Meal Plan Update

Did any of you make an item from the last meal plan post? If so, I'd love to hear about how it turned out, if you liked it or not, etc. Please share!

Heirloom Tomato Tart

The picture for this is just so amazing (the original one -not my picture) that it had a lot to live up to. Did it do it? Unfortunately, I'm going to have to say "no". Now the crust has a lot of butter in it, but before you have a coronary, it does make two crusts. I wrapped half in plastic wrap and foil and put it in the freezer for future use. It was filling, but my husband used the word "rich" to describe it. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but it gets the point across. The combination of the crust and the cheese filling are pretty heavy together and while the tomatoes and arugula do their best to balance them out, they can't quite do it. Although I did like it, I was a little disappointed.

Chipotle Glazed Meatloaf

As I mentioned in the original post, for some reason I just can't make a meatloaf right. I had high hopes for this one, but my track record did not improve. I'm not sure what I did wrong because the meatloaf just wouldn't hold together when I went to cut it. Also, this meatloaf is very SPICY! My husband even thought so and he always orders things "Hot" when we go out. It's mainly the glaze, but the meatloaf definitely has some kick too. Not recommended for the faint of heart (or mouth). Maybe if you took the time to de-seed the chipotle peppers, it would cut out on a lot of the heat. Besides the spiciness and lack of binding, it had good flavor. However, the meatloaf recipe hunt continues.

Spicy Mash

Now these were good. Really, really good. Just the perfect amount of kick. I didn't want raw onions mixed in, so I sautéed them for a few minutes after the butter and spices became fragrant. I will definitely have to make these again! I also made the roasted carrots. They were yummy although I only cooked them for about 30 minutes and they could have used the extra 10.

Baked Rigatoni with Turkey Bolognese

Surprisingly, this was probably my favorite meal out of the bunch. I'm not usually "wowed" by pastas, but this one was really good. Once you start eating it, you don't want to stop! I loved the zucchini mixed in and that it still has a bit of crunch to it. Definitely give this one a try if you haven't already.

Pulled Beef Sandwiches with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce

A correction to the original post, I had boneless beef ribs, not pork, in my freezer so I used those. Doing so, I found you need to braise the meat for at least a half hour longer than what you would do for the chicken, but it wouldn't hurt to do another 15-20 on top of that to get it really tender. I made these for a dinner with some friends and they were a hit. The blackberry chipotle sauce is really tasty and just the right amount of heat (very little - although it was too spicy for our 2 year old). I really had no idea what liquid smoke was, but after looking it up on the internet to know what to look for, I found it very easily in the same area as BBQ sauce in the grocery store. Since fresh blackberries weren't on sale, I used frozen blackberries (thawed) and they seemed to work just fine. Also, I didn't strain the sauce, just used my hand blender to puree it really good. I had quite a bit of extra sauce, so I froze it to try on something else later on.

Also, I was surprised that the Cilantro Lime Slaw was so well accepted. My husband loved it and he hates coleslaw. It was a really light and refreshing side dish - and super simple to make!

Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary

This side dish received mixed reviews. I thought it was good, although definitely had a unique flavor, but there were people that left some on their plates, so that speaks for itself. It did have a strong rosemary flavor, so cut back on that if it isn't your thing.

And one final recipe... (in this case it's true that the best is saved for last).

Chipotle Flourless Chocolate Cake

From Simply Recipes

You MUST try this recipe! It is sooooo good (and very simple). It is now one of my favorite dessert recipes. Even if you think you don't like dark chocolate, try this. Don't be scared off by the chili powder - it's so slight that it just adds another dimension to the chocolate. When I made it, I used half semisweet chocolate and half dark chocolate (around 70% cacao I think). Also, I didn't have chipotle chili powder so I just used the regular stuff. Mmmm, just thinking about it makes me want to go bake another one right now.

On that sweet note, I'll bid you happy cooking!

Avo Cado

When I first moved in with my old roommate, Avo Cado was her profile name on a popular networking site (that has since lost its appeal). I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but it actually took me a little while to put one and one together and realize that it was the word avocado split in two. How silly of me. Needless to say, she loved avocados and was the one who introduced me to this absolutely delicious treat; an avocado shake! I am now a loyal disciple.

You are probably making a face at this point (as is the case for most people when this is mentioned), but trust me, it's delicious. Well, if you don't like avocados you may not find it delicious, but if you don't like avocados, then you're just plain crazy. It seems people have trouble fathoming an avocado being used in a sweet way, but I learned it's actually the more common way to use it in many Asian countries.

Just remember, you can't say "No, thank you" until you try something!

Avocado Shake

In the past, I've made it using vanilla ice cream, but when researching it a few months ago, found this is the correct way to do it.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 cup milk (the higher the fat the better the taste)

2 cups ice

1/4-1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (depending on how sweet you like it)

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Enjoy!

Another Weekly Meal Plan

I've got another meal plan for you (although I am aware that there's a good chance I'm the only one who is going to use it). This is a good one! I haven't made any of them - but I just know it's going to be good! I've been out of town for the better part of the last month or two and am ready to get back to some good home cooking.

It seems that the time and effort I put into making a shopping/pantry list wasn't necessary since it sounds like the few of you who made anything only did one or two of the recipes.

Since the last meal plan, I've been into looking up different food/cooking blogs. There are tons and tons out there! So hard to be discriminatory when everything looks good. My bookmarks list increased dramatically. I find it cool to know (and see evidence) that there are lots of passionate cooks out there, maybe because I don't find myself surrounded by many. So hopefully this menu inspires a few of you who look at cooking as more of a chore.

1st Meal: Vegetarian

From Satisfied

Black Pepper Cornmeal Tarts with Heirloom Tomatoes

Get the Recipe

I love heirloom tomatoes! There's something about the colors that are so enticing. They are really only around this time of year, so don't miss out. Most good grocery stores should have a small selection or the farmer's market would be a good way to go. They can be pricey, but just consider that this is your "meat" for the meal. If you can't find them, I'm sure this would work with regular tomatoes (but definitely won't look as pretty).

2nd Meal: Meat and Potatoes (comfort food)

From What We're Eating

Chipotle Glazed Meatloaf

Get the Recipe

I think meatloaf has a bad rap. I think a lot of people have had a lot of bad meatloaf. My mother makes a great meatloaf so I grew up with tasting the good kind. In my short cooking experience, I've tried to make meatloaf on a few occasions (each time with a different recipe) and it just never turns out that great. I'm hoping this one is a winner. Look for the chipotle in adobo sauce in the hispanic/mexican food section of the grocery store.

I'm going to serve it with this mashed potatoes recipe from Lick My Spoon. It looks delish! And this recipe for roasted carrots from Simply Recipes although I may switch the rosemary out for a different seasoning that would go better with the other two dishes.

3rd Meal: Pasta/Italian

From What We're Eating

Baked Rigatoni with Turkey Bolognese

Get the Recipe

Bolognese is like a trigger word for me or something. Anytime I see it on a menu, I want to order it. In the true definition of the sauce, it would need to include mushrooms, ham, vegetables, beef, and tomato paste. I don't think this recipe has all of those, but it should still be good.

4th Meal: Weekend/Outdoor Food

From Satisfied

Pulled Chicken Sliders with BlackBerry Chipotle Sauce

Get the Recipe

Can you say YUM! I'm excited for this one. Instead of chicken, I'm actually going to make them with boneless country ribs (pork) that I have in the freezer. Hopefully it won't change the dynamics of it. I'm going to try out the liquid smoke thing and see how that goes.

I'll serve this with the Cilantro Lime Slaw listed in the same post (although I may be the only one who eats it) and also with...

Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary

From Pinch My Salt

Get the Recipe

I've only had creamed corn out of a can, so I'm thinking that a homemade version will be pretty awesome, plus you can't go wrong with adding bacon.

I'll post my updates as I make these recipes. Happy Cooking!

Twilight Fever!

Watch out! We've got a little vampire girl on our hands this summer.
Let's just say she was very excited about Eclipse coming out.

Don't be alarmed! She actually just looks like that after eating...

THIS!

Strawberries and Dumplings

Sounds interesting, right?

I saw it here and had to try it out. Super easy and quite delish!

Strawberry season is about over, but this could definitely work with any type of berries or other juicy fruit. Dumplings sound difficult, but with this recipe they couldn't be easier. The only alteration is that I would have added a little bit of sugar to the dough recipe to give them just a touch of sweetness. As you can see from the first picture, it was a winner at our house.

Meal Plan Update P2

I made the remaining dishes from my meal plan over the last couple days and will post my pics and thoughts. It's cool to see that at least a couple of you out there have tried some of them - but I'd love to hear about anyone else's experiences.

I have to say that the stuffed zucchini wasn't my favorite. It definitely had potential, but seemed to be missing some flavor. I will admit that I don't think I cut the potatoes small enough so they were still a little hard for my liking after cooking for the allotted time. Also, as I was making it, I realized that the middle parts of the zucchini that you remove are never added back into the recipe. This seemed a little strange to me. What are you supposed to do with all those good innards? So I chopped them up a little and added them to the pan a little before I added in the tomatoes. Maybe that ruined them, but I don't think so. My sister said she tried these with mashed potatoes and I think that may be the way to go here.

The stewed chicken was also not as good as I was hoping it would be. You never know with those Food Network recipes. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they can flop (okay it wasn't a flop but still). It was actually pretty easy to put together which you wouldn't think with the long ingredient list. Basically, everything is mixed together with the chicken to marinate overnight and the next day you don't have much left to do besides let it cook. My biggest complaint is that it was too oily. You could definitely cut down the amount of oil you brown the chicken in from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup and maybe even less. When it was finished, I was skimming off quite a bit of oil. Also, it was a little too soupy. I would have preferred a thicker sauce. Did anyone else try this one??

I was a little apprehensive about the steak with the romesco sauce just because it didn't look like something that I would normally make - or maybe it didn't sound as appealing. I'm not sure. However, the sauce was really delicious and simple to put together. After I made it, I tasted a bit while the steaks were broiling and wasn't sure if I liked it - but once you put some on the meat it's quite fantastic. I'm sure it would be equally good with other types of meat - pork loin or chicken for example. I used sirloin instead of skirt steak for mine because it was a lot less expensive and as you can see from the picture, it got a little well done due to a thermometer that broke during the cooking process. =( But that's another story. I have some extra sauce left, and think I'll mix it with some marina and put it over pasta. If you haven't already, give this recipe a try, especially the sauce.

P.S. Those are sweet potato fries (my fav) but as you can see are not orange. It would seem you can't find orange sweet potatoes here in Oregon anymore; maybe they are trying to distinguish themselves from yams. Is it like this for anyone else?

My favorite recipe of the meal plan was the salmon burgers followed by the steak with romesco sauce. Now that the meal plan updates are done, I've got quite a few summer fruit desserts to share so be prepared. I can't decide if I should do one big post with them all or split them up into a few posts. Any thoughts?