Linguine in Clam Sauce

This is a yummy recipe my family has enjoyed for a long time, from the cookbook The Gradual Vegetarian by Lisa Tracy. Easy to prepare, and takes about the same time as spaghetti, but with a delightful clam and garlic flavor! The original recipe as listed below serves 2 very generously. I add slightly more of everything for our family and we usually even have leftovers for one lunch the next day.

Linguine in Clam Sauce

2 T olive oil
1 can chopped clams (I use 3 cans for our family of 7)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Large pinch of oregano
1 T fresh chopped parsley (I usually don't have fresh so I use dried)
2 T lemon juice (whenever I don't have this ingredient I just leave out and it still turns out great!)
1 T yogurt (I add a bit more since I am using more clams and more clam juice)
1/2 pound linguine noodles, cooked
1 T butter (I usually leave out this step)
Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a skillet. Drain clams and reserve liquid. Saute garlic in olive oil for one minute. Add clams, oregano, and parsley. Saute for one minute more. Add lemon juice and juice from clams. Simmer for a few minutes and then add yogurt. Stir in and remove pan from heat.

After linguine noodles are cooked, toss with butter. Serve topped with clam sauce and parmesan cheese.

Our whole family loves this and it's a nice variation on an Italian dinner!

Cranberry Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Carissa on the Tapestry of Grace "Loose Threads" yahoo group, and it was absolutely delicious! A winner!

Cranberry Chicken

Spread boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 9x13 pan. Mix together and pour over top:

1 can whole cranberry sauce
8 oz bottle of French salad dressing
1 envelope french onion soup mix

She suggested covering pan with foil and baking for 90 minutes, but I wanted it to bake faster so I left the pan uncovered. I baked them for about 25 minutes and then turned the chicken breasts over and baked on the other side for another 25 minutes.

Verdict: I was skeptical about mixing the onion soup mix with french dressing and cranberries, but the blending of the flavors was really, really good. A sweet yet tangy flavor. Loved by the whole fam and will definitely make again!

Beef and Rice Burrito Filling

I found this recipe at Kate's Cooking During Stolen Moments blog, and since my family loves mexican food, I knew immediately that I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did! It's a variation on the taco/burrito theme, and it's super easy to make the filling and then freeze for later, or pull out just the amount you need.

Beef and Rice Burrito Filling

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked rice, white or brown
1 15oz can diced or crushed tomatoes (I started leaving this out at the request of my boys)
2 tsp chili powder (I add heaping teaspoons)
2 tsp cumin (again, heaping )
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I add about 1 tsp)

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cool completely and store in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.



To serve, spoon filling down the center of a tortilla. Top with shredded cheese. Roll up and repeat until casserole dish is full.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until heated through. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Verdict: my whole family loved this dish, with the small exception of the tomatoes. I have made this several times already and will definitely make again!

Tomato Curry Lentil Stew

I was searching for another good recipe that uses lentils, as I have lots of them, and found this one at allrecipes.com. I made a few changes to it and it turned out very well! I served it with applesauce bread topped with honey.


Tomato Curry Lentil Stew

1/2 cup dry lentils (I used one full cup)
1 cup water (I used much more, about 6 cups, and could have added even more)
6 oz stewed tomatoes (I used one regular sized can which was 14.5 oz)
1/8 cup chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 tsp curry powder (I used one T)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

I also added:

2 potatoes, diced
1 T beef soup base
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

Combine lentils, rice and water. Bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and add tomatoes, potatoes, onion and celery. Cover and let simmer 45 minutes. Check every 15 minutes to stir and add water if necessary. Add spices and let simmer 15 minutes more for flavors to meld.

Verdict: Very, very good! Hearty AND tasty. Everyone liked it and my husband loved it. Will definitely make again!

Breakfast Menus

I made a small goal last weekend to not have cereal for breakfast once this week. Cereal is quick and easy, and there's nothing horribly wrong with it (we rarely buy the sugary kind), but with 5 children we can go through a LOT of cereal in a very short time. I figured that I could probably make healthier breakfasts more cheaply, and a bonus is that we could save money on milk too. Hence, the goal. Here are my breakfast menus for the week:

Monday

Chocolate Chip Pancakes, bananas



Tuesday

Applesauce Bread, yogurt, sausage

Wednesday

Oatmeal, sausage

Thursday

French toast sticks

Friday

Breakfast pizzas

Saturday

Cereal!! The children now have a new appreciation for cereal. :-)

Applesauce Bread

I found this recipe on Laura's blog, Heavenly Homemakers and thought I'd give it a try. A new twist on bread for me, and very delicious!



Applesauce Bread

1 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat or white, I used a mixture)
3/4 cup rapadura or 1/2 cup honey (never heard of rapadura so I used honey!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted

I doubled this recipe for 2 standard loaves. Mix dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add applesauce, eggs, honey, and melted butter. Stir well. Pour into a greased bread pan and bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.


Very delicious and smelled GREAT while baking! Laura said she has made this with shredded apples instead of applesauce, so I'm thinking this may be a great way to use up slightly bad apples.

Chicken Nachos

I found this recipe at Cooking During Stolen Moments and thought it would be a great one to try since my family tends to love anything Mexican-ish. I was right! Very delicious and loved by all.

Chicken Nachos

1 T olive oil
1/2 - 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (what you see in the picture below is the 2.5 pounds that I cooked so I'd have enough to freeze for a second meal later)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (I ended up doubling these last 3 ingredients since I was doubling the amount of chicken I was cooking)
1 jar salsa (I used a small jar since my kids are not huge tomato fans)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp each of cumin and chili powder (yes, cumin again!)
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheese, sour cream, olives, lettuce, or any other desired toppings

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Season both sides of chicken with the cumin, salt and pepper mixture. Add to skillet and cook chicken just until both sides are slightly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add salsa, water and remaining seasonings. Cover skillet and simmer over medium low heat for at least 20 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked.


Remove chicken and shred. Set aside.


Bring remaining liquid in the skillet to a boil and simmer until thickened and reduced by half. Remove from heat and stir shredded chicken back in to skillet. Spread tortilla chips on a cookie sheet and pour chicken mixture evenly on top. Cover with shredded cheese and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.


Top as desired and serve!

Verdict: well liked by the whole family. Will definitely make again!