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Category Archives: Cooking

Enter The Meal Plan…

It’s Monday and it’s time to start off the week with a meal plan. My family meal plan started a while ago, and it worked well while we stuck to it, but then we kind of drifted away from it and things got a little out of hand again. By out of hand I mean we didn’t plan ahead on any meals. which led to a lot of meals thrown together at the last-minute or just getting take-out or eating out. In the long run, it wasn’t benefiting us as far as our health and being together as a family, so I decided we needed to get back to the meal plan.

Here is how our meal plan works. We, as a family, decide on the meals each week. While it sounds like a challenge right away by letting kids choose meals (who wants chicken nuggets or pizza every day?) I have tried to make it so that, since there are 3 of us, we each pick 2 meals for the week and the extra day we eat leftovers. Once a month we take the extra day and either go out or get take out. The stipulations on the meals are this: the week’s meals have to be one night of red meat, two nights of poultry, one night of seafood, one night of pasta/grain/vegetarian, and two nights using whatever we have as leftovers to make a meal. I also had to add in that we couldn’t pick the same meal on consecutive weeks, otherwise Sean would have us eating burgers and pizza every week. Each meal has to have some type of vegetable and some type of protein. The protein doesn’t have to be meat, but there has to be one there somewhere. Once the meals have been picked out, we go through and which one fits best on which day of the week for that week. Like any family, some weeks for us can get a little hectic and some nights are better suited to leftovers than others, so we try to work with that. Once that is done, I do the shopping list of the supplies we need for the week to make the meals, we outline the everyone’s duties for the week as far as the meals go and then we move ahead with the week. Here is the print out I use for our meal planning. I have found it a big help for planning and for shopping because I tend to stick closely to it and shop only for the things that we really need for the meals that week so we can stay on budget a little better: family_meal_planner.

Now that the basics are laid out, we can talk about today’s dinner plan. Today is pretty simple. Sean picked today’s meal and since he is off from school today, he gets to help cook it too. It’s straightforward, spaghetti and meatballs. He chose broccoli as his vegetable for the day and we’re going to make some garlic bread as well. I don’t make my own bread, so we’ll cheat a little there and buy a loaf and make it garlic bread, but if you make your own, it will probably be very tasty.

The spaghetti itself is pretty easy and painless. I don’t eat pasta, I never have. I just don’t like the texture of the store-bought pasta. I think if I had the counter space to make my own pasta, I would probably eat it because I think the taste of fresh pasta would be much better. But hey, just because I don’t eat doesn’t mean I won’t cook it (and if you cook it and I am invited over, you can be sure I’ll eat it, no questions asked. My momma raised me right :)).Tonight, it’s just plain spaghetti (I am eating white rice) and I think most people can handle cooking it, so I am not going to spend time on it. Instead, I’ll focus on the sauce, meatballs and garlic bread.

There are lots of sauces available right out of the jar or can, and some of them taste good. They are quick and easy to use and make our lives simple, but personally, if I have the time to make sauce, I am going to make it. It doesn’t have to be labor intensive and take all day. As a matter of fact, I find that sauce cooked too long tends to lose some of its flavor (this is for a sauce with no meat in it). In a perfect world, I would use fresh tomatoes, but, as I discussed previously, the tomatoes available here in the stores are generally pretty flavorless and not ripe. I have found that using diced and crushed tomatoes for sauce works just fine for me. This is a simple sauce recipe. It’s quick, it’s easy, has few ingredients, and tastes good:

Simple Tomato Sauce

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil (if you’re using dried basil, cut this in at least half)

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt

Cook the oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes (don’t scorch the garlic, it tastes pretty bad when you do. As soon as you can smell it, you’re ready for the next step). Stir in the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the basil and sugar. Season with salt to taste.

You can easily double this recipe to make more sauce, just add about another 10 minutes of cooking time. Freeze extra so you have it on hand at a moment’s notice for a quick meal.

On to the meatballs. There are several brands of frozen meatballs that are good, and we usually have some in the freezer to use for quick meals or as appetizers when people are over. Like the sauce, if I have the time, i want to make my own. Sean likes the frozen ones better, and since it’s his choice tonight, we’ll probably use them, but I am going to give my recipe for meatballs anyway. You don’t have to use the beef, pork, veal mix that I do (I use the same mix for meatloaf and you can find it in most supermarkets). Chicken or turkey works just as well if that’s what you prefer. You also don’t have to use your own bread, but I find it tastes and binds better with fresh bread instead of dried breadcrumbs. Just my personal choice.

Meatballs

2 slices of white sandwich bread (I prefer Pepperidge Farm, it works well for me)

1/3 cup milk (whatever type you have will work here)

1 pound beef, pork, veal mixture

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 egg yolk

1 garlic clove, minced

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil

Remove and discard the crusts from the bread then tear the bread into small pieces. Use a fork to mash the bread pieces and milk to a smooth paste in a large bowl. Add the beef, pork and veal mixture, Parmesan, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, a dash of pepper (or more if you like) to the mashed bread. Stir the mixture gently until combined and uniform (I always use my hands – it gets messy but it mixes better. Take your rings off before you do this). Form the mixture into 1 1/2 inch round meatballs (about 12 meatballs if make them this big, if you want smaller, go for it and you’ll get more).

Pour the oil into a 12 inch skillet and heat over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate and discard any oil left in the skillet.

Place the skillet back over medium heat and add the tomato sauce, Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and add the meatballs. Continue to simmer, turning the meatballs occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Okay, now you have your pasta, your sauce, and your meatballs. Our vegetable of choice today is broccoli, although we’ll be having salad along with it too (which Sean won’t eat, hence the broccoli). There are lots of ways to cook broccoli (steaming, roasting, braising, sauteing) and Sean prefers simple steaming, so that’s how we’re going with it today. Later on in the week I’ll be roasting some and I have the recipe for that for you. I do use a steaming basket in my dutch oven to do this, Placing the basket in with water just to the bottom of it, bringing the water to a boil and then adding the vegetables. Steam the broccoli for about 4 to 6 minutes until bright green and tender. Add some more water if you find that the water is boiling away before the broccoli is done.

Garlic bread itself is a pretty simple endeavor:

1 loaf Italian bread

4 tablespoons butter, softened (use less if you like, I often do)

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or other cheese of your liking, or no cheese at all, it’s optional)

Preheat the broiler. Cut the loaf of bread in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, mix the butter, oil, garlic and oregano. Spread the mixture evenly on the bread. On a baking sheet, place the bread under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until slightly browned. Check frequently to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the broiler and serve, or, if using the cheese, sprinkle cheese over the bread and place under the broiler for another 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly brown.

That’s it, you have our first meal plan. We usually only do dessert about once a week, and usually on the weekends so you’ve done it! Clean up for this one should be relatively easy, and I try to clean up as I go along to make things easier. If you have any suggestions or variations for this meal, please feel free to add them. I am always looking to try something new. Have fun cooking tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow. Tomorrow night Sean and Michelle are out for the night at a fundraiser, so I’ll be cooking for one (which makes tomorrow a leftovers night this week), so I’ll have to come up for a topic for tomorrow. Any suggestions?

2 Comments

Posted by MikeG on January 16, 2012 in Beef, Cooking, Dinner, Pasta, Produce, Sauce, Vegetables

Tags: bread, broccoli, dinner, garlic, meal plan, meatballs, pasta, sauce

Kitchen Prep 101

14 Jan

So you’re back for day two, which makes me glad to know that I am not just writing for myself. Before I get into meal plans and what’s cooking, I thought today I would take some time to mention a few things that I think are important to have to make your life cooking a little easier. With some items I may recommend specific brands that I have used with some good success in the past, but please feel free to use what’s best for you and your budget. If you think you have a better idea on something, I encourage you to pass it along here so we can all use it.

There are a few essential pieces of equipment I think everyone needs to have in order help make your cooking experiences better, easier and more successful. For me, everything starts with having three good knives: a chef’s knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife. I use my chef’s knife all the time, and you can use it for just about everything from chopping and dicing to carving. My personal chef’s knife of choice is a Wusthof Classic 7″ chef’s knife. It’s available on the web, many cooking stores or department stores. Wusthof knives are great, but the can be a little expensive and there are cheaper, good alternatives. Victorinox (the maker’s of the Swiss Army Knife) has some great knives at really affordable prices, like this 8 inch chef’s knife that gets good recommendations and is only $26.00 :http://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-40520-Fibrox-8-Inch-Chefs/dp/B000638D32. They also make inexpensive paring knives and serrated knives, so you could round out your knife set for under $60 just using their three. The paring knife is great for the small jobs that a chef’s knife may be just a little large for, like slicing garlic. The serrated knife is necessary for bread slicing. Whatever you choose to get, make sure the knife feels good in your hand and is comfortable for you. I recommend getting a knife sharpener or steel to sharpen your knives and sharpen them often to keep them in good shape. And don’t use your essential knives for things like screwdrivers or pry bars; Chances are you’ll just break the blade or ruin it and the five minutes it would have taken you to find the right tool for the job just cost you money.

Once you have your knives, you need a cutting board (no sense ruining those counter and table tops). I personally prefer wood, but I have plastic as well. The plastic is great because they are dishwasher safe and easier to clean. The wood needs a little more care (I oil mine once a week with mineral oil to keep it from drying and cracking) and has to be hand washed, but I feel I get better and more controlled cutting using a wood board. You don’t need a huge, heavy board for every day use. The one I use every day is an 11″ square butcher block and it works great and doesn’t take up a lot of space. I leave it on the counter every day because it’s used constantly. I do have a large plastic board for carving larger birds and roasts. Again, you can spend a little or a lot, depending on your budget, but I recommend having one to provide you with necessary workspace.

Okay, you have your knives and your board, now how about some pots and pans. While there are dozens of sizes and types, I have found you really only need to use 4 or 5 to do the job. In my opinion, instead of spending $100, $200, or more on a set of pots that won’t last long and you won’t use half of them, buy yourself 3 or 4 really good pots that you will use all the time and will last. First, you need a skillet, and you need a large one, I would say 12 inches. I have two – one nonstick and one stainless steel. The nonstick is great for foods that regularly stick and is super easy to clean (just make sure you don’t use metal utensils on it, it will scrape off the surface), but the stainless steel is great for searing, browning and pan-frying and you can throw it in the oven as well. Having several sizes of skillets to me doesn’t make much sense. You won’t use them much and they just take up space. Get 1 or two big skillets and you’ll be fine.

Next is the dutch oven. I probably use mine just as much as I use the skillet, if not more since we make a lot of soups and stews. They are ideal for soups and stews, perfect for boiling pasta, searing meat, or braising. Again, I would make sure to get an all metal one that you can throw in the oven. After that, all you really need are 2 or 3 saucepans, a large (4 quart), a medium (3 quart) and a small (2 quart) to help out with smaller cooking projects like sauces and gravies. Saucepans can also be expensive or inexpensive, depending on what you choose and can budget for, but there are several moderately priced brands that work very well.

After these items, a couple of rimmed baking sheets are probably used the most in my house. They are very versatile, great for roasting meats or vegetables. if you can get one with a rack in it, even better, because this is great for things like draining fried chicken or making a meat loaf, allowing the fat to drip off and not have the meat sitting in it. (Sean will also tell you they are essential for french fries and tater tots). There are 3 other types of pans I use: a baking dish, a roasting pan and pie plates. A baking dish can be used for just about anything you would need to put in the oven, from vegetables, to casseroles, to small poultry or meat. A 9″x13″ seems to work best for me, giving me enough room to do what I want. I have a large roasting pan with a rack for larger birds or meats. It’s great because it allows for drippings to collect for gravy or sauce, or you can place vegetables around for roasting. Also, in the long run I think it’s cheaper than buying all those foil roasting pans you buy for the holidays. Pie plates, of course are great for pies (one of the few things I actually bake, but that’s for a later post). I actually use pie plates more for breading stations for chicken or fish than anything else, and the glass ones work great because you can use them for warming by just throwing them in the oven (and they’re relatively inexpensive too.)

There are a few other things I find essential as well, such as:

Dry measuring cups

Liquid measuring cups

Measuring spoons

An instant read thermometer (essential for meats and chickens)

A whisk (I prefer metal)

Wooden spoons (Get them at the dollar store)

Rubber spatula

Tongs

A box grater

A colander

A vegetable peeler

Some small glass bowls – great for holding prep work

Parchment paper – I find myself using this more lately, it’s great for lining and seems impervious to grease and moisture.

There are lots of other things that you may not use as often (Like a potato ricer, loaf pans, etc.) they are not as essential, to me, as the things I listed. I also didn’t list any small appliances, but we do get a lot of use out of our food processor (great for making bread crumbs, pureeing soups and sauces) and standing mixer (a Kitchen Aid for baking). I am not a big fan of the microwave, although I do use it to cook bacon and to melt things like butter or chocolate. other than that, I find they dry things out too much and don’t cook evenly. Now if you have any suggestions of things you need for the kitchen, let me know! I may find that I need them too. Tomorrow, I am going to talk about some pantry items I use a lot and then Monday we can get down to some cooking!

4 Comments

Posted by MikeG on January 14, 2012 in Cooking, Equipment, Pantry

Tags: Cooking, cooking stores, Kitchen, knives, mixers, pans, pots, wusthof knives

Come On In, Have a Cup of Coffee, Relax and Read

13 Jan

Welcome to my first of what hopefully will be many posts. I have been mulling around the idea of blogging for a while now, and really just needed to find the time and inspiration to do it. I wanted to write about something that I enjoy and feel passionate about. I have a long history with writing and also write some fiction (that’s another blog, still to come) but this particular blog will be more about “real life,” more specifically my real life in the kitchen. Hopefully, you’ll be able to pick up some tips, tricks and recipes along the way that you enjoy and I hope you’ll feel free to share with me as well. That’s half the fun of the blog, isn’t it?

A little about me – I’m 44, been married for almost 19 years now, and we have an 11 year old son. I spent many years working in the retail field, including managing a small shop for several years. It was a lot of fun and a lot hard work, but I enjoyed it immensely. In 2008, some family circumstances came up and after discussions with my amazing wife Michelle, we decided I should leave my job and take care of them. I became a part time worker from home and a full time, stay at home dad. In 2009, I contracted an illness that left me hospitalized and in a coma for 6 months. It was a horrendous experience (what I remember of it, anyway), I spent many months doing physical, occupational, speech and breathing therapies, and have mostly recovered by this point. The illness has left me with some small disabilities as far as walking and breathing, but thanks to the love and support of my family and friends and some hard work, I have mostly been able to work through them. I still work part time, from home, as a freelance proofreader/editor for some web media companies, take care of our son Sean every day, and also watch my one year old nephew Liam 4 days a week. It seems pretty busy some days (throw in that we have a puppy as well), but I enjoy every minute of it.

Anyway, enough about me. my circumstances have afforded me the opportunity to be home every day, take care of my family, and it gives me the opportunity to do something I really love – cook. By no means do I consider myself anywhere near being a professional cook, I just really like to do it and I am sure there are many other people who feel the same as I do. It’s a chance that not many dads get to have, and maybe some would rather not have, but hey, it’s not for everybody. My dad was a great guy, worked hard, provided well for us, but to be honest, he couldn’t cook a lick. He never had to since my mom took care of it most of the time, but beyond pancakes and occasional attempt at the barbecue, dad stayed away from cooking. I, on the other hand, have embraced my chance and love to do it.

I’ll be honest, I don’t cook every day. Like anybody else, there are days when after working, chores, homework, puppy and infant duty, that it’s too late in the day and I have no energy left to do anything. But I am trying to minimize days like that now, and I think this blog will help me do that. I’ve decided to try and schedule things out a little better, cook some things on the weekend for the whole week, use leftovers more effectively (or just plain use them! What’s the point of putting it in the fridge if you’re going to throw it away in 2 days?) and get the family more involved in choosing our meals for the week.

And that’s the point of this blog. I’ll let you in on our meal plan, post what we’re having and the recipes I am using, and give you some of the hints, tips and tricks I use to help out in the kitchen. Hopefully, you’ll do the same for me and let me know if you have ideas that work better, recipes to use or just what works best or doesn’t for you. I’ve been posting on Facebook for years about things I cook (you can see my Facebook page by following the link on this page) and have had friends suggest that I should post something regular, so here’s the chance to do it. A few words of caution – I don’t eat pasta or cheese, but I do use it for cooking things for the rest of the family. I modify recipes sometimes to eliminate the cheese, but that’s just a personal preference. Secondly, I have a number of friends who follow gluten-free or vegetarian diets. I’ll try to make suggestions on modifications to the recipes to adapt to this, but those of you that follow these eating plans may have better ideas or suggestions to use. I encourage you to add them so we all can benefit from your expertise.

I am going to take the first couple of posts I do to give some advice and input into things I feel are a big help to me in the kitchen (utensils, equipment, pantry items – there are some great items that won’t break the bank that are good to have or use) and some websites and cookbooks that I use on a fairly regular basis for ideas and inspiration (I have already put links to some of them on this page). After that, starting on Monday, January 16th, I’ll start posting my meal ideas for the day. Like I said before, some days I don’t cook, but on those days where I don’t, I am still going to post something – ideas, tips or just some random thoughts about cooking, family and friends.

When I was growing up, the kitchen was always the most social room in the house. Everyone seemed to congregate and chat in there while the cooking went on, whether we were at home, my grandparents’ home, or my aunts and uncles’ homes. The room was filled with lots of talk, laughter and plenty of cooking, and that’s how I want this blog to be. So come in, sit and relax, enjoy a cup of coffee or tea (and let me know what your favorite is, I love coffee!) and take a few minutes to enjoy our little “kitchen” on the web.