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...