuce and pickles a plus; light mayo optional.)
Tuna Salad on Whole Wheat Pita Bread
Tuna
Light mayo
Pickle relish
Combine and stuff into whole wheat pita bread pocket.
Yogurt Parfaits
Vanilla yogurt and plain yogurt--mixed half and half and layered with:
Fat free granola
Canned tropical fruit cocktail mix
Not So Healthy But Cheap Frozen Beef'n'Bean Burritos--heat in microwave, unwrap tortilla, add cheddar cheese and re-wrap.
Gourmet Chef Salad
Pre-washed bagged salad mix (not iceberg)
Leftover grilled chicken or steak, (or in a pinch, Buddig-style sliced sandwich meat) cut into bite-size pieces
Blue cheese, goat cheese or feta cheese crumbles
Walnuts, almonds or sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries, raisins or mandarin oranges
Balsamic or other favorite viniagrette
(Okay, you may have guessed that THAT is what I keep on hand for my lunches, though I'm also partial to PB&J's, cheese quesadillas, and leftovers.)
What about side dishes, you ask? I try to keep the following on hand:
Baby carrots
Canned pork-n'beans (serve with cheese, of course).
Canned sweet potatoes/yams --One of my kids hates these, but the other 5 and I eat these cold, out of the can. ("You do not like them, so you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may, I say!")
Frozen veggies--we like mixed, broccoli, corn, and broccoli-carrot-cauliflower mix.
Canned beets--heat with butter, honey and a pinch of salt. Half love, half hate. Give 'em a try.
Canned three-bean salad
Canned tomato soup (nobody will eat canned vegetable soup anymore).
Broccoli florets or red pepper strips with ranch dressing (Okay, that one's not always on hand and if it's gonna get eaten, I have to fix it.)
Apples
Bananas
Oranges
Grapefruit
Grapes
Other fresh fruits as they go on sale or appear on the scratch'n'dent shelf at my local grocery
Frozen fruits--but we usually put these in smoothies
Applesauce
There ya go--a nice list of ingredients for quick, easy lunches that kids can make. Works for me!
For more Works for Me Wednesday ideas, see Rocks in My Dryer.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Works for Me Wednesday: Substituting Ground Turkey for Ground Beef
Because it's so much lower in saturated fat, I try to use ground turkey instead of ground beef whenever possible. And it's significantly cheaper as well--usually about 1/3 of the price. With a large family, that really helps on the meat bill!
I've found that with my family, no one minds and most can't tell if I substitute it in strongly flavored dishes like tacos, Taco Casserole, or chili. I also make barbeque, or sloppy joes, with it; the secret there is to include a little Worcestershire sauce in with the ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar. The Worcestershire just cuts across the turkey taste, I've found, and so I add a little to my chili or anytime I'm subbing ground turkey in a ground beef recipe.
I originally got the idea from this recipe, which has a flavor profile perfect for ground turkey. Thanks, Mom--this one's been a keeper!
Turkey Vegetable Soup/Chili
1.5 lbs. ground turkey (I guess I just use 1 lb.--I never really noticed this odd amount before!)
46 oz. can tomato juice
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped cabbage (optional)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 pkg. frozen green beans
1/2 tsp. each: garlic powder, basil, oregano, chili powder
1 tbsp. onion flakes or use real onion to taste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Cook ground turkey and drain grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours. Serves 8. Freezes well.
Give ground turkey a try--and don't forget the Worcestershire!
It works for me...!
For more practical, user-tested ideas and recommendations, visit Rocks in my Dryer.
I've found that with my family, no one minds and most can't tell if I substitute it in strongly flavored dishes like tacos, Taco Casserole, or chili. I also make barbeque, or sloppy joes, with it; the secret there is to include a little Worcestershire sauce in with the ketchup, vinegar and brown sugar. The Worcestershire just cuts across the turkey taste, I've found, and so I add a little to my chili or anytime I'm subbing ground turkey in a ground beef recipe.
I originally got the idea from this recipe, which has a flavor profile perfect for ground turkey. Thanks, Mom--this one's been a keeper!
Turkey Vegetable Soup/Chili
1.5 lbs. ground turkey (I guess I just use 1 lb.--I never really noticed this odd amount before!)
46 oz. can tomato juice
3 cups chopped celery
3 cups chopped cabbage (optional)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 pkg. frozen green beans
1/2 tsp. each: garlic powder, basil, oregano, chili powder
1 tbsp. onion flakes or use real onion to taste
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Cook ground turkey and drain grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2-3 hours. Serves 8. Freezes well.
Give ground turkey a try--and don't forget the Worcestershire!
It works for me...!
For more practical, user-tested ideas and recommendations, visit Rocks in my Dryer.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Randi is on the hunt for some new recipes using inexpensive ingredients, so she's organized--a recipe swap!
Here's a family favorite that meets my summertime requirements: it doesn't require turning on the oven, and it uses up tomatoes! (It's also easy.)
Here's a family favorite that meets my summertime requirements: it doesn't require turning on the oven, and it uses up tomatoes! (It's also easy.)
Mexican Macaroni
(serves 6-8)
(serves 6-8)
In large skillet, brown together:
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
3/4 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced green pepper
Drain off fat and stir in:
3 1/2 cups tomatoes (2 cans diced, if you don't have fresh)
2 cups dairy sour cream (I use low-fat)
2 T. sugar
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt
8 oz. elbow macaroni, uncooked
Cover skillet and simmer for about 30 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
I have substituted whole wheat macaroni with no problem--just catch it before it gets mushy. I also have added a little extra pasta with a little extra water, to stretch it a bit further, but can't give measurements--sorry.)
Now I'm heading over to Randi's to check out some recipes!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Peanut Butter Noodles
This is my new favorite recipe (for me and the kids anyway--haven't tried it on Papa Rooster yet. He's not a peanut butter fan).
I love Thai peanut sauce, and the kids loved this super-easy version as much as I did. (Blondechick 13 and I couldn't stop popping these noodles in our mouths while we were making a salad accompaniment!)
Cook 16 oz. of pasta (any short fun shape; I used whole wheat rotini) according to package directions and drain.
Combine and whisk together till smooth:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. honey
2-4 tbsp. teriyaki sauce (I used 3 tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. ground fresh ginger (I used the minced ginger in a glass jar)
1 cup warm water (I microwaved the whole mixture a little bit)
Toss warm pasta with sauce and consume. Yummy!
I love Thai peanut sauce, and the kids loved this super-easy version as much as I did. (Blondechick 13 and I couldn't stop popping these noodles in our mouths while we were making a salad accompaniment!)
Cook 16 oz. of pasta (any short fun shape; I used whole wheat rotini) according to package directions and drain.
Combine and whisk together till smooth:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. honey
2-4 tbsp. teriyaki sauce (I used 3 tbsp.)
1/2 tsp. ground fresh ginger (I used the minced ginger in a glass jar)
1 cup warm water (I microwaved the whole mixture a little bit)
Toss warm pasta with sauce and consume. Yummy!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Our Valentine's Day Tradition
The gals over at Choosing Home are sponsoring a Valentine's Day contest! Thought I'd share how we celebrate, since it's now become our annual tradition. Maybe it will even win the "Best At-Home Plan" category!
For years, like 3/4 of the married people in the country, we went out to dinner for Valentine's Day. But unlike our birthdays or anniversary, everyone has the same idea on February 14. We began to find it less-than-romantic to pay big bucks to a babysitter while we waited for over an hour at a croweded restaurant. So about 6 years ago--let's see, when we had been married 13 years--we planned, together, an at-home date which was such a success that we now look forward to repeating it every year.
The first and most crucial ingredients are a frozen pizza and a video. Very, very important. This date will never happen without them. (For non-parents or parents of infants, I'll elaborate: You feed the pizza to the kids. You set up the kids with the video, in a room with a door that you close. You do this before entertaining a single romantic thought.)
Next, lighting is everything. We leave on the recessed light over the kitchen sink and the little light above the stove, but turn off everything else. We light low candles to set around in the kitchen and tall candlesticks in the dining area. Music is just as important. The first time we planned this date, hubby bought a CD called Romanza, sung by Italian tenor Andrea Boccelli, so of course we listen to that again every year. Nothing sets the mood like nostalgia and Italian love songs!
Now, we're almost ready to begin the main event--making dinner together! But first, we uncork the wine, get out the good crystal wineglasses, and set out the cheese and crackers. These distractions keep us cooking at a very...leisurely...pace.
We always make the same pasta dish, because it's easy, quick, delicious and now has such great associations. It has asparagus, portobello mushrooms and shell pasta in a sauce made with Pepper Boursin cheese. We make a salad and warm up Italian bread to go with it. While we chop, sip wine and wait for pasta to cook, we slow dance around the kitchen, something my Norwegian husband will not normally do outside of his own home.
Before we eat, we ask for God's blessing on the food and on our marriage. As we eat, we talk of this and that, and of our relationship, and how good God has been to us. We exchange cards and little gifts (my husband is a marvelous gift-chooser). Then we clean up and maybe dance a little more, whispering sweet nothings and promises in each other's ears, and later--after a brief hiatus in the romance as we get the kids to bed--we fulfill some of them.
There you have it--a delightful, doable at-home date!
I can hear the judges now. "This a great plan, but we need specifics. We want that recipe!"
Oh, very well, if it increases my chances of winning:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (we have also used white button mushrooms)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock
1 5.5 oz package pepper Boursin cheese (if unavailable, the herb & garlic version will do--just add plenty of fresh ground black pepper to the finished dish)
1 lb asparagus
3/4 lb medium pasta shells
In a large frying pan, melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and well browned, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and Boursin cheese and bring to a simmer while stirring.
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until almost done, about 6 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until it and the pasta are just done, about 4 minutes longer. Drain. Toss with the mushrooms and sauce.
Now I have to end with a funny quote. The first year we did this, our then 5.75-year old (who is now Bantam 10.75), wandered upstairs during the movie just to see what we were doing. He glanced appreciatively around the room, taking in all the candles, and then, sounding just like a decorator or best girlfriend, said, "Wow, Mom, I like what you did with the kitchen!"
For years, like 3/4 of the married people in the country, we went out to dinner for Valentine's Day. But unlike our birthdays or anniversary, everyone has the same idea on February 14. We began to find it less-than-romantic to pay big bucks to a babysitter while we waited for over an hour at a croweded restaurant. So about 6 years ago--let's see, when we had been married 13 years--we planned, together, an at-home date which was such a success that we now look forward to repeating it every year.
The first and most crucial ingredients are a frozen pizza and a video. Very, very important. This date will never happen without them. (For non-parents or parents of infants, I'll elaborate: You feed the pizza to the kids. You set up the kids with the video, in a room with a door that you close. You do this before entertaining a single romantic thought.)
Next, lighting is everything. We leave on the recessed light over the kitchen sink and the little light above the stove, but turn off everything else. We light low candles to set around in the kitchen and tall candlesticks in the dining area. Music is just as important. The first time we planned this date, hubby bought a CD called Romanza, sung by Italian tenor Andrea Boccelli, so of course we listen to that again every year. Nothing sets the mood like nostalgia and Italian love songs!
Now, we're almost ready to begin the main event--making dinner together! But first, we uncork the wine, get out the good crystal wineglasses, and set out the cheese and crackers. These distractions keep us cooking at a very...leisurely...pace.
We always make the same pasta dish, because it's easy, quick, delicious and now has such great associations. It has asparagus, portobello mushrooms and shell pasta in a sauce made with Pepper Boursin cheese. We make a salad and warm up Italian bread to go with it. While we chop, sip wine and wait for pasta to cook, we slow dance around the kitchen, something my Norwegian husband will not normally do outside of his own home.
Before we eat, we ask for God's blessing on the food and on our marriage. As we eat, we talk of this and that, and of our relationship, and how good God has been to us. We exchange cards and little gifts (my husband is a marvelous gift-chooser). Then we clean up and maybe dance a little more, whispering sweet nothings and promises in each other's ears, and later--after a brief hiatus in the romance as we get the kids to bed--we fulfill some of them.
There you have it--a delightful, doable at-home date!
I can hear the judges now. "This a great plan, but we need specifics. We want that recipe!"
Oh, very well, if it increases my chances of winning:
Pasta Shells With Portobello Mushrooms, Asparagus and Boursin Sauce (from Food & Wine's Quick from Scratch: Pasta) (serves 4)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps halved and then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (we have also used white button mushrooms)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock
1 5.5 oz package pepper Boursin cheese (if unavailable, the herb & garlic version will do--just add plenty of fresh ground black pepper to the finished dish)
1 lb asparagus
3/4 lb medium pasta shells
In a large frying pan, melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat. Add the mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and well browned, about 8 minutes. Add the chicken broth and Boursin cheese and bring to a simmer while stirring.
Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1/2 inch pieces. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until almost done, about 6 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until it and the pasta are just done, about 4 minutes longer. Drain. Toss with the mushrooms and sauce.
Now I have to end with a funny quote. The first year we did this, our then 5.75-year old (who is now Bantam 10.75), wandered upstairs during the movie just to see what we were doing. He glanced appreciatively around the room, taking in all the candles, and then, sounding just like a decorator or best girlfriend, said, "Wow, Mom, I like what you did with the kitchen!"
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