So What's Next?

I LOVE that I completed this project. It did wonders for my kitchen confidence and I know I'm going to continue experimenting with new recipes because it really gave grocery shopping a whole new purpose. I don't think I'll keep doing it every week, but at least a couple times a month.

Another blessing is that this took us from cooking at home 3 or 4 nights a week to usually 5 or 6. So even though the recipes weren't always incredibly healthy, they were definitely more healthy than the Taco Bell or Red Robin that we would've been eating were it not for my project.

I have yet to create a resolution for this year but I'm still thinking about it. I'm leaning towards learning something new like a language or how to play piano. I'm open to suggestions and will keep this updated once I decide.

Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Week 52 - The Grand(?) Finale

The other week I had a huge craving for good beef stroganoff and realized that it could be the recipe to bring my project full circle. My first recipe was meatless stroganoff so it was time to remake it with a big ol' hunk of meat included.

Both Brian and I were really impressed with the flavor of this recipe considering how simple it was. And I didn't expect much from the leftovers since meat can often get tough and icky when reheated in a microwave but this held it's own and made for some happy lunches at work.

The only change I would recommend is just making a small amount of the house seasoning. It's a good seasoning, but as written the recipe makes a whole lot of it. I halved it and will probably still have it sitting around for longer than I'd like. It will be a good one to throw on chicken or burgers for the grill, but it just feels like a lot.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Source: foodnetwork.com

1 1/2 lbs cubed round steak, cut into thin strips - House seasoning (recipe follows) - All-purpose flour - 2 T. olive oil - 2 T. butter - 1 medium onion, sliced - 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced - 1 (10 3/4-oz) can beef broth - 1 (10 3/4-oz) can cream of mushroom soup - Salt & pepper - 1 C. sour cream - Cooked egg noodles

Season the steak strips with House Seasoning, then dust with flour. In a large skillet, quickly brown them on both sides in the olive oil and butter. Remove the steak from the pan. Add the onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings. Saute for a few minutes, until the onion is tender. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon flour. Put the steak back into the pan with the onion and mushrooms. Add the mushroom soup and beef broth. Cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, covered. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in the sour cream the last few minutes, right before you serve. Serve over cooked noodles.

House Seasoning: 1 C. salt - 1/4 C. black pepper - 1/4 C. garlic powder

Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Week 51 - It's About Freakin Time

I've had these last 2 recipes done for WEEKS but have just been too lazy to post them. No more!

This one was probably one of my more favorite soups. It was super-de-duper easy but had a unique flavor and was a nice change from the meaty/beany soups I had been making recently. It was also a big hit with Kat and Jimmy so that was an added bonus.

ASIAN CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Source: The Best 30-Minute Recipe

6 C. low-sodium chicken broth - 1, 2-inch piece ginger, chopped coarse - 2 garlic cloves, chopped coarse - 2 T. dry sherry - 2 T. soy sauce - 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Salt & pepper - 1 T. vegetable oil - 1 onion, minced - 1 small head bok choy, greens sliced thin and stalks chopped medium - 1 (3-oz) bag ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded - 2 scallions, sliced thin

1. Bring broth, ginger, garlic, sherry and soy sauce to boil, covered, in large saucepan. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown chicken lightly on both sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer chicken to plate.

3. Add onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt to fat left in Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

4. Turn heat to low and strain broth into Dutch oven, scraping up any browned bits. Add bok choy stalks and browned chicken. Cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in center, about 10 minutes.

5. Remove chicken from the pot and stir in noodles. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until noodles are just tender, about 3 minutes.

6. While noodles are cooking, shred chicken into bite-sized pieces. Stir in bok choy greens and cook until just wilted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in shredded chicken and scallions. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Week 50 - The Great Magazine Mystery

Turns out somebody got me a very exciting Christmas present in the form of a subscription to 'Everyday with Rachael Ray.' The magazine arrived well before Christmas but eventually I learned it was my Secret Santa (aka Dennis Herbert), but in the meantime I wasted no time in jumping on one of the recipes.

Personally I thought these were delicious and VERY filling. Our store was out of ciabatta loaves so I used a loaf of Vienna and I think they were pretty comparable. The recipes says it serves 4 but we served it with soup and easily could have fed 6 and probably still had a piece leftover. It was also an exciting use of eggplant and I hope to get creative with it in the future.

A couple of the ingredients were tough to round up (or expensive) so I just used regular mozzarella slices and regular fresh-grated parmesan and don't feel any worse for the wear.

EGGPLANT PARM BREAD PIZZA

Source: 'Everyday with Rachael Ray'

2 small, firm eggplants - 1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil - Salt and pepper - 1 onion, finely chopped - 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped - One 14.5-oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes - 1/3 C. basil leaves, torn - 1 loaf ciabatta bread, split - 1/2 C. freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese - 8 slices smoked mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 450. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and, using a small, sharp knife, score into small crosshatch cubes, being careful not to cut through the skins. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil leaves until wilted. Keep warm over low heat.

3. Scoop out the eggplant flesh and spread it on the bread. Top with the tomato mixture, parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella. Place the bread pizzas on the baking sheet and toast in the oven until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut each loaf half into 4 pieces.

Not Quite But Almost

Well... I didn't quite make it. I'm going to finish but it'll kind of be like the person who walked the marathon and crosses the finish line after dark when everyone else has gone home. I made it through 50 in 2009 (just haven't posted #50 yet) but will finish the other two within a week or two. The holidays, as expected, got crazy but since when have I let crazy stopped me? Stay tuned for my last 2 recipes and some kind of really profound wrap-up...

Week 49 - Nothing 2 Compare U 2

I discovered that the occasional trouble with making food I've never had before is that I have nothing to compare it to. Pasta Carbonara seems like a dish I should've eaten at some point in my life but somehow I never did. So even though this recipe tasted good, I feel like I something wasn't quite right but I can't put my finger on it.

I have double- and triple-checked my work on this and I know I followed the directions exactly right but the liquid in mine never thickened to what seemed like the right consistency. The pasta was at the perfect doneness when I took it off the heat but there was still quite a bit of liquid in it. So when I added the egg n' cream mixture it didn't seem to make any headway towards thickening. I guess I must've inadvertently just added too much water and broth but it's hard to say for sure.

In the end it still tasted really good and the extra liquid made it perfect for leftovers because it didn't dry out in the microwave. The combination of pasta and bacon is dy-no-mite but I almost wonder what it would be like to add a little basil or some other herb. Someone should try that and tell me how it goes.

SKILLET PASTA CARBONARA

Source: The Best 30-Minute Recipes

6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces - 5 garlic cloves, minced - Salt and pepper - 3/4 C. dry white wine - 3 C. water - 3 C. low-sodium chicken broth - 12 oz. thin spaghetti, broken in half - 1/3 C. heavy cream - 2 large eggs - 2/3 C. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1. Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until fat has rendered, about 4 minutes. Transfer bacon to small bowl with slotted spoon; set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat.

2. Add garlic and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir wine into skillet and simmer until almost dry, about 2 minutes.

3. Stir water, broth and spaghetti into skillet. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until spaghetti is tender and liquid has thickened, 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk cream, eggs and cheese together in small bowl.

4. Off heat, pour egg mixture over pasta and toss to combine. Add bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Week 48 - Easy Peasy

Even with a super simple recipe this week, I'm still a week (or two?) behind. I've got to get on the ball in the next couple weeks but, hey, I'm happy to be as close as I am.

This is a ridiculously simple recipe. I won't deny it. But it's also something I never made and never realized was so dang simple. It will make a great addition to any assortment of holiday treats.

The only trouble I had was that it calls for 2 lbs of white chocolate and I only found it in 6 oz. boxes (on sale for $4 each). So by my count you'd need at least 5 boxes to do a full recipe so I settled for 2 and just estimated the other 2 ingredients. In the end it came out delicious and lasted almost a whole 24 hours in our house. Yummy.

PEPPERMINT BARK

Source: pauladeen.com

Peppermint flavorings (optional - about 2 tsp or to taste) - 2 lb. white chocolate - Crushed candy canes, to yield 1 C.

Place candy canes in a plastic bag and hammer into 1/4-inch chunks or smaller. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Combine candy cane chunks with chocolate (add peppermint flavoring at this point if desired). Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet layered with parchment or waxed paper and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes or until firm.