The other night my dad whipped up a meat sauce using his Italian sausage, leftover roast beef, and leftover pork. It was really hearty and thick. In fact, we ate it two nights and I froze about a quart of it too!
And the one part of the meal I was in charge of, boiling the spaghetti, ended up like this. (Yes, I threw it out b/c our floors are currently filthy.)
Serve over rice with toppings of your choice. We used shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives. Serves 5-6.
Johnny and I aren't big on spicy, but this was a nice heat level for us. My dad added extra Texas Pete and crushed red pepper. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your personal preference.
The house is coming along pretty well! My dad and cousin got here Monday and have already finished the drywall job downstairs that Johnny and his brother started. The downstairs bathroom is re-drywalled and the shower gutted. Next comes some tile work for the bathroom and fireplace, then they'll be able to paint! It's exciting to see so much work get done in such a short amount of time.
First, I roasted a whole bird. Nothing fancy, just rubbed with olive oil, salt, and pepper. It was a 4-5 lb. fryer and took about an hour in a 350° oven. I used just the breast meat for the pot pie. The rest of the bird I'll use for something else and the carcass for stock.
This made a LOT! I'd say serves 6, easily. One note: I got nervous about the gravy level, so I had added a bit more water at the end. This was a mistake because it ended up really, really watery.
So, we ate it in bowls with the crust scooped over top. It was still delicious, and I adjusted the recipe above to reflect the new gravy amount I'd recommend! I liked the crust, it was tender and flaky. I'd never made a crust like this before. Usually I cut in lard or butter!
Soups! I've made way too many to link to, so you can either search (up at the top left), or come up with your own ideas! I usually start with my "big ass pot" and fill it with a mixture of veggies on hand. Carrots, celery, onions, potatoes are staples. Then, vegetable stock and sometimes rice, barley, pasta, to bulk it up. I usually use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, but you could use any meat on hand. Just add it to the pot last and let it come up to temperature. This is another post-Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey user-upper.
If all else fails - add eggs! You can mix meat with your egg sandwich in the morning, throw it in an omelette, or make a skillet frittata for dinner! Eggs are a great way to use up leftovers from breakfast to dinner and everything in between!
These will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, so they're perfect for weekday lunches. Just re-heat in the microwave for a minute or two and you've got a hot breakfast!
Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!
Combine the remaining ingredients in the bottom of a medium bowl. The harissa is a chili paste, found in a tube in your ethnic food aisle. It has a smokey taste that went really well with the cumin. Add the carrots and toss to coat.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper. Halve the cabbage, discard the outer leaves, cut out the core, and then slice into thin strips about 1/4" wide. Separate the cabbage into ribbons as you add to the bowl. Chop the green onions on a bias and add to the bowl. Toss for a few minutes, turning over to make sure the cabbage is covered in the egg mixture. Place in "nests" (or in this case, a "bed") onto a greased baking sheet. Pop into a 400° oven for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the top and bottom are browned a bit. (Yes, my oven has burnt splatters on the bottom - I'm domestically lazy remember!?)
Scoop a "bed" of cabbage onto your plate and then top with a few spoonfuls of the sausage mixture and tomato sauce. Serves 4.
If you haven't made this yet, you really need to. The roasted cabbage on its own is such a delicious flavor burst, but then to top it with yummy combinations of things puts it over the top!
Like I said, this can be switched up so many ways! You could use tofu or just veggies for a vegetarian version. Add seafood if you're a pescatarian! It's a useful vehicle to use up leftovers in the fridge so you don't waste food or throw anything out. Also, for Celiac sufferers or low-carb eaters this is a great way to enjoy Italian flavors without the use of pasta. The bed of cabbage is so fulfilling, you won't even miss the noodles!
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces
There is no butter or milk, but they still had such a fluffy, creamy texture. The outsides were crisp and browned and roasted, while the inside like clouds. Johnny and I thoroughly enjoyed them and the oniony bite from the scallions.
We had them with ham and frozen peas for a well-rounded dinner. I utilized the leftover potatoes and ham by making a frittata for another night's dinner. We still enjoyed the great roasted flavor profile, just in a different limelight.
Cut each roll into 5 pieces and serve as an appetizer, lunch, or light dinner. We ate this as a light dinner since we had eaten a late lunch that day. It took only a few minutes to whip each one up with very little mess!
These actually reminded me of real sushi, surprisingly! The rice and crisp bite from the peppers and cucumbers were correct, while the saltiness from the ham was reminiscent of the saltiness of seafood and soy sauce.
Taylor is a picky eater. But, you know what helps? If a kid gets to make their food, they're a lot more likely to eat their creation. Not only that, but it helps them become familiar with ingredients and what is healthy.
They can read directions for step-by-step learning and help measure out all the ingredients to learn ratios and portions.
It also helps develop their motor skills to stir, chop, slice, and dice.
One of the best ways to introduce vegetables is in meals that are kid-friendly and familiar. Items such as tacos, pizza, and hot dogs. Each of these can have a variety of additions to try each time without altering the original meal so that they won't recognize it. We had taco night and Taylor tried refried beans for the first time! She happily scooped up her portion once she learned they were just pinto beans. The appearance wasn't that appetizing to her, but with a little explanation she learned something new and likes a new food!
Get creative with the leftovers too! We used the small helpings of taco meat, refried beans, veggies, and cheese to make quesadillas for lunch the next day. This would also be good as a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs or overtop a bed of lettuce as a taco salad with crushed chips!
First I made a pot of my sauce, and also cooked up about a half of a pound of my dad's home made sausage.
Next I sliced the leftover polenta in half, carefully. They were 1/4" thick when I grilled them, so they were about 1/8" thick for the lasagna. I'm glad I ended up cutting them in half, too because the slices soaked up a lot of the sauce and juices and almost tripled in size!
Layering began with a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an 8" x 8" casserole dish so the polenta wouldn't stick. Then polenta, sausage, and finally a sprinkle of mozzarella and Paremsan cheeses. This order was repeated twice until I ran out of polenta and finished with a thin layer of sauce.
I baked in a 350° oven for about 30 minutes, uncovered until the sauce was bubbling. I felt that mine had enough cheese inside, but feel free to top with another layer of cheese and brown it under the broiler.
Let rest 5-10 minutes and then cut into 4 squares and plate. Makes 4 servings. We served alongside a vegetable plate of raw celery and carrot sticks.
Make sure you check out my last post for a chance to win a $25 grocery gift card!
The first waffles of batch one were unfortunately sacrificed to the waffle maker. I didn't let it heat up properly. See? This little light was put there for a reason, not just decoration!
What a mess! I had to chisel some parts out of the grooves! But after I let it heat properly, it started working like a champ and I was able to turn out batch after batch, perfectly!
After spraying both waffle plates, scoop the batter into the center. Close the lid and leave it alone for about 5 minutes, or until steam stops billowing from the sides. Carefully raise the top, remove the waffles with tongs, and start over!
All four of these batches yielded me almost 40 waffles. I used less than one box of Bisquick, a little over a quart of milk, 1/2 cup of oil, and 4 eggs, which is a steal when you do the math! You can also control the ingredients and nutrition based on your allergies, tastes, and dietary needs with no funky preservatives or mystery ingredients.
