Mexican Night

Last night we had homemade chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, and beans. It was delicious. I wanted to share two things from our meal.

1. My stand mixer (which I received as a Mother's Day gift this year!) makes SIMPLE work of shredding cooked chicken. I used the paddle attachment for 30 seconds and the chicken was ready to use. In the past I would have stood in the kitchen for a solid 15 minutes chopping/shredding the chicken by hand.

2. Homemade "Refried" Beans are my new favorite thing! Noah absolutely loves beans and rice, but I just can't bring myself to buy a can of refried beans. Almost all of them have either MSG or lard, neither of which I want to serve my family. I found a recipe for homemade beans that takes less than 10 minutes of hands-on time plus 6-8 hours in the crockpot. I love that the recipe uses (cheap) dried beans that you don't have to soak overnight! Fresh ingredients, whole foods, nothing mysterious... and I will NEVER think about buying canned refried beans again. Everyone gobbled up the beans, except Erik who never has liked refried beans anyway. Noah was still talking about the beans this morning.

Easy Slow Cooker Refried Beans

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed
• ½ fresh jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• One big pinch of cumin
• 6 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 8 hours or overnight while you are sleeping.
3. Remove the bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid. If desired, save excess liquid until the final product is desired consistency.
4. Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and voila! You have homemade refried beans.

Autumn's recipe notes: 

1. I used half yellow and half red onion and chopped them up so I didn't have any big chunks to take out at the end of cooking.

2. I used an extra clove or two of garlic. That's how I roll.

3. I added more salt at the end, to taste.

4. I stirred the beans a couple times throughout the day to keep them from sticking to the crock. I didn't add any additional water, and I didn't drain any liquid off at the end. The consistency was perfect.

5. Don't be afraid of the jalepeno. The beans were not the least bit spicy! The jalepeno adds to the flavor.

6. I got this recipe from a food blog I love to follow: 100 Days of Real Food

Food Revival!

I propose that we resurrect this blog! We are all in different seasons (no pun intended) of life now, and our approaches to nutrition and good living have evolved. I've enjoyed reviewing all our archived recipes and can't wait to give some of them a try.

A few things in my life have changed dramatically since my last posting. I graduated nursing school and began working as a RN. I went through a divorce. I moved to a new rental house with my three children. I met someone wonderful who is now my husband. I bought a house and moved. I gave birth (at home for the first time) to our sweet son. Currently, I am mostly staying at home with 12 week old Matthias (and Erik, Hailey and Noah as their summer break is winding down) and finding much joy in home management and family life.

I love my kitchen! I've never felt so at home in my own kitchen as I do now. There are plenty of countertops, cabinets, and drawers. It's a nice open space. It's functional, and I find myself inspired to branch and try new things in the world of food preparation. The only thing I would change today would be the lighting. It could use some improvement.

This summer I have instituted "Kids in the Kitchen." It's my own way to involve our children in menu planning, shopping, food preparation and clean-up. Each child gets to choose the menu one night every week. On that particular evening they help me in the kitchen, and I try to teach them how to cook. In real life, I am usually overly hungry and quite impatient with the child as we work together but I am working to prevent/improve this situation. I figure it's better to do it imperfectly than not do it at all. I just hope they can see that cooking can be enjoyable despite a grouchy Momma. They really find great satisfaction in "owning" the meal for that night. I take them to the local farmer's market and grocery store most weeks and teach them about nutrition, how to select the best produce and meats, and how to make your dollar stretch when buying food.

What's for dinner at your house tonight? We are having Chicken Pot Pie and salad.

Chicken Pot Pie

After 5 years of trying and editing this one recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! So easy and tasty! Obviously, you can adjust the ingredient amounts to fit your taste. The orginal recipe came from Lori, a lady Matt and I used to work with at Union University. I like to include tips in my recipes…hope you’re not annoyed! ;-)

1 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 cup frozen peas/carrots
1/2 cup frozen corn
2-3 white or red potatoes (the key is waxy, not mealy)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 – 1 Tbs dried basil or majoram
1/4 tsp pepperDash salt
1 pkg rolled pie crust dough (should have 2 inside)

Remove pie crust package from refrigerator to soften while you prepare the filling. Preheat oven to 450.

Place chicken breast in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; cover and remove from heat. Let sit 10-15 minutes until no longer pink in center. This poaches the chicken, leaving it moist and tender. Overboiling can dry out chicken, believe it or not.

Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cube into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to med-low and simmer uncovered 10 minutes until just tender. Drain.

While potatoes and chicken are cooking, unroll one crust and place in bottom of pie plate. Press against bottom and sides; prick bottom a few times. Place in oven about 5 minutes or until just very lightly browned (prevents soggy crust).

When chicken is done, cube into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine soup and seasonings; mix well. Stir in vegetables and chicken. Gently fold in potatoes. Spoon filling into bottom pie crust. Unroll remaining dough and place on top of filling. Fold under edge; crimp with fingers or fork. With a sharp knife, carefully cut a few slits (or a design!) into the top. Cover edge with foil or pie crust shield. Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Blazin’ hot when it comes out — don’t burn yourself by trying to enjoy it too quickly!

Chicken Enchiladas

I received this recipe at my Pampered Bride shower from my sr. year RD at Masters. I have no idea why I never tried it before now other than that I incorrectly assumed Matt hated enchiladas. He's totally fine with them and likes these! :-) They're so simple, but so tasty that it took care of my Mexican craving!

1 can refried beans
10 soft taco size tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
3 cups cubed chicken, roasted or cooked
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend cheese)
2 cans enchilada sauce of desired heat intensity (MILD for me!)

Optional:
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup sliced black olives
3/4 cups salsa (optional)
Lettuce

Preaheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Combine soup and sour cream; stir in chicken.

Spread about 2 Tbs beans on each tortilla. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center; top with 1 Tbs cheese. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat for all tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over top; sprinkle with remaining cheese (onions and olives if desired). Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through. Just before serving, sprinkle lettuce on top if desired.

Suggested Sides: Spanish rice, tortilla chips, or any other typical Mexican side!

Serving Size: 20 enchiladas (when cut in half)

Notes:
~When using mild enchilada sauce, there's pretty much no heat to this tasty dish.
~I didn't use any of the optional ingredients for preference sake.
~They don't freeze well -- I learned the hard way. Soggy tortillas and lumpy filling...yum yum. :-P

Two Tasty Spinach Salads!

STRAWBERRY & CHICKEN SALAD

10 oz. package or 8 cups spinach (or romaine lettuce)
1.5 cups cooked cut-up chicken breasts
15 oz. can mandarin orange segments, drained
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup Creamy Poppyseed dressing (Kraft)

Toss spinach (or romaine) in large bowl with chicken, oranges, strawberries, and onion. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve with dressing.

*For added flavor, caramelize almonds. Heat almonds and 3 Tbsp. sugar in nonstick skillet on med-high heat for several minutes until sugar is golden brown, stirring frequently. Spread into a thin layer on baking sheet or waxed paper; cool. Break into small pieces. yum!


BACON SPINACH STRAWBERRY SALAD

1/2 lb. strawberries
6 oz. spinach leaves
1 jar bacon bits or pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced

Wash and hull strawberries; drain. Place spinach, bacon, onion into large salad bowl. Cut strawberries in halves or quarters and add to salad. In small bowl whisk together dressing ingredients (recipe follows) and pour over salad; toss to coat.

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Help!

I want to put together some menus that are nutritious and frugal. I want to do my part contributing to the family finances by keeping as many nickels and dimes in the bank account as possible. So, if you have suggestions for inexpensive ways to feed my family please share your tips! As much as I love to slave over a gourmet meal, I just can't do it while school is in session. So quick would be another perk to any menu ideas you have.

So far, I'm thinking things like:
1. peanut butter and jelly (I use low sugar Smuckers) on whole grain bread
2. old-fashioned oatmeal with milk, nuts (walnuts/almonds), and craisins/raisins (I also throw in some wheat germ and ground flaxseed and cinnamon...all very good for you)
3. plain lowfat yogurt with fruit
4. brown rice & lentil pilaf (recipe found at beginning of this blog)
5. homemade hummus, whole wheat pita, sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks
6. turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with low-fat cheese
7. green salad sprinkled with canned beans, olive oil vinaigrette, french bread on side
8. eggs & whole grain toast, piece of fruit
9. whole grain pasta w/jarred sauce (not the healthiest but quick!)

Pizza Casserole

From Taste of Home, this casserole was SO delicious that my 1 1/2 year old had three helpings and hubby and I had two! Cheap, easy, and pretty (and edited only SLIGHTLY). ;-) Double it to feed a crowd!

2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 jar traditional spaghetti sauce
3 oz. tomato paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pkg (3.5 oz) sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup grated Paremsan cheese

1) Cook pasta according to package directions.

2) Meanwhile, in a soup pot, cook beef and onion over medium heat until done; drain. Stire in mushrooms, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, sugar and seasonings. Drain pasta; stir into meat sauce.

3) Place half of mixture in bottom of 9x13 baking dish; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers. Top with pepperoni and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil; bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes more.

Goes great with Ceasar salad and grapes!