Hooray For Spinach

For the last week, I’ve been puppy (and kitty) sitting.  Cooking in someone else’s kitchen is one challenge; cooking in someone else’s kitchen while three pets are underfoot hoping you’ll drop something tasty is another. It means rummaging through drawers to find just the right utensil and opening cabinets to chase down more pepper while being careful to mind my footsteps so I don’t accidentally step on any paws. It also means gently pushing curious puppy noses away from the hot oven so that the puppy nose doesn’t get burned and the puppy mouth doesn’t eat my dinner.

Nothing says “good time” like a wet puppy nose on the back of your leg as you try to carefully remove a pork tenderloin from the oven.  I’m not sure I can really blame them, it was pretty delicious.  Instead of grilling it like I have in the past (which eliminates having to look for an appropriate pan!), I decided to flatten this and stuff it with sautéed spinach and feta cheese.  I didn’t regret it.  The most complicated part of making this is butterflying the pork tenderloin and then pounding it out thin, and even if you’ve never done this before, it isn’t difficult at all.  The spinach gets a quick saute with garlic and olive oil, then the whole thing goes into the oven for about an hour.  This is a great recipe when you need an impressive entrée but don’t have time to hover over the stove.  It’s simple but delicious and it looks like it took way more hands-on time than it actually did.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. pork tenderloin
• 2 C. fresh spinach
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 C. crumbled Feta cheese
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut a slit lengthwise down the center of the pork tenderloin, staying about 1/2 inch away from cutting entirely through it.

Open up the pork tenderloin (like a book) and lay it flat between two sheets of waxed paper and pound using a meat mallet or heavy skillet to 1/2 inch thickness.

Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the pork tenderloin.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add the spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach just starts to wilt.

Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the surface of the butterflied pork tenderloin.

Sprinkle the feta evenly on top of the spinach mixture.

Roll the pork tenderloin up, like a jelly roll, starting from the long end.

Place the pork tenderloin into a baking dish or roasting pan with the seam down (use toothpicks to keep the tenderloin closed if needed).

Sprinkle the pork tenderloin evenly with salt and pepper.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into approximately 1 inch slices (or wider depending on preference).

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Diana Dishes original

Easy Peasy

Earlier this week, I volunteered to help O’s kindergarten class with their “Sink or Float” water project.  The class was organized into groups and moved from station to station completing various activities to teach them about the science behind things that sink and things that float.  It was a fun day, and I’m not-so-secretly glad that I didn’t get assigned to man the clay boat station.  At my station, the students were given various objects and had to make predictions about whether they would sink or float, then record the actual results.  For the two hours I was in the classroom, one phrase was repeated over and over again by the kindergarteners, “Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”  Of course, that phrase is now stuck in my head.

“Easy peasy lemon squeezy” recipes are among some of my favorite.  It doesn’t get much more easy peasy than this (I would include “lemon squeezy,” but the lemon for this isn’t squeezed).  Chicken drumsticks are always a popular dinner in our house.  O exclaims “I love chicken sticks!” every time he sees them leaving the grill and headed to the table.  One man’s “drummie” is another man’s “chicken stick,” apparently.  Lane has been very into grilling everything on his new charcoal grill, but a gas grill or indoor grilling on a grill pan works fine as well.  While chicken drumsticks covered in barbecue sauce and grilled are a warm-weather staple for me, I love to change it up sometimes and coat the drumsticks with a rub instead.  This tarragon rub works great on the drumsticks, and would be great on chicken breasts if drumsticks aren’t your thing.

Tarragon Rub Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 2 Tbsp. dried tarragon
• 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon (optional but recomended)
• 1 1/2- 2 lbs. (about 6 large-ish) chicken drumsticks (skin can be removed if preferred)

Directions:

Heat a grill (charcoal or gas) to 450 degrees, or heat a grill pan indoors over medium-high heat.

To make the rub, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, tarragon, salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Pat the chicken drumsticks dry with paper towels.

Sprinkle 1/2 of the rub mixture evenly over the chicken drumsticks, then flip the drumsticks and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 of the rub mixture over the chicken.

Evenly coat the chicken with the sprinkled rub mixture, using clean hands (wash hands immediately after handling raw chicken!).

When the grill is heated, place the drumsticks onto the grate (or heated grill pan).

Flip the chicken every 7-8 minutes, grilling for a total of about 30 minutes.  Keep an eye on the grill or grill pan temperature and adjust the heat accordingly to keep the chicken from burning.  Chicken is done when cooked to an internal temperature of 190 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving (chicken is way too hot to handle- especially for children- if served immediately so please allow for the resting time).

Makes about 6 drumsticks.

Source: Diana Dishes original

 

Been Busy

Friday O had a baseball game and following that, the league’s annual Family Hot Dog Night.  Saturday morning started with a freezing cold and drizzly soccer game for M.  Saturday evening, we huddled in Rock Cats Stadium with many other spectators, wondering if the pouring rain was going to mean a cancelled game.  Lucky for all of us, the rain stopped and the game went on.  O and other players in the league got to go onto the field before the game and sit in the dugout and stand on the field during the performance of the National Anthem.  Some of the players were kind enough to stop over and autograph hats or baseballs for them but what the kids were most excited about was that the players were talking to them and high-fiving them.  Sunday was Mother’s Day and I hope everyone had a lovely day celebrating.  I was beyond spoiled with breakfast in bed prepared by Lane and the kiddos, lunch and The Great Gatsby with Lane while the kiddos spent some time celebrating with their mother, and dinner out at a local tapas restaurant that we love.  Monday, my “baby” sister celebrated her college graduation and I could only celebrate in spirit as we have two kiddos to shuffle around, and I’m puppy sitting for my dads while they traveled to Atlanta for graduation.  It has been a busy seven days, and when you throw in baseball practice on Monday, soccer practice Tuesday and having to make a “nothing-like-the-last-minute!” trip to a seamstress yesterday, something had to give.  If you couldn’t tell, I hadn’t spent much time in my kitchen since around Thursday night.

I did get to make a great soup for dinner, and I’m finally getting a moment to share it today.  Last week was a shock to many when the temperatures hovered in the mid-fifties after we had been spoiled with seventy-plus degree weather the week before.  After shuffling the kiddos to activities on Monday and Tuesday, I like to make an easy but comforting dinner on Wednesday.  Wednesdays, it’s just me and Lane and I like to be able to have dinner with a quick clean-up and then enjoy a TV show on the couch that doesn’t involve any talking animals (we really know how to live it up!).  This is a simple tomato-based soup with chickpeas and pasta.  It’s very filling, and I love chickpeas as a healthy source of protein and fiber.  It’s a great soup for “clean out the fridge day” as well.  Have some zucchini or green beans that need to be used up? Toss them in.  Have some leftover chicken? Toss it in.  No chickpeas? Use white or kidney beans instead.  Don’t like spinach? Use some Swiss chard or kale.  This is going to be a staple for soup and sandwich night at our house for a while.  With a sprinkling of Parmesan on top.

Chickpea Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 1/2 of a 28 oz. can), with juices
• 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• 1 C. dry small pasta (shells or elbows recommended)
• 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 2 C. cooked chickpeas)
• 5 oz. fresh or frozen spinach
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• generous pinch red chili flakes (optional)
• freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the onion, celery and carrot to the olive oil and stir to combine.

Saute about 7 minutes until softened but not browned (turn down the heat if you find they are browning).

Add the garlic to the mixture and saute for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomato paste.

Add the diced tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock and dried oregano and stir to completely combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil.

Stir in the pasta, chickpeas, and spinach.

Simmer about 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender.

Add salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste.

To serve, top each serving with additional chili flakes and Parmesan cheese, as desired.

Makes 6 generous servings.

Source: slightly adapted from Foodess

Stepmother

I’ve been seeing photos plastered on various social media outlets stating “A stepparent is a truly amazing person.  They made a choice to love another’s child as their own” and I find a lot of truth in that.  I became a stepparent to two amazing children when I got involved with my ex-husband.  As we were getting divorced, I was terrified that this would mean the end of my relationship with his children.  I truly did (and still do) love them like they are my own children.  Luckily it didn’t come to that, and they are still in my life.  I don’t get to see them nearly as much as I’d like to.  They live out-of-state with their mom (who is my personal idea of what a superhero looks like sometimes) and stepdad, and circumstances being what they are I only get to physically spend time with them briefly when they come up for a visit.  For very complicated reasons, I have to keep some distance so that all involved can maintain their sanity.  Someday, they’ll understand that.  That doesn’t mean I don’t miss them and think about them every day (thank goodness I can keep in touch via Facebook!)  and it doesn’t mean I love them any less than I did before.

Later on, I met Lane.  Well after that, I met M and O.  This is my second journey in stepparenting.  One day, the kids just started telling people that I’m their stepmother (it’s not a title I asked for, kids do these things when they’re ready) and so it really began.  I used to be reminded at Mother’s Day that I’m not a mother in that I’ve never adopted a child and I’ve never given birth to one either.  I’ve grown used to letting it pass as a day to celebrate women who are considered to be “real” mothers.  Even when I had my ex-husband’s kids in my life with more regularity, I was reminded that I was not a mother.  In no way am I minimizing the beauty of adoption or the road to delivering a child of one’s own, but stepmothers really get a bad rap.  I shop for and cook their meals, I wash the grass and dirt stains out of their sports uniforms (and pretty much anything else they wear), I sit at soccer practice when it’s freezing cold and raining.  I get them chicken soup and crackers and ginger ale when they’re sick.  I work to teach them about being kind to others, and responsibility, and good manners, and teamwork.  I help with homework and feel like I’m re-learning simple math so I can help M when she furrows her brow and says “I’m stuck.”  I’m missing traveling for my baby sister’s college graduation in part because I am partly responsible for the two small humans in this house and for getting them to school and soccer and baseball and whatever else pops up on the schedule.  I do all of this while being mindful of my role as “not the actual mother,” and it isn’t easy.  The school doesn’t know what to do with me, who am I in all of this? Do I make decisions? Is my signature good enough on a permission slip for a field trip, or am I just the person who’s allowed to pick them up when they’re sick?  Other moms at school don’t know what to do with me, either.  I’m an outsider, not part of their special “I’ve given birth/ adopted” circle.  I’ve had my directions undermined by others who felt justified doing so because I’m not their mother, I’m just Lane’s girlfriend.  That’s okay, I don’t do the things I do for the title, or recognition, or to be part of a social circle.  I do it because I am a stepmom, and these are the things you do when a child is in your care.  So please, let’s put away the special stepmother wart and let’s stop assuming no woman could love children that aren’t their own as if they are.  I have no doubt in my mind that if Lane and I ever have a child, I will love all five children (two from my first marriage, M, O, and a long-shot future baby that we’ll call “the urchin” for now) just the same.

Back on the topic of Mother’s Day, I have never expected anything from anyone in celebration of that day.  I’m happy to celebrate the moms of all forms in my life and leave it at that. I suspect Lane and the kids have something up their sleeve but if I’m wrong, that’s okay.  It’s not about special recognition for me, it’s more important that (especially as women) we all start to respect the roles people play in children’s lives.  I’m blessed to have children in my life who love me enough to call me their stepmother and there’s no better way to recognize it than that.  Although, if someone really needs to show me they care, on Mother’s Day or any day, cinnamon rolls are one great way to do that.  I won’t turn down cinnamon rolls.  They’re simple, and gooey and comforting.  They take some effort, and I’m a firm believer that sometimes, the effort is the biggest part of a gift.  The effort for these is minimized by using a bread machine (that could also be a great gift for mom!), but you can make them without one as well.

Cinnamon Buns

Ingredients:

for the dough:

• 1 C. plus 2 Tbsp. warm milk
• 3 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
• 1 egg and 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 4 C. flour (possibly more)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 tsp. yeast

for the filling:

• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2/3 C. packed brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon

for the icing:

• 1 tsp. milk
• 1 1/2 C. confectioner’s sugar
• 4 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the dough using a bread machine, place the dough ingredients into the bread machine pan in the order listed.  Select the dough cycle and wait for the cycle to complete.  Check the dough after the first few minutes of the cycle and add a little more flour if necessary.

To make the dough without a bread machine, add 1 tsp. of the sugar to the warm milk and stir in the yeast.  Allow the mixture to sit for a minute.  In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), combine the vegetable oil, eggs, salt and sugar.  Add in 2 C. of the flour and the milk mixture and mix to combine.  Mix in the remaining flour until the dough is smooth and easy to handle.  Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes or in a stand mixer using a dough hook for 5-10 minutes.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

When the dough cycle is finished, or the dough has completed rising if making the dough by hand, roll the dough into a large rectangle (roughly 15×9 inches) on a well-floured surface.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Spread the melted butter over the dough.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough.

Roll the dough up tightly, starting from the long side, like a jelly-roll.

Cut the dough into 15 rolls (about 1″ each) and place the rolls into two greased round cake pans.

At this point, you can cover the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight, then bake in the morning if desired (if this is your plan, skip pre-heating the oven).

Bake for 20 minutes, until browned.

While the rolls bake, combine all ingredients for icing in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer) until smooth.

Spread icing over cinnamon rolls as soon as the rolls come out of the oven.

Makes 15 cinnamon rolls.

Source: adapted from Money Saving Mom

Cheese In The Face

I’m a spectator for all seasons.  Football takes me from fall through the winter.  Hockey gets me from winter to spring.  Baseball gets me from spring to fall.  We just caught a game at Yankee Stadium with friends last weekend, and we have tickets to see the New Britain Rock Cats play baseball this weekend.  The Connecticut Whale are fun to watch, and we love that tickets to see our local college’s women’s hockey team are a bargain at two dollars a game.  No matter what sporting event we take the kids to see, I suspect they’re not really there for the on-field or on-ice action.  Last summer after five innings of baseball, the thing that most excited O was a controversial race between mascots dressed as a doughnut and an iced coffee. The iced coffee knocked over the doughnut, Tonya Harding style, and O’s account was akin to something you’d see on CNN.  Then there are the concession requests.  The kiddos become bottomless pits when there are vendors milling about yelling “Peanuts! Popcorn!”  We do try to limit the amount of junk food we buy when we’re at these sporting events but a guilty pleasure here and there always makes it to our seats.  O gravitates toward popcorn, which he shovels in by the handful like he’ll never have popcorn again.  M’s number one request at any sporting event (or pretty much on a daily basis) is nachos.  She is like a moth to a flame when she sees that  neon orange cheese product squirted all over tortilla chips.  Even better when the cheese is on the side for dipping, but she doesn’t get fussy about presentation.  It’s not a sporting event for M unless there’s a boat of nachos.

I wondered if nacho cheese sauce at home could possibly compare to a stadium’s neon orange liquid cheese product, and if I could make it without a ton of work or resorting to that popular “pasteurized prepared cheese product.”  Turns out, the answer is “yes.”  This won’t help when we’re out at a ballgame this summer, but when a nacho craving hits while we’re at home we have an easy solution.  Five ingredients, a little stirring, and you have a smooth and delicious topping for pretty much anything.  I don’t recommend low or reduced fat cheese for this, because it doesn’t melt like its full-fat counterpart.  I also recommend shredding or grating the cheese yourself (as I do for any recipe calling for grated or shredded cheese) because pre-shredded cheese has stabilizers in it that keep it from melting the same way as when you shred your own.  The original recipe calls for pepper Jack cheese, but I used just cheddar to keep it as close to that bright orange stuff M stares at wide-eyed as they pour it onto her chips.  I used some corn tortillas that I had after making chicken taquitos and baked them into tortilla chips for dipping.  It could also be used to top a baked potato, poured over hot dogs, or to kill a craving for some cheese fries.  I may have created a monster . . . .

Nacho Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (or 4 oz. cheddar and 4 oz. pepper Jack)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk, divided (I used 2% and it worked great)
• 2 tsp. hot sauce (more or less to taste)
• pinch of salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine the shredded cheese and cornstarch, tossing to evenly coat.

Stir in 1 C. of the evaporated milk and turn the heat to medium-low.

Stir in the salt and hot sauce.

Cook, stirring often, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened, smooth, and bubbling.

Stir in additional evaporated milk as desired for a thinner consistency.

Makes about 2 cups.

Source: slightly adapted from Kitchen Simplicity, originally from Serious Eats

Noodle Frenzy

Our spring calendar has filled up rapidly.  With the warmer weather comes the start of soccer season for M and the start of O’s first year of baseball.  Luckily the soccer schedule is consistent at one night of practice during the week and one game on the weekend.  Baseball is scattered all over the calendar.  This week, O has two games and a practice in the middle and that’s not a rare sight on the calendar.  I’ve had to look at the meal plan and make sure that on nights where there are practices and games, I have make-ahead or quick dinners planned.  I can’t spend an hour making dinner when we get home from baseball or soccer anywhere between six and seven. Dinner needs to be quick to prepare or ready to serve when we get home so that we have time for homework, bath time, and keep bedtime on schedule.  The crock pot has helped out more than once on these nights, but I do have a few quick dinner recipes up my sleeves.

I love a good casserole every so often, but not using canned “cream of ____” soups or many other processed foods means they aren’t always a time-saver.  This noodle bake is as quick as browning some beef and boiling some egg noodles.  Start to finish, including twenty minutes to bake the cheese to melted perfection, this took about half an hour.  It’s a lot like a lasagna with cheddar cheese, or a way better version of lasagna Hamburger Helper.  It may not make for the prettiest picture, but when I had to get up to scoop out second helpings for the kiddos, I knew this recipe was a keeper.

Beef and Noodle Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
•  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz. egg noodles
• 1/2 C. sour cream
• 1 1/4 C. small curd cottage cheese
• 1/2 C. thinly sliced green onions (more or less to taste)
• 1 C. freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the egg noodles.  Cook to al dente while cooking the beef, then drain and set aside.

While the noodles cook, brown the ground beef in a large skillet, then drain the fat.

Stir the tomato sauce into the skillet with the ground beef.

Add 1/2 tsp. salt and ground black pepper to taste.  Add any other seasonings if desired (garlic powder, basil, oregano etc.)

Stir, and leave to simmer while you prepare the rest of the casserole.

Combine the sour cream and cottage cheese in a medium bowl.

Add ground black pepper to taste and stir.

Add in the green onions and stir to combine (start with 1/4 C., taste, and add more if desired).

Pour the mixture over the cooked noodles and stir to coat the noodles thoroughly.

To assemble the casserole, place half of the noodle mixture into a baking dish.

Top with half of the beef mixture, then sprinkle on half of the cheese.

Repeat layering the noodles, then beef, then cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, until all cheese is melted.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: adapted slightly from The Pioneer Woman