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Spinach, Bacon, and Egg Pasta Salad

Posted on April 7, 2012 by amydeline

So…big news here. You are now reading a food blog written by a real, bonafide tooth fairy. That’s right, folks. I earned my wings. And boy are they sparkly!

Thursday night, we put the boys down to bed like usual. My husband handles the two older boys while I tend to the baby. Once everyone was tucked in, my husband headed out for band practice. I poured myself a glass of wine and settled onto the couch to watch the American Idol results show. The baby whimpered for a few minutes, as is his routine, then drifted off the sleep. The two older boys, who share a room, were up to mischief.

Some nights, the boys chat quietly before peacefully falling asleep. Some nights, antics involving a lot of mysterious banging and shouting ensue, before they crash into dreamland. Thursday was one of those nights. I’d already been in their room more than once to put the kibosh on the chaos (which was messing with my plan to relax on the couch with wine and Ryan Seacrest for the evening). So, when I heard the screaming again, I was not happy. I marched up the stairs and threw open the door, wearing my meanest Mommy face, to find the two boys excitedly jumping around, which left me feeling even less pleased.

But then, my first born…my sweet, little almost-five-year-old, says, “Today was the day!” as he held out his hand holding his first lost tooth. How had I not noticed the gaping hole in his mouth? The first tooth to come in was the first to come out. I remember when that tooth came in. When did he become such a kid??

Then

We hugged. We jumped around. We cheered. I told him how very proud I was of him and instructed him to stop growing up so fast. We took some photos and washed his mouth with salt water before climbing back into bed, with his tooth tucked securely under his pillow (in a little baggie to make it easier for the tooth fairy to find). I instructed the kids to go to sleep so that the tooth fairy could make her visit, then turned out the lights, leaving the boys snuggled in their beds, whispering about the tooth fairy. The last thing I heard, as I walked from their room, was my big kid telling his younger brother, “She’s very tiny.”

Now

I went downstairs and put on my wings. I placed three gold dollar coins into a baggie with a sprinkle of glitter for good fairy measure. There’s magic in this sort of stuff. And just before putting myself to bed, I snuck into my big kid’s room and swapped the tooth baggie for the baggie of gold coins and glitter. He’s been walking around with his goofy grin and baggie of treasure ever since.

Tonight, I’ll swap my fairy wings for bunny ears and a cotton tail. In the morning the boys will awake to a basket of candy and an egg hunt. We’ll be coloring eggs today. For the next few days, we’ll enjoy the colored hard-boiled eggs in deviled egg salad and this delicious pasta salad; another tasty option for using up all of those cooked eggs. I ate a ridiculous amount of this pasta salad this week. Seriously, I barely shared. A classic combination of spinach, bacon, and boiled eggs gets tossed together with al dente pasta and a sweet honey balsamic dressing…delicious!

Happy Easter folks!

Spinach, Bacon, and Egg Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small pasta
  • 1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
  • 8 slices bacon, chopped
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups baby spinach leaves, chiffonade*

For the dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
*Click HERE for my chiffonade how-to photo guide.

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions. Strain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

To prepare the dressing, whisk (or shake) together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder until well blended.

Combine the pasta, dressing, red bell pepper, bacon, and spinach in a large container. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if desired.

Refrigerate until serving. Serve cold.

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Ham and Corn Chowder

Posted on April 5, 2012 by amydeline

Life is made up of a series of memories; some big, some small, some clearly life-changing, and some seemingly inconsequential. My wedding day, the births of my children, the loss of loved ones…all clearly consequential. But the little memories…like singing the soundtrack to Grease with my sisters while we played on our childhood swingset or selling candy bars outside the grocery store or riding our bikes in the park…turns out that those are just as consequential. We just don’t always realize it in the moment.

So, I’m lying on the couch last night, glass of wine in hand, playing around on my computer and distractedly watching American Idol, when two of the contestants come on stage and begin singing Islands in the Stream, a duet originally performed by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. In an instant I was transported back to my childhood, in my parents’ room, where my sisters and I used to stand at the foot of their bed, with our toes jammed between the mattress and boxspring, so that when we’d lean forward, the edge of the mattress would catch our calves and we’d suspend there, bobbing forward with our arms outstretched. We’d sway back and forth, mock-gliding over the mattress singing Islands in the Stream at the top of our lungs…with all the wrong lyrics, I am sure.

Such a simple little memory and yet it’s etched in my mind. Because it’s more than the ordinary event of singing a song with my sisters. It was a matter of being together, of laughing, of loving, and of feeling at home. Those are consequential, life-altering sorts of things wrapped in a silly little memory and tied together with a country song.

Every morning, our boys come bursting into our bedroom. The baby is usually already there by that point, drowsily enjoying a morning feeding. But the older boys don’t wake drowsily. They wake with a lightening bolt and go 0 to 60 in the moment they open their eyes. They fly into our room in a flurry. They do not stick their toes between our mattress and sing a Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton duet. They mostly just make animal noises and shout things like underpants. They climb into my armoire. They climb under the bed. They jump on top of the bed. (Just imagine if you released a couple of monkeys into an enclosed space…it’s exactly like that.) Every so often we can convince them to climb under the covers for a snuggle. And sometimes we’re inclined to just send them back to their room because the activity level far exceeds what we’re prepared to handle that early in the morning. But those morning memories, of waking to a family that loves them…those memories matter.

This weekend we’ll be making more memories, the kind that add a bit of mystery and magic to childhood. Though I’ve expressed my half-hearted support for the Easter bunny, he will be visiting our home, hiding eggs, and leaving a basket filled with soft, stuffed-bunny toys, bubble wands, chocolate-dipped marshmallow Peeps, chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and animal crackers hidden under the cellophane grass. We’ll color eggs and make a coconut-covered bunny cake with shoe-string licorice whiskers and a jelly bean nose. It’s tradition. And tradition matters too.

For dinner, we will most likely enjoy slow-roasted lamb with a fresh mint sauce, along with roasted red potatoes, roasted asparagus, and slices of warm French baguette. Our family prefers lamb over ham, but for many families, ham is the star of their traditional Easter feast. With that in mind, I came up with this ham and corn chowder, which would make perfect use of leftover Easter ham. This satisfying soup is worth making, even if you don’t have leftover ham on hand! It’s hard to go wrong with sweet kernels of corn in a warm, creamy broth. Use fresh corn, cut from the cob, if corn is in season or use frozen when it is not. I used frozen corn kernels and it was perfect.

P.S. I just purchased Islands in the Stream from iTunes and have been listening to it on repeat as I write this post. I’m considering teaching it to the boys and showing them how to stick their toes under the edge of my mattress.

Ham and Corn Chowder

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 15-ounce cans vegetable broth (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 2 cups ham, diced (approximately)
  • 2 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
  • 6-8 green onions, sliced
  • 1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Additional sliced green onions, for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, until lightly golden and tender. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic. Stir to coat and cook for another minute or so. Whisk in the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes. (The broth should begin to thicken slightly.) Add the ham, corn, green onions, potato, and half and half to the pan. Bring the soup to a boil. Boil, stirring frequently, for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Ideally they should just be beginning to break down (to add extra thickness to the soup) but not so mushy that they’re falling apart. Season with the paprika and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm, garnished with additional sliced green onions.

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Deviled Egg Salad

Posted on April 3, 2012 by amydeline

I have an easy time getting behind the whole Santa Claus thing. The spirit of good ol’ St. Nick practically courses through my veins. As a tradition, it makes sense to me. I can make the connections between Santa Claus and the true meaning of Christmas. And I’m all about sharing the tradition of Santa with my children for as long as they choose to believe.

I have a much harder time getting behind the idea of a giant man-bunny, like the ones sitting at the mall waiting to take pictures with sweet children dressed in their Easter best. I admit, I just don’t really get it. I just don’t understand the connection between the Easter bunny and Jesus rising from the dead. I can’t connect the dots.

Santa makes sense to me. (Even the tooth-fairy makes sense.) A candy-giving, egg-hiding rabbit does not.

So, around here, our discussions of Easter have focused mainly on the true reason for the holiday. We’re low-key on the rabbit stuff. Sure, we’ll color eggs, the Easter bunny will hide them, and there will be an Easter basket waiting in the morning. (There will even be animal crackers hiding under the green cellophane grass, just like there always were in my Easter basket.) But our celebration on Sunday will be more of a religious one.

Regardless of your feelings on fuzzy rabbits, if your family celebrates Easter, the odds are that you will be left with dozens of colored hard-boiled eggs come Sunday morn. Please heed the USDA’s advice and do not leave hard-boiled eggs unrefrigerated for more than two hours…the last thing anyone needs on Easter is food poisoning. Either sneak around in the early morn to hide those eggs or hide plastic eggs and leave those pretty colored eggs in the fridge.

And if you’re looking for an easy, delicious use of those purdy eggs, give this tasty deviled egg salad recipe a try. It’s a classic egg salad, with the addition of dijon mustard and pickle relish for a deviled egg flare. (Be careful though..if you’re not watching, your spouse might steal the last of it for his lunch. For real…it happened to me.)

Deviled Egg Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons sweet relish
  • 1 tablespoon parsley
  • 1 /2 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Peel the eggs, cut in half, and remove the yolks. Place the yolks in a medium sized bowl. Chop the egg whites and place in a separate bowl. Use a fork to smash the egg yolks, then combine with mayonnaise, mustard, relish, parsley, and paprika until smooth. Stir in the chopped egg whites. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as desired.

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Chicken, Apple, and Peanut Salad

Posted on March 28, 2012 by amydeline

I’m an emotional eater. It is hands-down my biggest dietary downfall. I know how to lose weight. I know exactly what I need to do. And when things are good, I  can stay focused on my goals and get the job done.

But then there are times when it feels like my head is spinning. Somebody’s digging through the fireplace ashes, somebody else is constructing an elaborate obstacle course of danger and destruction in the living room,  and somebody else is throwing a tantrum because he wanted to wear his Ghostbusters t-shirt for the third day in a row. (My sister says I should just let the kids do what they want so they will be happy. She might be right.) The dishes are piled up. There’s a mound of dirty clothes lying on the kitchen floor, begging to be added to the laundry that is also piling up. The dog’s hair is rolling in tumbleweeds across the living room. And the million tiny Lego pieces, which I just finished picking up so the baby won’t eat them, are scattered all over the living room floor. Again. I don’t even know when it happened. My heart is racing and I’m barking commands like a well-practiced drill sergeant.

Put some clothes on. We don’t cook in the nude (giving new meaning to the term ‘Naked Chef’).

Stop trying to eat the stroller while I’m pushing it.

Books are for reading. Not eating.

The bathroom is not a play place. 

Somehow, the very same things which are my life’s greatest blessings are also the source of my greatest stresses. I often find it difficult to embrace this time in my life when somebody is always crying or whining or complaining or needing something. Whoever said you should live in the moment and be ever present in your life, clearly didn’t have a screaming baby in his arms or small whirling dervishes tearing the world apart around their feet. I don’t want to live in those moments. I just want to get through them. I’m sure they will all seem more magical in retrospect.

My life is beautiful. It’s joyous. It’s filled with amazing blessings. But it overwhelms me sometimes. And when I feel like I’m spinning in everyone else’s needs, with my heart pounding from my inability to keep up, I console myself with food. I can’t take a break or go for a run when the stress builds to explosive levels. Deep breathing doesn’t usually work. A spontaneous dance party sometimes does. But when it doesn’t, I eat. And eat and eat. Until I’m stuffed and refueled enough to pull myself together enough to clean the yogurt off the wall and wash that Ghostbusters t-shirt for the fifth time this week.

Of course, the emotional eating usually just makes me feel worse in the long run. I’m conscious of that fact even as I’m shoveling the food into my mouth, but it doesn’t really matter in the moment. All this goes to say that my head’s been spinning extra fast and extra often lately (these things always seem to come and go in waves) and my progress towards a healthier me has suffered. I was open about my goals and successes when I set about my New Year’s resolutions, so it’s only fair that you know I’m struggling to stay the course right now. I’m remorseful, but not defeated. I have every intention of pulling myself together with some good, healthy, satisfying meals, like this super tasty, protein-rich salad.

This salad came to me in a half-conscious dream, in the middle of the night last week. The baby was in bed with me, sleeping poorly (all four of his top front teeth have come through in the past two weeks). The two of us were in and out of sleep for hours that night. And every time I was stirred, this salad was on my mind. Chicken. Apples. Peanut Vinaigrette. I spent a lot of drowsy time that evening trying to decide whether that flavor combination made sense. I decided it did. We tested it last night. It’s a winner. (The bacon wasn’t in my dream, but it was in my fridge and was screaming to join this salad. A very welcome addition, indeed.)

I know I’m not the only emotional eater out there. What strategies do you use for getting through those stressful moments without overindulging in food?

Chicken, Apple, and Peanut Salad

Ingredients

  • 8 cups lettuce or mixed greens, chopped
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
  • 2 apples, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
  • 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced*

For the peanut vinaigrette:

  • 1/6 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/6 cup olive oil
  • 1/6 cup peanut butter
  • 1/6 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon red curry powder
*I seasoned my chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then baked in a 350 degrees oven for about 30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts.

Directions

To prepare the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well blended.

To assemble the salad, arrange about 2 cups of lettuce on each plate. Top with the sliced apples, bacon, and chicken breast. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Drizzle with the peanut vinaigrette.

Makes about 4 salads

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Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Posted on March 22, 2012 by amydeline

The Hunger Games premiere isn’t the only exciting thing happening for me this weekend. My local Target is opening is brand new fresh foods section and I’m beyond thrilled! I love, love, love our local Wegmans grocery store, but that place is a mad house on the weekends. Come Saturday or Sunday and the place becomes the arena for a different, but equally brutal, type of hunger games. I’ve got little interest in playing that game. So, if at all possible, I avoid my Wegmans on the weekends. To be able to pick up a few fresh items at my local Target will be a huge perk during those times when I just want to grab a head of lettuce, or some fresh bananas, or a pack of chicken, without engaging in near mortal combat at my grocery store.

Speaking of chicken (and Target), I was recently contacted by a company whose chicken products are now being sold in many Targets with fresh food sections. The recognition I received in Parents Magazine has brought more attention to this blog. And with that attention has come more offers to partner in various ways with assorted groups looking to promote their food or parenting related products. To be honest, I haven’t been quite sure how to respond to most of the inquiries. I’m just apprehensive about turning this place into a platform for assorted products. That’s not what this place is about for me. It’s about cooking delicious food for my family and sharing it all with you, my virtual friends.

But, as I mentioned, I got this email from a mid-west based chicken company called Gold’n Plump. They wanted to send me a shipment of chicken. At first, I laughed…because no one has ever offered to send me a chicken shipment before. And then I told my husband that someone wanted me to taste their chicken. And he laughed too. I thought a lot about the chicken. And then I did a bit of research too. You see, I didn’t want to get involved in sampling any sort of product unless it met a few conditions.

First, it needed to be relevant for me, my family, and this blog. And well, chicken most definitely fits that condition. Chicken is widely enjoyed by many people, including our family. Many of the recipes on this blog feature chicken. And it’s one of the more affordable meat options for people watching their wallets, making it a great meal choice for many families.

Second, it needed to be a product I could proudly stand behind. I think of it this way… When we started looking into birthday party venues for our son’s upcoming 5th birthday, someone suggested doing a party at McDonald’s. Now, don’t get me wrong, everyone in my family enjoys the occasional shamrock shake or happy meal…sometimes even a super-sized Big Mac meal. But, it’s not like I’m patting myself on my back for our wise nutrition choices when we pull through that drive-thru. That being said, it’s not really a choice I want to stamp my name on for our son’s birthday party.

Same goes for what I put on this blog. My family and I don’t make the best food choices 100% of the time and I’d be lying if I said we avoided all processed foods. (I can’t even have Cheez-its in the house because I have no self-control around them.) But we do the best we can and make smart choices more often than not. And when it comes to what I choose to share with you on this blog, I want it to be the things I can pat myself on the back for. (I give a processed-food pass to Cheez-its. I will happily sample some Cheez-its if anyone wants to send me some.)

So, I did some checking on Gold’n Plump. I wanted to make sure that their chickens were raised humanely and that their end-product was free from preservatives or any other unnecessary, unnatural ingredients. I liked what I learned about Gold’n Plump chicken. Their chickens are raised cage-free on family farms in the mid-west. The end result is all-natural chicken, free of preservatives…just fresh, healthy chicken. It’s chicken I can feel proud to serve my family.

I tell you all of this so that you understand that I didn’t take the opportunity to sample this chicken lightly. And it’s with confidence that I write about it here. Gold’n Plump sent me a cooler with a big pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, two packages of ground chicken, and a package of drumsticks. I rarely buy chicken drumsticks, so those instantly caught my eye. I immediately reworked my dinner plan for the evening to make some honey-garlic drumsticks with a side of roasted brussels sprouts. And the chicken drumsticks were really good…so moist and delicious!

I used the chicken breasts over the weekend to make a big batch of my Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Chicken Salad, which my husband has been nudging me about since he finished the last bite of our first batch. The breasts were well-trimmed, fresh, and delicious. I haven’t had a chance to use the ground chicken yet, but I’ve got my sights set on some Buffalo Chicken Meatballs (with the 90/10 ground chicken) and maybe a chicken chili with the extra lean (95/5) ground chicken.

I was quite pleased with the chicken I sampled. I’m picky about the meats I purchase, but I will feel confident picking up Gold’n Plump chicken if I see it at my Target’s new fresh foods section. Even better, Gold’n Plump currently has a coupon available. And isn’t it always a nice treat to save some money on some good, healthy food for your family? If your Target carries fresh foods, keep an eye out for Gold’n Plump (and don’t forget your coupon)!

Baked Honey Garlic Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

  • 6-8 chicken drumsticks
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions

To prepare the sauce: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the soy sauce, honey, parsley, and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange the chicken drumsticks in a single layer in a baking dish. Pour the honey garlic sauce over the drumsticks. Roll the drumsticks in the sauce to coat all sides. Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Gold’n Plump provided me with the chicken to sample. All opinions expressed in this post are fully my own.

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Moroccan-Style Lamb Stew with Dried Plums

Posted on March 19, 2012 by amydeline

Anyone else bursting out of their skin with excitement for The Hunger Games movie??? Only a few days away now and I can hardly wait! Honestly, I never would have even picked up the book, had my sister not bought it for me for my birthday. All I knew was that it was a “young adult” novel. And the last time I tried one of those (ahem, Twilight) I couldn’t bring myself to read past the first chapter. But, The Hunger Games arrived in the mail, so as I sat on the couch feeding the baby, I cracked it open and read the first few pages. And then I sorely neglected my children for the rest of the afternoon, as I was incapable of putting the book down. Shhh…Mommy’s trying to read. You’re 4 years old now…what do you mean you don’t know how to cook yourself dinner?? Go change your own diaper…Mommy’s busy.

Not my proudest parenting moment, to say the least. But The Hunger Games is a page-turner, with a plot so barbaric that it’s hard for me to believe it’s written for ‘young adults’. But then, so many of the books I read as a young adult had themes which took me years to grasp at more than a surface level. I think that’s sort of the thing with The Hunger Games. The story has the perfect blend of ingredients; sacrifice, survival, heroism, romance, and moral conflict; to make it instantly relatable and intriguing to all age groups, but there are also deeper themes about human nature, power, and human rights at work…the kinds of themes which take a bit more time and experience to fully digest. If you haven’t read it yet, go buy it right now or load it to your Kindle or whatever it is that you do when you read. Stop reading this blog post, and go read The Hunger Games.

Wait…Don’t go just yet! I have a recipe for you. And you’re going to want it because this book is going to make you hungry. Without giving away too much of the plot, I can say that when the main character, Katniss, is brought to the Capitol, she is introduced to the most decadent array of mouth-watering foods, unimaginably extravagant in comparison with her impoverished family’s meager portion of grains or the illegally hunted game she risks her life to acquire. This is drool-worthy stuff…sweet melons, decadent chocolate cakes, thick carrot soups (like this one), and her first taste of hot chocolate. But of all of the foods, her most favorite dish was a lamb stew with dried plums.

With The Hunger Games poised to premiere in just a few days, a celebratory lamb stew seemed in order. But, to be quite honest, I wasn’t so sure how I felt about adding dried plums (prunes essentially) to my lamb stew. Am I the only one who’s afraid of prunes?? Trepidations aside, I decided to go for it. I figure that if Katniss can volunteer as tribute to save her sister’s life, I can certainly put a few prunes in my stew. For good measure, I also threw in some golden raisins, dried apricots and sweet potatoes. Moroccan-inspired spices of cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and fresh mint complete the flavor profile in this decadent, slow-cooked lamb stew. Somehow I suspect that Katniss’ favorite lamb stew would have been equally exotic.

And as for the dried plums…I was so wrong. They are spectacular in combination with the tender chunks of slow-cooked lamb and Moroccan-inspired spices. I can’t think of a better pre-Hunger Games meal. As Katniss would say, I could eat this by the bucketful!

If you’re in need of a little Hunger Games fix before Friday’s big premiere, check out the preview on Cinema Blend, where you can see all of the latest images, trailers, movie clips, and behind-the-scenes features!

Moroccan-Style Lamb Stew with Dried Plums

Ingredients

  • 2-2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, well-trimmed of exterior fat and cut into 1″ cubes
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1/2 cup dried plums (prunes), diced
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 6 fresh mint leaves, chiffonade *
*Click HERE to see my photo guide on how to chiffonade.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Toss the lamb in the flour. In a large dutch oven pan (or oven-safe stock pot with a tight fitting lid), heat olive oil over medium/medium-high heat. Add the lamb to the pan in a single layer and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. (Cook in batches, if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan.) Remove the lamb from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Add the carrots and onions to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender and golden. Sprinkle the cinnamon, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper over the carrots and onions. Stir to coat. Cook for one more minute. Then, return the lamb to the pan. Add the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover and place the pan on the middle oven rack. Cook for 1.5 hours, then add the sweet potatoes and dried fruits. Cook for 20-25 minutes more, until sweet potatoes are tender, but not mushy. Finally, stir in the fresh mint. (If the sauce is thicker than desired, use additional chicken stock or water to thin it out.) Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, as desired.

Serve over hot buttered noodles or with crusty bread.

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St. Patty’s Day Round-up

Posted on March 15, 2012 by amydeline

Parenthood has a way of constantly making you feel brand new. I mean, I’ve got three kids. We’ve been doing this whole parenting thing for almost five years now and in some ways, we feel like old hands at it. We know our kids and have a good enough understanding of child development to know what to anticipate as our children work through the daily challenges and joys of childhood. Our hearts pound with pride as they take those first steps, say that first sweet word, and cut that first little tooth. And we hold our breaths with anxiety when one of our little ones is not well. But, for the most part, we know what to expect and we know how to react.

And then something completely unexpected happens. Rationally, I know that parenthood is full of unexpected surprises, but sometimes they just sneak up on you. Like when I glanced over at my almost five-year-old and noticed that one of his bottom teeth was loose. And I panicked. Panicked as if blood were pouring from his ears. It’s just a loose tooth; a normal part of being a kid. But I never saw it coming. Not yet, at least.

So, I did what any mildly irrational parent would do and called the dentist to make an emergency appointment. Somebody do something! My kid has a slightly wiggly tooth! Of course, the trip to the dentist confirmed that it is totally normally for my little guy to have wiggly teeth. His adult teeth are just working their way up. Adult teeth??? But, he’s my baby! Guess it’s almost time for me to put on some tooth fairy wings.

And now we’re just waiting for that first tooth to come out. I stopped by the bank today and picked up a handful of gold dollar coins to leave under his pillow when the time comes. The tooth fairy always left me silver dollars, which I collected like treasure. But since the gold dollar coins are the best I can find, they’ll do the trick. In fact, I suspect the gold coins may be even more intriguing to my little men for their likeness to pirate treasure and a leprechaun’s pot of gold.

Speaking of leprechauns, we’re all very excited for St. Patty’s Day around here. My sister and brother-in-law will be visiting for the weekend and we’ll be spending the day with friends. To celebrate our bursting Irish spirit, I made a batch of my World’s Simplest Fudgey Brownies. Then, I spread a thick layer of dark chocolate frosting on top and decorated with a handful of Lucky Charms marshmallows. They definitely brought some smiles to my rowdy bunch of leprechauns, though I suspect they’ll be disappointed to discover the marshmallow shortage in their snack cereal.

If you’re looking for some other ideas for St. Patty’s Day fare, check out these previously posted Gourmand Mom recipes:

Traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

Grasshopper Pie

Irish Soda Bread

Reuben Quesadillas

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls

Classic Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

Guinness-Braised Beef

Low-Carb Cottage Pie

Split Pea Soup with Ham

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Posted in Appetizers, Beef, Breads, Cheese, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Lamb, Main Course, Potato, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad

Posted on March 14, 2012 by amydeline

In college, that first spring-like day always meant one thing…skipping classes in order to sit outside and drink too many beers with friends. They may as well have just canceled classes the first time the temps went into the 50’s, because I’m pretty sure that everyone played hooky that day. (Youngens, don’t be like me. Be good and go to all of your classes like you ought to.)  Even still, those first unseasonably warm days, on the cusp between winter and spring, always trigger my craving for beer.

Now, it’s very rare that I drink anything besides water or coffee before the kids go to bed. The occasional exception is when we take the family for dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse, where I will order myself a nice glass of chilled Lambrusco, to go along with my warm sourdough bread and eggplant parm. So, the kids rarely see me drink and when they do, it’s usually a glass of wine.

But, this past Sunday afternoon, when the temps were dancing around 60, I decided to grab myself a rare daytime beer. The boys rode their bikes in the driveway while the baby and I sat on the lawn playing with bubbles. He watched as I blew wand after wand full of bubbles, mesmerized as they floated off into the sunny blue sky and puzzled by his inability to grab the bubbles which nestled in the grass around us, still slightly damp from the recently melted snow. And as we enjoyed the beautiful day, I sipped my springy day beer. It was a blissfully peaceful moment.

And then my four-year-old wandered over and the following conversation took place:

What?!? You drink beer, Mommy??

Yes, sometimes.

I didn’t know that girls drank beer. I thought only men drank beer.

Nope…ladies can drink beer too.

I thought girls only drank wine.

Nope, buddy…girls can drink beer too, if they want. And men can drink wine as well.

He wandered off, clearly perplexed by this new information he’d acquired…as if his understanding of the world were temporarily shattered and he was left to put the pieces back together in a new order. As parents, I think we sometimes spend so much time questioning how we communicate (or purposefully don’t communicate) gender roles to our children…all the while they’re busy forming their own creative ideas about such things. You just can’t win. It’s a wild world we live in…boys can wear pink, girls can play with trucks, and ladies drink beer! At the very least, this lady does!

The weather has been unseasonably perfect this week; warm enough to open the windows for a bit of fresh air and sunny enough to spend the afternoons playing outside. We had such a mild winter this year, all things considered, and now it seems we’re poised to slip right into spring. Ahh… We’re spending as much time outside as possible, just in case this beautiful weather doesn’t last. Which means easy no-fuss dinners, preferably the sort which leaves leftovers for the next day, like this Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Salad. It’s yet another twist on chicken salad, accented with delicious chunks of bacon and a homemade ranch-style dressing. Simple, fresh, and perfect for springy days.

I dare say, it would go quite nicely with a cold beer.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Salad
Ingredients
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 6-8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
  • Shredded cheddar cheese and additional chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, ground mustard, and lemon juice, until smooth. Mix in the chicken, bacon, and onion. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve over mixed greens or on your favorite bread. If desired, garnish with a bit of shredded cheddar and chopped chives.

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Posted in Dressings and Condiments, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Low Carb Cottage Pie

Posted on March 11, 2012 by amydeline

Earlier in the week, my husband bemoaned the fact that daylight savings time was approaching and we would be losing an hour of sleep. I’m not sure what world he’s living in, but the time on the clock has little relevance for our children. Lose an hour, gain an hour…doesn’t really matter to me. I’m not in control of how long I sleep anyway. If anything, I look forward to this evening when I can put the kids to bed an hour ‘early’.

Springing forward brings other benefits as well, specifically a bit of daylight past the kids’ bedtime…which translates into not running in the dark. That, combined with the warming temperatures of spring approaching, bodes well for resuming my evening runs. I have to admit, I’ve been sorely off-track with my fitness goals during these past two weeks and the number on the scale has been creeping upwards. Wintery weather and the early sunset has made it hard to get myself out the door for my evening runs. And finally being able to fit into some of my clothes again has made me complacent about my diet. But I’m not done yet (far from it) and it’s time to get back on track, before I undo the results I’ve achieved so far.

So, starting tomorrow (today I’m going to eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner), I’m hopping back on the horse and refocusing on my fitness goals. With the warmer temps and later sunset, I’ve got no excuses for not heading out for my evening runs. And I’m going to refocus on reducing my refined carb intake (a la South Beach diet), since I know it helps me to feel more satisfied, make better food choices, and eat less overall.

With St. Patty’s Day just around the corner, comforting meat-and-potato type meals are on my mind. But potatoes fall firmly into that refined carb category which I’m aiming to avoid. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some comforting Irish cookin’ with just a few substitutions. You may remember a few weeks ago, when I shared a recipe for mashed cauliflower, which makes a wonderful substitution for mashed potatoes…a substitution which would also make the perfect topping for a low-carb, South Beach friendly cottage pie. Using lean ground beef and part-skim cheese helps lighten the meal even more, without sacrificing any flavor. Furthermore, making low-glycemic index choices for the veggie layer keeps this dish nicely in line with my diet plan.

If you’re looking to celebrate St. Patty’s Day without sacrificing your diet goals, this just might be the dish for you! Though, in the interest of full disclosure, you should know that I fully intend to make (and eat) more corned beef and cabbage egg rolls on St. Patty’s Day, with a few dark beers to wash them down. (All food and beer are zero calories on St. Patty’s Day…if you’re Irish, that is. I swear it…a little red-headed leprechaun told me so.)

Looking for a traditional lamb and potatoes Shepherd’s Pie recipe? Click HERE.

Low Carb Cottage Pie

Ingredients

For the beef layer:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and pepper
For the veggie layer:
  • 2 cups green beans, steamed and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
For the mashed cauliflower:
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped and steamed until tender
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt
  • 1/2 cup part-skim cheddar, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the beef layer: Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir, allowing it to cook for about a minute. Then, add the beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and onion powder. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until the liquid thickens into a gravy around the meat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.

For the veggies: Wipe out the pan used for the beef. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until golden and tender. Scatter the mushrooms and the steamed green beans in an even layer over the meat.

For the mashed cauliflower: Using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender, combine the cauliflower, butter, milk, and garlic powder until smooth. Season with salt, to taste. Spread the mashed cauliflower in an even layer over the veggies.

Sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake for about 25 minutes, until heated through and slightly browned. (Allow for longer cooking time if preparing ahead of time and refrigerating before baking.)

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Posted in Baking, Beef, Cheese, Food, Main Course, Recipes, Vegetable and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leap Day Monkey Breads

Posted on February 29, 2012 by amydeline

The interior springs, which prevent the unusually heavy dishwasher door from recklessly crashing to the floor, busted the other day. The repair man has assessed the damage and the necessary parts have been ordered. In the mean time, we’re fondly referring to the dishwasher as “toddler crusher”, which certainly kicks up the level of excitement in the kitchen. Because being in the kitchen should always feel a little like Thunderdome, shouldn’t it?

Aside from the added thrill of crashing appliance doors (thank you, LG), we are all buzzing with excitement around here today, because it’s Leap Day…and if we learned anything from last week’s episode of 30 Rock, you can do anything you want on Leap Day, because nothing counts. (Buh-bye diet!) Being as I learn most of life’s important lessons from Thursday nights’ TV line-up, we’re going to celebrate Leap Day as it ought to be celebrated.

Which means we’re going to wear mismatching socks, forget about chores, and eat ice cream sundaes for dinner. I might even buy that Mercedes E320 I’ve always wanted. And I’m totally going to bathe myself in salted caramel. Because it’s an extra day and you can spend it however you want. In an ideal world, I’d actually spend my extra day taking one very long nap in a warm, quiet sensory deprivation chamber. But since I still need to take care of my children…even on Leap Day…we’re going to go the recklessly over-indulgent and silly behavior route for the day.

In between our ice cream sundaes, we’ll eat monkey bread…because it has a funny name that I don’t understand and it’s just really, really yummy. It makes me happy. Monkey bread, though an old familiar to many, is pretty new to me. I made (and tasted) my first monkey bread for my super bowl party (aka the DeLine family super bowl massacre). I fell in love. Big time. It was a pepperoni pizza monkey bread, with gooey mozzarella cheese and bits of spicy pepperoni scattered between buttery, garlicky bits of pizza dough. But, the thing I loved most of all were the infinite possibilities.

You can make monkey bread with any number of flavors. Use whatever sort of dough floats your boat. Stuff the little balls of dough with anything your heart desires. Roll the balls in any coating. Go savory. Go sweet. Go crazy. It’s monkey bread! This time, I made two types of monkey bread. The first (your dinner course, if you will) is a buffalo chicken pizza monkey bread…gooey balls of pizza dough stuffed with spicy chunks of chicken, mozzarella cheese, and bleu cheese which are then rolled in a buttery wing sauce. Dip ’em in bleu cheese dressing…holy yum!

The boys enjoyed my second variation; s’mores monkey bread. We stuffed the chunks of pizza dough with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips, then rolled them in a sugary graham cracker crumb mix. The final result is oozing with s’mores flavor. For an even more decadent treat, dip the warm chunks into hot fudge or some sticky marshmallow fluff!

Go ahead, indulge. All foods are 0 calories on Leap Day. Google it.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza Monkey Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 cup chicken, cooked and chopped into small pieces
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup bleu cheese, crumbled
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot sauce, divided
  • Bleu Cheese Dressing, for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray four mini pie pans with non-stick cooking spray. (Alternately, you can use one large bundt pan or smaller cupcake-sized pans. Adjust baking time, longer for larger pans and a few minutes shorter for smaller pans.) Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the hot sauce over the chicken and toss to coat. Mix the remaining hot sauce in with the melted butter. (If desired, add additional hot sauce for a spicier result.) Set aside. Pull off small chunks of the pizza dough (about 1″ diameter). Slightly flatten the dough. Place a little chunk of the chicken and a pinch or two of both cheeses in the center of the dough round. Wrap the dough around the fillings into a small ball shape. Dip the ball in the butter/hot sauce mixture to coat, then place it in the pie pan. Repeat until all dough has been used and each pie pan is filled with multiple stuffed dough balls. Scatter any remaining crumbled bleu cheese over the top of each pie pan. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to rise slightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until puffy and cooked through. Serve warm with bleu cheesing dressing and/or additional hot sauce.

S’mores Monkey Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
  • 40-50 mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 4 full-sheet graham crackers, crushed to fine crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray four mini pie pans with non-stick cooking spray. (Alternately, you can use one large bundt pan or smaller cupcake-sized pans. Adjust baking time, longer for larger pans and a few minutes shorter for smaller pans.) Stir the graham crackers crumbs and sugar together. Pull off small chunks of the dough (about 1″ diameter). Slightly flatten the dough. Place a mini marshmallow and several mini chocolate chips in the center of the dough round. Wrap the dough around the fillings into a small ball shape. Dip the ball in the melted butter, then roll the ball in the graham cracker crumbs. Place the ball in the pie pan. Repeat until all dough has been used and each pie pan is filled with multiple stuffed dough balls. Sprinkle any remaining mini chocolate chips over the top of each pie pan. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to allow the dough to rise slightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until puffy and cooked through. Serve warm. Dip in hot fudge or marshmallow fluff, if desired.

No diet report today. It’s Leap Day. Diets don’t matter on Leap Day!

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Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Breads, Cheese, Chocolate, Desserts, Food, Main Course, Poultry, Recipes, Side Dishes and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.
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