Throwing it together

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I have many meals that I pretty much just throw together.  Meals where I survey my kitchen and its inventory, and come up with something that uses ingredients up while making a nice combination. This is one of them.

I've been raving about Trader Joe's chicken sausage a lot - this is another use for the andouille that I used in my paella.  It's a quick and easy dish where ingredients can be substituted based on what you have.  You can use any kind of sausage, add peppers, use sweet potatoes instead of white, add beans, or broccoli rabe - the sky's the limit!

Skillet Sausage & Potatoes
4 links chicken andouille sausage (Trader Joe's), cut into bite size chunks
3 small potatoes, sliced in thin rounds
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 scallion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Heat oil in a large skillet, add onion, and cook until translucent.  Add sausage and potatoes, followed by seasonings.  Cook until meat is hot and potatoes are tender.  At the last minute, add scallion and toss through over the heat for about 30 seconds.

Serves 3-4.

The Honorable Cheese

Did you know that April is Grilled Cheese month?  Yep, it is.  You're welcome.

Some major damage could be done with that theme...I could easily eat cheese all.day.long.  And bread.  And any other goodies that can be thrown in between.

But we all know I'm behaving.  Boo.  Time to get creative.

Everyone has their own preferences when grilling chicken.  Do what you like, but I'll tell you what I did anyway :)  For this dish, I sliced the breast thin and seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I busted out my Griddler to cook the chicken and the quesadilla.  Grill plates for the chicken, griddle plates for the quesadilla (now, why hasn't anyone bought the waffle plates for me yet?  hmmm...).  You could even grill the asparagus in advance if you wanted to, but I didn't...I quickly steamed it.  In hindsight, I may have even left it uncooked.  Hmmm.  Maybe next time.

Quick, easy, delicious and low in points!  We both enjoyed this for lunch while watching the Yankees kick some Red Sox ass.

Chicken, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Quesadilla
2 tortillas (Trader Joe's Reduced Carb Whole Wheat)
2 tablespoons soft goat cheese
1/2 cup grilled chicken, diced
baby asparagus spears
extra virgin olive oil

While griddle is heating up, spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese on each tortilla.  Add chicken on top of one tortilla, then asparagus, then top with other tortilla.

Spread a tiny bit of oil on outside of tortilla and place on griddle, then oil the other side.  If using a press, close the top and cook the quesadilla until cheese has melted and tortilla is slightly brown.  If using a pan, flip after a few minutes, then cook on other side.  Remove and cut once slightly cooled.

WW Points+ = 6

Cleaning out the fridge again (Lent friendly dish)

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE!***

Every once in a while I open up the door to the fridge (and freezer) and think, okay, what can I concoct today?  I get these sudden urges to throw something together that will use up what we have (I HATE wasting food!) and of course, still taste delicious.

One of my 'must have' items from Trader Joe's is their eggplant cutlets (pictured here, in the middle of the page)...it's great to have in the freezer for shortcut nights.  I took out what was left and added it to some fresh veggies for a makeshift veggie 'lasagna' (minus the pasta).

It ain't pretty, but it tasted very good.  I served pasta on the side to satisfy the carb fiend man of the house.

This dish also gets easier if you make marinara and freeze it in small batches...I always have some in the freezer.  ALWAYS.  In this case, though, I had some leftover in the fridge that I used.

It's a great idea for meatless Fridays, for those of you observing Lent.  It's also very versatile, so you too can clean out your fridge/freezer and add whatever you have on hand.

Veggie "Lasagna"
1/2 box Trader Joe's eggplant (enough to cover bottom of pan)
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise in thin slices
2 large portobello mushroom caps, broken in large pieces
marinara
fresh mozzarella, broken into pieces
ricotta
pecorino romano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.  Cover the bottom with a thin layer of marinara, then eggplant slices.

Cover eggplant with a small layer of mozzarella and a few spoons of ricotta, then more sauce.  Add mushroom chunks, then cover with more cheese and sauce...followed by zucchini, cheese, sauce.

Top the dish off with pecorino romano, place in the oven and cook for 22-25 minutes, or until brown on top.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

In other words..."Congratulations!  Get rich!"  Hey, if that's what the Year of the Rabbit is supposed to be all about, bring it on!

I thought a Chinese meal would be appropriate for tonight, and since I've been baking my butt off, a traditional Chinese New Year's dessert was called for as well :)  I had a 5PM hair appointment, so whatever I planned for dinner had to be quick and easy (I did my baking this morning).

If you've read my Just Can't Get Enough tab, you're fully aware that I'm a big Trader Joe's fan.  Their products are tasty, healthy (well, most of them are) and inexpensive...plus, it's VERY easy to shop there with Bella...no big crowds, no lines, always good parking.  And they're super generous with stickers, which she LOVES!  Win win.

TJ's products especially come in handy when you want/need to throw something quick and tasty on the table...like tonight's meal, which I've made dozens of times.  My measurements aren't completely accurate, because I don't measure when I cook this dish (along with many others), so proceed with caution :)  And of course, use whatever substitutions you like, what you need to use up, etc.  Here's tonight's version -

Shrimp & Chicken Stir Fry
1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 bag Trader Joe's frozen Stir Fry Veggies (thawed)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
leftover chicken
1 cup frozen shrimp (thawed)
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup water
garlic powder
soy sauce (reduced sodium)

Heat oil in a large skillet, then add onion, garlic, ginger, water chestnuts and stir fry veggies.  Cook for about 5 minutes, then add rice and half of the sesame oil.  Stir together and cook for about a minute.

Add chicken and shrimp, along with a few shakes of soy sauce, garlic powder and the rest of the sesame oil.  Cook for about a minute or two.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water together, and add to the pan.  Stir together and heat through for about a minute.  Serve immediately.
Serves 3.

While searching for a dessert to represent today's holiday, I found this recipe on about 5 different sites.  I liked it because it was very straight-forward and easy, and they sounded delicious (which they are!).  I threw these together super fast, right before Bella and I headed to Gymboree this morning...came home and had a nice little snack.  She loved them!

Chinese Almond Cookies
from Taste Of Home
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon water


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets (I used parchment paper). Flatten with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds.

In a small bowl, beat egg white and water. Brush over cookies. Bake at 325° for 14-16 minutes or until edges and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. 


Makes about 5 dozen.

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Frank + Pasta = One happy man.

Frank would eat pasta every.single.night...and probably every day for lunch too...if it were up to him.  Don't get me wrong - I love it too - but I prefer variety (even though pasta is very versatile).

When I was pregnant, I was following a low carb diet from the beginning because of an insulin resistance disease I have (unfortunately, I still developed gestational diabetes).  THANK GOD a friend of mine told me about this so I wouldn't have to give up my love for pasta.  It's still the only type that we use in our house...so, there isn't as much guilt associated with eating it often.

I love creating new dishes with pasta...basically any protein and veggie will work.  This is one of our favorites.  Once again, Trader Joe's saves the day with many varieties of chicken sausage (the spinach, fontina, and roasted garlic variety is what we usually have) and their frozen artichoke hearts.  Quick, easy, healthy and delicious.

We RARELY have bread in our house unless there's an occasion, or unless it's low carb, OR unless we just got a kick-ass panini maker, apparently.  That's thing's gonna be dangerous.  Anyway, we have a piece of italian bread that's been here a few days so Frank requested garlic bread.

Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Artichoke Hearts
4 chicken sausage links (we usually use Trader Joe's Spinach, Fontina & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage, but sub whatever you like), cut into bite size chunks
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
pat of butter
1/2 bag frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (you can also use canned)
1/2 lb. pasta, cooked according to package directions
Grated cheese (we use pecorino romano)

***once again, measurements are approximate!

Heat a large skillet, add oil and garlic, then sausage.  Add salt and pepper.  Cook over medium high heat until brown on all sides.

Add chicken stock, wine and butter, then the artichokes.  Give it a quick stir and add a bit more salt and pepper.  Turn heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, allowing flavors to combine and liquid to reduce.  If liquid needs to be a little thicker, add a bit more butter.

Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss all ingredients together.  Top with cheese and serve.

Bella the Baker

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the Sugar Cookie Workshop at Trader Joe's the other day for 99 cents (have I mentioned how much I loooove TJs?) so I picked up two boxes.  The perfect afternoon project for Bella and me!  What 2 year old wouldn't love that?!?!

Needless to say, she lost interest after cutting 3 cookies.  Okay, no big deal.  I finish up.  The cookies come out out the oven and I have to tell her a dozen times that we can't decorate them until they're cool.  Distract by turning on Dora Christmas.  Crisis averted.

Almost an hour later, we're ready to go.  We sit at the table, I ice three cookies, and put them on a plate for her.  I hand her the Christmas colored sprinkles, not really bothering to check the size of the holes on top.  Yeah, it's obvious what happens next...

Rookie move, Mommy!  Oh well.  They still tasted good :)