WE EAT | the best of 2015

We ate a lot of delicious food in 2015. and then I got pregnant and we ate a lot of cereal.

 theres nothing like homemade.  delicious. fit for a dinner table full of young babes.  oh- and the most important part: e.a.s.y.  Looking back over this last year of meals passed around at our dinner table its giving me motivation to get back into the groove of cooking some fun new meals to share with you!

heres a look back at some of our favorite family meals of 2015!  

..one thing is for sure- I made great use of my slow cooker:)

oven fried asian orange chicken

 grilled chicken caesar salad

 crock pot mexican quinoa chili

 black bean burger 

 crock pot pork tacos

 grilled chicken burrito bowl

 crock pot pork verde tacos + roasted sweet potatoes

 broccoli bacon mac + cheese

 pizza pasta casserole 

WE EAT | Broccoli Bacon Mac + Cheese

Cooler weather is approaching- I can feel it..even though it is still forecasting to be in the 90's, but it will be here soon..right?

I am so excited about the thought of fall and winter because with that comes all the comfort foods of the season.  Root veggies are among my favorite foods to prepare (and eat!!).  I  could probably create and fill an entire pinterest board of recipes containing sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and butternut squash alone.  There is something about those foods that just bring out the sense of comfort in a meal.  

But- can comfort and healthy go hand in hand?  Sure it can! Cooking Light proves it with their latest Mac + Cheese recipe.  CL Mag is the only magazine I get in the mail these days.. and the only magazine I make time to read (and doggie ear) from cover to cover.  Parker and Jolie love to sit in my lap to look through all the vibrant pictures of healthy and delicious foods - and their September cover photo looked outrageously yummy.  I couldn't wait to make it!

A typical cheese sauce is a butter/flour roux, milk, and of course lots and lots of cheese!  This recipe replaces the butter and flour and uses the starch of butternut squash to create a rich and creamy cheddar sauce - not to mention sneaking another serving of veggies in.   

Never hurts for more veggies!  Jolie kept talking about the broccoli and how much she loved it and Parker cleaned her plate of all the pasta.

Dinner is served!

Broccoli Bacon Mac + Cheese

adapted from Cooking Light 

2 center-cut bacon slices, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced 

2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim milk)

1 (12-ounce) package frozen cubed butternut squash 

14 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta (I used farfalle)

3 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

--

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. While your bacon cooks, cook the squash in the microwave according to package directions.  Mash squash with a fork or puree in a food processor of blender.  Set aside.  

Remove bacon from pan.  Remove all but 2 teaspoons bacon drippings from pan. Add garlic to ­drippings in pan; sauté 30 seconds.

Whisk together stock, milk, and squash in the warm pan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Add pasta; cover, ­reduce heat, and ­simmer 8 minutes, ­stirring occasionally. Stir in broccoli; cover and cook 3 minutes or until pasta is done and sauce is thickened.  Stir in salt, pepper, and 4 ounces cheese. Sprinkle bacon and remaining cheese on top. Cover; let stand 1 minute or until cheese is melted.

WE EAT | Crock Pot Pork Verde + Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos

This meal made me proud.  Proud that I am finally getting back into the kitchen on a regular basis..but I might be a little embarrassed to admit how easy it was to throw together.  Dinner is dinner, yes?  The oohs and ahhs at the dinner table would have had you thinking that I put in the hard work to make this meal as delicious as it came to be.. but oh.no.  My secret ingredient: store bought salsa.

Yes friends. My secret to cooking the meal that earned household praise from husband and toddlers alike is a jar of green salsa.  I had you all fooled by the fancy name Pork Verde, didn't I?  It sounds time consuming with a bajillion ingredients, but honestly, it’s so simple and the results are so fantastic. Ready for the step by step?

Dump, stir, start.

Yep.

I had seen a recipe via Pinterest for a pork + butternut squash taco..but it felt like a crime to use butternut squash in August so I modified this idea to use sweet potato instead.  Plus.. my grocery wanted a small fortune for the single mediocre looking b'nut squash they had.

 I cannot express how grateful I am for recipes like these in times like this.  I served this with my favorite recipe for pico de gallo and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese -- although feta or queso fresco would be equally delicious.  

INGREDIENTS

pork

3.5 pounds pork tenderloin

1 (24oz) bottle salsa verde (I used Herdez brand)

potatoes

3 cups peeled + cubed sweet potatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

 2 teaspoons garlic salt

toppings

pico de gallo (store bought or homemade) 

shredded mozzarella cheese

lime juice

taco size tortillas (we use the corn/wheat blend by Mission brand)

--

for the pork: arrange your pork tenderloin in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Pour the salsa verde evenly over pork.  Cook on LOW for 8 hours.  Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks OR rough chop.

for the potatoes: preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange the cubed sweet potatoes on a large foil lined rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with paprika and garlic salt.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Assemble the tacos over corn or flour tortillas; pork and potatoes + topping with desired cheese, pico, and lime juice to taste!

Completely ridiculous.  

Ridiculous in flavor + ridiculous is how easy this was to throw together.

..and look how pretty!

This pork recipe can be transformed into a million different ways.  We like the heat in this house, so I went with a salsa that had some kick to it, but feel free to adjust to your liking.  You could serve as I have described, but also over rice/quinoa/farro with sour cream and guacamole.  With only 5 minutes of prep time, this is going into our regular rotation -- so perfect for a weeknight but fancy enough for a weekend to entertain with.  Not to mention the leftovers.  Even better the next day.

You hungry, yet?  I think I will have that leftover pork for breakfast.. pork verde egg tacos, anyone?

Happy Friday!

WE EAT | Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls

Life since adding in a third babe to the mix has been busy.  Even when we don't leave the house for the day's entirety I still feel like I've been run ragged by 5pm.. and I still have 3 hours before bedtime.

I use that word (bedtime) loosely as it seems to be later and later every night.  Still working on getting into the groove of this new baby thing, but we are barely into our third week, so I can get a pass for that very reason, yes? 

The evening seems to be our busiest time- and when time flies the fastest, so I don't want to spend a terrible amount of time prepping and making a dinner meal for my family.  

Easy is what I will be looking for during this season of transition, and easy is exactly what this meal is.  Oh, and delicious.  That matters, too:)

I used farro as the base grain for these bowls because thats what I had on hand leftover from the Greek Farro Bowls I lived and loved off of the last couple weeks of pregnancy,  but you can surely use quinoa, rice, orzo.. all of them would be equally delicious.

Corn is in season and so, so yummy- and I took the opportunity to bargain shop the sweet corn while its just about ten cents an ear.  In the summer there is no better way to eat it than grilled with a little butter and garlic salt brushed as it cooks.

Grilled Chicken Burrito Bowls

inspired by Iowa Girl Eats

1 pounds chicken breasts, grilled

(I used a pre-packaged + marinated chicken -- easy!)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1-1/2 cups cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1-1/2 cups fresh sweet corn

(I grilled the corn and shaved it from the cob)

4 ounces freshly shredded cheese (I like a Mexican blend)

1 small head romaine lettuce, rough chopped

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 cups farro, cooked and drained 

(I cooked the farro according to package directions using chicken broth - adding salt, lime juice, and cilantro)

Additional Toppings:

0% plain Greek yogurt

Guacamole 

(avocado, lime juice, cilantro, salt to taste)

Fresh or store-bought salsa

--

Scoop cooked cilantro farro into bowls then top with grilled chicken, beans, cherry tomatoes, sweet corn, shredded cheese, romaine lettuce, and onion.  Serve with additional toppings, if desired!

See.. easy.  REALLY easy.

Jordan and the girls ate these as is, and I drizzled mine with a little homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing.  You could say that these bowls might just be a copy-cat recipe from your favorite famous burrito place.  

We always make leftovers of this kind of thing, and when I store it in the fridge for next day's eating, I put each component into their own tupperware so that it doesn't become one big soggy mess.

This is a family favorite of ours and I hope you enjoy it, too!

WE EAT | Tomato + Cucumber Greek Salad with Farro

Really, this is for my eating.  While meal planning for this week, and browsing through the most recent issue of Cooking Light, I all but doggy-eared the entire magazine.  I have been looking for quick and healthy things I can make a big batch of and graze on all week - and this seemed to do the trick for my brain. Not to mention- the easiest lunch on the planet?

I have made this twice already - the first time I didn't change a thing, and the second time I didn't have everything I needed for the dressing ingredients, so I used a regular old store bought red wine vinaigrette dressing I had on hand.

Both equally delicious!

Greek Tomato + Cucumber Salad with Farro

serves 4

from Cooking Light

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoons black pepper

2 cups cooked farro (I cooked mine according to package directions; used chicken broth)

1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved 

1/3 cup sliced red onion

10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pound small pickling cucumbers, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-in slices

4 ounces feta cheese (about 1/2 cup) 

--

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in farro and the next 4 ingredients (through cucumbers), and toss gently to combine. Top each serving with feta cheese.

I was able to find the farro easily in my grocery store, but you could surely sub out the farro for quinoa, whole wheat couscous, or even brown rice.

I also made sure to use pasteurized feta cheese - just flip over the package to the ingredients list and the first one or two ingredients should say made with pasteurized milk.

Most recognizable brands are usually pasteurized and safe for pregnancy, but I always double check.

I used the left over olives, cucumbers, and feta cheese for this Watermelon Salad - because, watermelon in the summer is just required. 

WE EAT | Grilled Caprese Pizza

With summer upon us, we've been grilling a TON.  We've been sticking to the typical, veggies and protein.

chicken.veggies.steak.

Lots of steak actually.. I have been craving steak during this 3rd and final trimester and have been making every excuse to get it on our kitchen table.

Often times we forget the versatility of the grill, and it wasn't until I was looking for meal planning inspiration that I realized how yummy a grilled pizza sounded.

So, over the weekend, we made good use of this summer cooking tool and kept the heat outside where it belongs.

These day I basically strip down to my undies and a tank top the moment I walk in the door in the afternoon.

100 degrees + humidity index of 4000 (or so it seems) + a dwarf elephant growing in your abdomen

Its hot, ya'll.  Clothes are optional - and no one will say anything to you (dwarf elephant..)

Back to the pizza, shall we?

Caprese pizza for the family win!

Caprese Pizza

adapted from two peas & their pod  + Cooking Light

refrigerated store bought pizza dough (I used Pillsbury)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
Salt and black pepper, to taste
fresh basil, chopped
Balsamic reduction**

--

For the Grill:

Place dough on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray; lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness and brush with olive oil.  Slide pizza dough from baking sheet onto cooking grate.  Grill, covered with grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn dough over, and reduce temperature to low heat; top with tomato slices and mozzarella, season with salt and pepper. 

Grill, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Arrange basil leaves over pizza and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

For the Oven:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Roll pizza dough out onto your preferred pizza pan - I often use a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Brush olive oil over the dough.  Arrange mozzarella slices and top with tomato slices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle basil over pizza. Place in preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until crust is brown and cheese and melted.

Remove from oven and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

**Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vinegar has reduced to 1/4 cup.

I do realize that grilling isn't for everyone- which is why I have offered the oven instructions, too:)

Either way - its a delicious pizza - albeit not the pretties thing I've ever made, but that didn't matter.  Jordan was disappointed when the slices were gone.

Yep - we ate it all:)

WE EAT | Crock Pot Pork Tacos + Shopping the Sales

We are at the very end of May (how this Spring season has flown by so quickly is still a question to me), and with that comes the heat of the summer.  I am guilty of seeking my slow cooker out for just those cool-weather comfort meals, but really, the crock can be used year-round.

I have made quiet a few versions of the taco in my day, and still the most effective way to stuff a tortilla would have to be by utilization of the crock pot.  That being said- this recipe is by far the best pork taco we've tried - and we've tried plenty.

I mentioned in the 'grocery games' post I shared last week about shopping the sales, and this week was definitely one of those weeks that it was easy to come up and cook from the sale ads.  With the holiday the weekend, all my regular grocery stops were having great deals - particularly on meat and produce.  I'll get into a few more recipes I'm making this week, but first..

tacos.

Crock Pot Pork Tacos

adapted from Gimme Some Oven 

3-5 pound boneless pork tenderlion

1 (12-ounce) bottle of dark Mexican beer

2 chipotles in adobo sauce

3 cups cubed fresh pineapple

1 small red onion

3 tablespoons chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder)

The juice of one fresh lime

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Corn tortillas

Mango Salsa (recipe follows)

• Additional Toppings: crumbled goat, feta, quest fresco or cojita cheese (we used pasteurized goat cheese), diced avocado, additional diced pineapple
• --
• Cut the pork into cubes, trimming off additional fat as needed.  Add the pork to the bottom of the slow cooker.  
• In a blender or food processor, add the chipotles, pineapple, onion, chili powder, lime juice, vinegar, salt, cumin, and black pepper.  Puree until the mixture is smooth and free of pineapple chunks.  Stir in the beer until it is combined.  Pour the mixture over the pork, tossing to coat the pork evenly.
• Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or HIGH for 4-5 hours), until the pork is tender and shreds easily with a fork.  Serve with warmed corn tortillas and Mango Salsa.

Mango Salsa

adapted from Cooking Light 

3 medium mangos, peeled and chopped

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 small jalapeño, diced, seeds and ribs removed

The juice of 1/2 of a lime

--

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve

 When you're looking for a pasteurized cheese, check the ingredients label.. and if the ingredients mention 'pasteurized..milk' then you're safe to consume.  Most of the major label food companies  make their product with pasteurized milk.. because it actually prolongs shelf-life.  It will be the specialty brands and cheeses that you'll have to be careful with.
I served these tacos with homemade Fiesta Rice (recipe HERE).  Jordan told me over and over again that he wanted me to make this again- soon.  He usually likes everything that comes out of my kitchen, but it always feels good to hear your hubby sing praises about a meal.  I think what really made the meal was the mango salsa.  Sure, the pork is the star of the show, but the spice from the chipotle paired with the sweetness of the salsa.  Well, thats just got summer written all over it.  

So - how did I shop the sale ads this week?  After they come in the mail on Wednesday, I make a point sometime during the rest of the week to sit down with my marker and prep my grocery list and skim pinterest and a few of my favorite foodie mags and blogs to figure out what I can afford to make that week.  Meat and produce are hands down the most expensive items on my list, so anytime there is a decent sale on those items, I hop on the chance to incorporate them into my meal plan for the week. 

The pork tenderloin was on sale for REALLY cheap - I even ended up getting an extra one an threw it in the freezer for a later date with the crock pot again.  I had saved this pork taco recipe a couple weeks back, and thought that now would be the perfect time to make it!

On the Dinner Menu This Week:

grilled steak, mashed potatoes, tossed garden salad

crock pot pork tacos w fiesta rice

grilled chicken quinoa burrito bowls

stuffed zucchini boats (I had chicken sausage already on hand)

chicken + couscous stuffed bell peppers

leftovers

--

Meats on sale: pork tenderloin ($2.97/lb) + steak ($.4.99/lb), chicken breast ($1.99/lb)

Produce on sale: hass avocado ($0.99/ea), mango ($0.50/ea), colored bell peppers ($0.99/ea), red onions ($0.99/lb),  fresh corn on the cob ($0.25/ea), golden potatoes, ($0.99/lb), limes ($0.20/ea), green onions ($0.69/ea), zucchini ($1.49/lb)

Dairy on sale: shredded KRAFT cheese ($1.99/ea), sour cream ($1.83/ea)

Some of my regularly purchased items were on sale, too: like English muffins, strawberries, wheat thin crackers, and watermelon- which is always a win!  When I do have the opportunity to buy more (meats in particular), I purchase extra and freeze for a later use.  Someone mentioned about shopping chicken breast and some other meats in bulk and freezing- and YES, definitely!  I usually buy chicken breast in bulk at Costco about once every two months.. if I cant get to Costco, or don't have what I need on hand, I'll buy it at my regular grocery when its on sale (like it was this week!)

Hoping this is helpful and not completely confusing.  There is a lot that goes into meal planning for my family, and most of which has to do with shopping the sale ads and what I already have on hand in my kitchen.

Happy shopping! 

WE EAT | Black Bean Veggie Burgers + Sriracha Mayo

Make no mistake- we love meat in this house.  Okay, really - the hubby loves the meat.  The girls and I could stand to eat 'vegetarian' at every meal.. but I do love a great steak every once and awhile.  Bean burgers are probably my most favorite meal to make sans the meat, for a few reasons.. 

ONE - it is so easy.  Easy isn't even the right word.  But really- its so easy.

TWO- its really cheap.  Beans are probably the cheapest protein in the grocery store, am I right?

THREE- they are healthy.  Just so long as we keep the Sriracha mayo to a minimum (I have a hard time with limiting the 'sauces'.  I always want extra!)

FOUR (because I feel like just three is limiting the amazing that are bean burgers) - you can put absolutely anything you want in them.  The versatility is endless.

This recipe, I can promise, even your household carnivores will enjoy.

Vegetarian (dietitian says go meatless at least once a week), high in fiber (we all need more fiber, yo), and if your diet requires it, gluten free by simply subbing out the panko breadcrumbs for gluten free oats (excluding the bun, too).

also..

Sriracha on er'thing.

Ingredients

BURGERS

adapted from eat, live, run 

3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 egg (..or 2 if your mixture seems to be really dry and crumbly)

2 jalapeño peppers, seeds + ribs removed

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

avocado, sliced thin

hamburger buns

SRIRACHA MAYO

adapted from Cooking Light

1/4 cup canola mayo

2 teaspoons Sriracha sauce

2 teaspoons cider vinegar 

--

In a food processor, pulse together jalapeño, garlic, 1/2 of the black beans, salt, & pepper.  Remove bean mixture from the food processor and combine with remaining black beans, egg, panko, cilantro, tomato sauce, and thawed corn.  Fold in chili powder and paprika.

Form into 6 'burger' patties.

Heat a grill pan over medium high heat- cook burgers on each side for 4-6 minutes.  

Serve on hamburger buns with avocado slices and Sriracha mayo.

For the mayo: combine all ingredients - mix well.

This recipe is written so that I can make plenty to feed my family, but also to freeze some for later cooking.  To store them in your freezer, freeze them on wax paper until they set, about 2 hours, then transfer them into labeled containers or freezer safe bags.  I can't promise you'll have left overs to freeze.  They are good.  I've been craving this recipe since I made them.. We might have these burgers again very soon.  Just so I can eat the leftovers.

It was a crowd pleaser at this table.

I served these with baked fries (and ketchup!).. but they would be amazing up on top a bed of brown rice or quinoa with shredded jicama, peppers, avocado and a vinaigrette dressing for a healthy veggie bowl.  

 While dinner time isn't usually a huge mess anymore, we do still strip the girls of most of their clothing and always throw on a bib before setting them up in their highchairs at the table for meal times. We are bib-lovers of all kinds, and have been since they started solids at 4 months.  

While we have graduated from the 'pocket-bibs', we had the opportunity to try out these apron-style reversible bibs from Dabbling Duck Boutique.

 The 'food protection' of these bibs is pretty impressive. These bibs have arm holes for full coverage of the shoulders torso.. and while I just said my kids aren't super messy anymore, after this typically non-messy meal they somehow got ketchup on their shoulders, too.

Excitement on this face for veggie burgers.. and for the new colors on her bib.

Four bobby pins in that girl's hair doing nothing for her at the moment..

 Parker is a 'sauce dipper', like her mother, and no matter what sauce is on her plate, everything is dipped before it goes into her mouth (and everywhere else on her person). 

On this night we were covered for the mess.  Literally.
I tossed these messy bibs in the wash after dinner - and Parker was clean as a whistle.
Well.. her ketchup covered face sung a different tune, I'm afraid.

 She is the silliest.  The silliest and the most sassy.  Gives me a run for my money in every situation- but that smile captures it all into one sweet pot of sugar. 

..and there is also this face.  I have two sweet babes I share the table. 

These burgers.  Delectable and delicious.  Mix them up, throw them on a salad or eat them with a bun.  But don't forget the spicy mayo.  You won't be disappointed! 

mint arrows bibs c/o dabbling duck boutique

flex straw sippy cup c/o nuby