Night 47

Recipe 153
Southwest Pasta Bake
Matt rating *****

Ingredients used:

Coarse salt
Penne (I used whole wheat)
Vegetable oil
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Chili powder
Black pepper
Yellow onion
Garlic cloves
Jalepeno
Unsalted butter
Flour
Milk
Sharp yellow Cheddar
Cilantro
Flat-leaf parsley

This was definitely a keeper recipe and one that I may use for a meal exchange group that I am a part of. Very tasty and super filling! I snuck whole wheat pasta into this dish figuring that all the cheese and seasoning would hide it from Matt - he didn't even notice! I guess I'm getting practice for hiding good stuff into meals for when Judah is old enough to have an opinion ;-) There are plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow and I will freeze the rest for another night when I don't feel like cooking.

No meals are planned for the next two nights...maybe Thursday? Stay tuned...

<><
Mandy

Night 46

Recipe 100
Gravy-Smothered Cajun-Style Meatloaf Patties with Maple Pecan-Glazed String Beans
Matt rating ****1/2

Ingredients used:

Ground beef
Ground pork
Plain bread crumbs
Milk
Egg
S&P
Worcestershire sauce
Freshly grated nutmeg
Tomato paste
Green bell pepper
Garlic clove
Scallions
Vegetable oil
Pecan halves
Chicken stock
Green beans
Unsalted butter
Maple syrup
Onion
Red pepper flakes
Flour
Heavy cream
Flat-leaf parsley

Okay so I know this seems like a lot of ingredients for one recipe, but the majority of them we all have on hand. Matt LOVED the green beans - and as you know by now if you've been reading this blog, he is not big on green anything! My favorite part of the meal was the gravy. The meatloaf patties would have been a little too plain without it, which surprised me considering how much "stuff" went into them.

I will soon be headed back into my kitchen to make tonight's meal - Southwestern Pasta Bake. If I have enough time tonight I will post then, if not, come back tomorrow.

<><
Mandy

Night 45

Recipe 104
Garlic and Herb Chicken with Romesco Sauce on Spicy Greens
Matt rating ****1/2

Ingredients used:

Garlic cloves
EVOO
Flat-leaf parsley
S&P
Thyme
Boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sliced almonds
Sandwich bread
Roasted red peppers
Red wine vinegar
Plum tomato
Arugula

I must say that I LOVE my food processor! It makes recipes like this super easy to make. This took a grand total of about 20 minutes from start to finish, with easy cleanup! The Romesco sauce that goes over the top of the chicken is really yummy with a nice kick from the garlic. I have so much of it leftover that now I have to figure out what to use it for because it's too good to let go to waste!

Stay tuned tomorrow night for Gravy-Smothered Cajun-Style Meatloaf Patties! I'm really attempting to get back into the groove of cooking - it's hard to get back on the wagon after the holidays though!

<><
Mandy

Night 44

Recipe 24
Salsa Stoup and Double-Decker Baked Quesadillas
Matt rating *****

Ingredients used:

Vegetable oil
Jalepeno peppers
Green bell pepper
Onion
Celery
Garlic cloves
S&P
Stewed tomatoes
Crushed tomatoes
Chicken stock
Cilantro
Flour tortillas
Cheddar
Scallions
Pepper Jack
Sour cream

Once again, I was pretty surprised that Matt gave this such a high rating considering all the tomatoes used. There have been other recipes that have called for the quesadillas though and I think that those make up for the tomatoes because he absolutely loves all the cheese! This spicy meal fills you up without filling you out! Good stuff, Maynard!!!

<><
Mandy